A soap legend has a mega-famous family and it may surprise viewers at home.
Coronation Street’s William ‘Bill’ Roache has a son who is a big name in Hollywood. Despite Bill’s own successful TV career, his son Linus has
taken it up a notch.
While his dad was being honoured by the Guinness World Record for being the longest-serving living actor in a continuous TV role for his portrayal of Ken Barlow in Corrie, Linus was landing roles in major projects like Batman Begins.
Born in 1964 to Bill and his actress wife Anna Cropper, it’s no shock that Linus decided to follow in his parents’ acting footsteps. The star polished his skills at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and made his first TV appearance alongside his dad in Corrie, playing his son Peter Barlow.
Linus held this role for two years, but had his sights firmly set on Hollywood. By 2002, he’d bagged a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film for his performance in RFK, where he played Robert F. Kennedy.
He also scored a BAFTA Scotland Award nomination for his work in 2003’s Blind Flight, where he portrayed John McCarthy. Away from the screen, Linus tied the knot with fellow actor Rosalind Bennett in 2002, in a stunning ceremony held in Worcestershire’s Malvern Hills. Rosalind herself has appeared in Corrie back in 1986, playing the character Tina Wagstaffe.
The Roache family appears to have a deep-rooted connection with Coronation Street, with the majority of the clan having graced the soap at one time or another. Linus’ mum, Anna, made appearances in several episodes back in 1962, while his half-brother James took on the role of James Cunningham Ken’s long-lost grandson in 2010 and 2011.
Intriguingly, James’ brother Linus portrayed his dad, Laurence, on the programme, while their actual father Bill played his grandfather. James even had the chance to depict his own dad William in a dramatisation of Corrie, named The Road to Coronation Street.
Bill and his second spouse Sara McEwan Mottram, who herself featured in eight episodes of Corrie in various capacities, welcomed their son James. They also had two daughters, Verity and Edwina, the latter tragically passing away at just 18 months old.
