Actress Stephanie Cole, who is best known for her roles in Coronation Street and Doc Martin, has died, her agent has announced, sharing that the late star had been living with Alzheimer’s
(Image: Bath Chronicle)
Beloved TV actress Stephanie Cole has died.
The actress, 84, was best known for her roles as Roy Cropper’s mum, Sylvia Goodwin, in ITV’s Coronation Street, and as Martin Clunes’ on screen aunt Joan Norton in Doc Martin. She also appeared as Delphine ‘The Black Widow’ Featherstone in Open All Hours and Keeping Mum and gave a memorable performance as Beatrice Mason in the prisoner-of-war drama Tenko.
She is probably best known as the formidable Diana Trent in 1990s retirement home comedy Waiting For God. Stephanie was 48 when it began and playing a woman 20 years older, while co-star Graham Crowden was 68.
After rising to fame playing a number of TV battle-axes and matriarchs, in recent years Stephanie had been living with Alzheimer’s disease. One of her last TV roles was playing Aunt Ann Walker in Gentleman Jack alongside Surranne Jones.
A statement from Stephanie’s agent, John Grant, on behalf of her family, today said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Stephanie Cole, OBE.
“She passed away this morning at the age of 84. Stephanie had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for some years. Stephanie was an extraordinary talent whose long and distinguished career included many iconic performances in theatre and television.
“She brought joy to millions through her many much-loved roles in sitcom and drama. She will also be remembered for her tireless work supporting mental health charities. During this incredibly difficult time, the family kindly requests privacy.”
The actress launched her career aged just 17 and instantly became recognisable for her no-nonsense characters on some of the biggest TV shows. As her stage career took off, she rubbed shoulders with greats like Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud.
But in the early 70s, she felt she was getting nowhere and almost gave up acting. Then, in 1980, she got her TV break in Tenko, about women in a Singapore prison camp. The ground-breaking series dealt with issues like rape, abortion, suicide, euthanasia and lesbian love. “And it almost didn’t get made,” Stephanie says. “A TV researcher saw a This Is Your Life featuring a doctor who was in one of the real camps and thought it would be a brilliant story.
“But it took her and the producer four years to get it commissioned. It was only done then because another big autumn series had flopped. But it was the most extraordinary success. There’d never been anything before with female characters paramount and people loved it. But at he end of the first series the BBC were going to axe it because back then it was such a male culture – frighteningly so, all bum-pinching and degrading remarks.
“The male execs just didn’t like the fact that an all-women show had been so successful. Then Michael Grade came along and said, ‘You must be mad – it’s your flagship show’.
“But we were never really given our dues. The old Beeb’s atrium was huge and had photo of all the hit series. We never had one photo on the wall.
“I’m very proud of it though and we Tenko girls still stay in touch.”
Speaking to the Mirror in 2019, she said: “I hate it when people are put into boxes and stereotyped. We are all different and ‘older’ people can give so much to the community. Most of us have gained a lot of wisdom and are jolly useful. But people talk down to older people as if they are either deaf or stupid.”
Ronnie Barker saw Stephanie rehearsing at the BBC and offered her the role of Mrs Featherstone in Open All Hours. Being in a top drama and comedy at the same time made her a household name.
Stephanie has daughter, Emma by her first husband, fight choreographer Henry Marshall. They divorced in 1988 and 10 years later she married fellow actor Peter Birrel, who died from cancer in 2004.
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