Anne Kirkbride (21 June 1954 â€" 19 January 2015) was an English
actress, known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in the ITV
soap Coronation Street, which she played for 42 years from 1972 to
2014. For this role, she posthumously received the Outstanding
Achievement Award at the 2015 British Soap Awards.She was born in
Oldham, Lancashire, the daughter of Jack Kirkbride, a cartoonist for
the Oldham Evening Chronicle. She attended Counthill Grammar School,
Oldham, and then joined Oldham Repertory Theatre as an assistant stage
manager, before progressing to acting roles.Kirkbride was noticed by
casting directors for the British soap opera Coronation Street when
she acted in a Jack Rosenthal play, Another Sunday and Sweet F.A.
(1972), for Granada Television. She played the bit part of Deirdre
Hunt in Coronation Street from November 1972. The character's role
grew and after further appearances in 1973, Kirkbride signed a
contract with the serial in 1974. From then on, the character of
Deirdre Barlow became infamous for her very large spectacles and her
husky voice (a result of Kirkbride's own chain smoking).
actress, known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in the ITV
soap Coronation Street, which she played for 42 years from 1972 to
2014. For this role, she posthumously received the Outstanding
Achievement Award at the 2015 British Soap Awards.She was born in
Oldham, Lancashire, the daughter of Jack Kirkbride, a cartoonist for
the Oldham Evening Chronicle. She attended Counthill Grammar School,
Oldham, and then joined Oldham Repertory Theatre as an assistant stage
manager, before progressing to acting roles.Kirkbride was noticed by
casting directors for the British soap opera Coronation Street when
she acted in a Jack Rosenthal play, Another Sunday and Sweet F.A.
(1972), for Granada Television. She played the bit part of Deirdre
Hunt in Coronation Street from November 1972. The character's role
grew and after further appearances in 1973, Kirkbride signed a
contract with the serial in 1974. From then on, the character of
Deirdre Barlow became infamous for her very large spectacles and her
husky voice (a result of Kirkbride's own chain smoking).
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