Coronation Street icon has Hollywood star for a son – and two co-star wives
Coronation Street icon William 'Bill' Roache has a very famous son who has made a name for himself in Hollywood, starring in a number of blockbuster films.
William Roache sends his support to Willow Wood Hospice
Coronation Street legend William 'Bill' Roache boasts a son who is a renowned figure in Hollywood.
While Bill has carved out his own successful career in television, his son Linus has taken it a notch higher. As his father was being honoured with 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 securing roles in high-profile projects like Batman Begins.
Born in 1964 to Bill and his actress wife Anna Cropper, it's hardly shocking that Linus chose to tread the same path as his parents and pursue acting.
The star honed his skills at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and made his debut TV appearance alongside his father in Corrie, playing his on-screen son Peter Barlow.
Linus held this role for two years, but had his eyes firmly set on Hollywood. By 2002, he'd earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film for his performance in RFK, where he portrayed Robert F. Kennedy.
He also received a BAFTA Scotland Award nomination for his role in 2003's Blind Flight, where he played John McCarthy.
In his personal life, Linus exchanged vows with fellow actor Rosalind Bennett in 2002, in a beautiful ceremony held in Worcestershire's Malvern Hills. Interestingly, Rosalind herself had a stint in Corrie back in 1986, playing Tina Wagstaffe.
Indeed, hardly any members of the Roache family have managed to avoid appearances on Coronation Street. Linus' mother Anna featured in several episodes of the soap back in 1962, while his half-brother James portrayed James Cunningham Ken's long-lost grandson in 2010 and 2011.
In a somewhat bewildering twist, James' brother Linus played his father Laurence in the show, whilst their real-life father Bill was portraying his grandfather. James even took on the role of his own father William in a dramatisation of Corrie, titled The Road to Coronation Street.
Bill had his son James with his second wife Sara McEwan Mottram, who made appearances in eight episodes of Corrie throughout her career both as a receptionist and as Judge Alderman. The couple also had a daughter named Verity, and a second daughter Edwina, who tragically passed away at just 18 months old.
