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John Savident, the Greater Manchester Police Officer, turned actor, has died at the age of 86; he was famous for playing the no-nonsense butcher Fred Elliott (and love interest for Audrey Roberts) in Coronation Street.
Savident worked for the GMP in his younger days, even treading the beat with future Deputy Chief Constable and broadcaster John Stalker, (who also found a niche as Shaw Taylor's successor presenting sub-Crimewatch programmes on regional ITV). Even as an actor he still used to be stereotyped as a Police Officer, appearing in an episode of Casualty as such a character. But it was his role in Coronation Street which really made him a household name; giving Foghorn Leghorn a run for his money (I say, giving Foghorn Leghorn a run for his money) with his unique way of speaking, almost making it a catchphrase into the bargain. His lines were delivered in timely fashion, and ironically for a former Police Officer, his performance was almost in sub-comedy fashion, fitting in with the rest of the Coronation Street cast.
In December 2000, Savident was due to appear in the 40th anniversary of the soap opera when he was a victim of a knife attack; as he dialed 999, he admitted to the operator that he was the John Savident and pleaded not to tell the red-top tabloids about this escapade, a la Max Cliifford. Savident was rewritten out of the live episode at the last moment. Fred Elliott meanwhile, appeared in the Street for many years, while dying on screen, marking the end of his appearance. He appeared in other programmes, and he might have appeared in adverts as well - did he do one for mints or something? I might be confusing him with someone else, I assume.
The end of an era. (I say) the end of an era.
Savident worked for the GMP in his younger days, even treading the beat with future Deputy Chief Constable and broadcaster John Stalker, (who also found a niche as Shaw Taylor's successor presenting sub-Crimewatch programmes on regional ITV). Even as an actor he still used to be stereotyped as a Police Officer, appearing in an episode of Casualty as such a character. But it was his role in Coronation Street which really made him a household name; giving Foghorn Leghorn a run for his money (I say, giving Foghorn Leghorn a run for his money) with his unique way of speaking, almost making it a catchphrase into the bargain. His lines were delivered in timely fashion, and ironically for a former Police Officer, his performance was almost in sub-comedy fashion, fitting in with the rest of the Coronation Street cast.
In December 2000, Savident was due to appear in the 40th anniversary of the soap opera when he was a victim of a knife attack; as he dialed 999, he admitted to the operator that he was the John Savident and pleaded not to tell the red-top tabloids about this escapade, a la Max Cliifford. Savident was rewritten out of the live episode at the last moment. Fred Elliott meanwhile, appeared in the Street for many years, while dying on screen, marking the end of his appearance. He appeared in other programmes, and he might have appeared in adverts as well - did he do one for mints or something? I might be confusing him with someone else, I assume.
The end of an era. (I say) the end of an era.
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