Anne Reid

Biography

Anne Reid CBE (born May 28, 1935) is a highly respected English stage, film, and television actress whose career has spanned over six decades, moving seamlessly between iconic soap opera roles, beloved sitcoms, and critically acclaimed dramas.

📺 Early Career and Television Mainstays

Reid's career began after training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). She achieved national recognition early on with a long-running role in a major British television institution:

Coronation Street (1961–1971): She became a household name as Valerie Barlow (née Tatlock), a popular and much-loved character whose wedding and dramatic exit (killed by an electric hairdryer) remain memorable moments in the soap's history.

Collaborations with Victoria Wood: After taking a break to raise her son, Reid returned to prominence through frequent collaborations with writer/comedian Victoria Wood, most notably as the long-suffering canteen worker Jean in the BBC sitcom Dinnerladies (1998–2000).

🌟 Critical Acclaim and Later Success

The latter part of Reid's career saw her achieve significant critical success in both film and television dramas, often playing complex, older female characters.

Last Tango in Halifax (2012–2020): She starred as Celia Dawson, who rekindles a romance with her childhood sweetheart (played by Derek Jacobi) in their seventies. This role earned her a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Leading Actress.

The Mother (2003): This film marked a pivotal moment, with her brave performance as a widow who begins an affair with her daughter's much younger lover (played by Daniel Craig). Her portrayal won her the London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actress of the Year and a BAFTA Film Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Recent Acclaim: Her career continued to be recognized with a recent BAFTA TV Award nomination for her moving performance as Ann Moore-Martin in the true crime drama The Sixth Commandment (2023). She also played the imperious grandmother, Muriel Deacon, in the dystopian drama series Years and Years (2019).

🎥 Other Notable Works

Beyond her major television roles, Reid's career includes notable film and voice work:

Film Appearances include the florid village florist in Edgar Wright's comedy Hot Fuzz (2007) and roles in Cemetery Junction and Song for Marion.

Voice Acting: She is the voice of Wendolene Ramsbottom in the beloved Aardman animated film Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave (1995).

In recognition of her extensive contributions to drama, Anne Reid was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).