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Anne Reid (born 28 May 1935) is an English stage, film and television actress, known for her roles as Valerie Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street (1961–1971); Jean in the sitcom dinnerladies (1998–2000); and her role as Celia Dawson in Last Tango in Halifax (2012–2020) for which she was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. A further nomination in the same category followed for playing Ann Moore-Martin in The Sixth Commandment (2023).
For her performance in the film The Mother (2003), Reid won the London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actress of the Year and received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Other notable film roles include the voice of Wendolene Ramsbottom in (1995) and as Leslie Tiller in Hot Fuzz (2007).
Valerie was the mother of the twins Susan Barlow and Peter. Reid joined the cast, initially for two months, starting in August 1961 and leaving in October. She returned to the programme to marry Ken on 1 August 1962, in a wedding watched by 15.8 million viewers. In 1965, Val and Ken had twins, and ITV Granada received numerous congratulation gifts addressed to the couple.
In 1968, Reid played one of her most difficult parts in Coronation Street when Val was held hostage by a rapist. Although Val was not harmed, viewers sent in hate mail to the actor who played the rapist. In November 1970, Reid announced she was leaving Coronation Street. In a 2011 interview with the Radio Times, Reid said she had enough and wanted to do other things:
I was a basket case when I left! I'd already had too much of it. That kind of work suits some people, but it didn't suit me. It was my decision to leave and I was desperate, really desperate, to go. Because I knew I was good at comedy and there was no way that Valerie Barlow was ever going to be funny.
On 27 January 1971, 18.26 million viewers watched as Valerie Barlow was written out of the soap, dying after being electrocuted by a Hair dryer with a faulty plug. On 1 and 3 February 1971, 18.92 million people watched the aftermath and the character's funeral.
In 2003, Reid had a part in Midsomer Murders in the episode "A Tale of Two Hamlets" as Sarah Proudie and a main part in the comedy drama The Booze Cruise. She also had a major role in the ITV drama series Life Begins, which ran from 2004 to 2006, in which she appeared alongside Caroline Quentin and Frank Finlay. In 2005 she had a supporting role in the BBC's adaptation of Bleak House and in 2006 made a brief appearance in Jane Eyre.
On 31 March 2007, Reid appeared for a second time in the series Doctor Who in the episode "Smith and Jones". In the episode, she played Florence Finnegan: a shape-shifting, blood-sucking alien known as a Plasmavore, who took on the guise of a human. That same year she appeared in the ITV television adaptation of the novel The Bad Mother's Handbook, co-starring alongside Catherine Tate.
In February 2008, Reid appeared as the mother of Monica Gallagher, Joan, who was suffering from Alzheimer's in the Channel 4 drama Shameless. In October 2008, she played the title role in In Love with Barbara on BBC Four, a biographical film of Barbara Cartland.
In 2009, Reid appeared in the television series Agatha Christie's Marple in the episode Nemesis. From 2009 to 2010 she starred as Vera alongside Maureen Lipman as Irene in an ITV3 adaptation of the BBC Radio 4 series Ladies of Letters.
In 2010, she began playing Mrs Thackeray, the cook, in the BBC's short-lived revival series of Upstairs Downstairs, and also appeared in Five Days, New Tricks and Moving On. In 2011 Reid had a major part in Marchlands, a five-part ITV supernatural drama, made a guest appearance in Doc Martin and played a supporting role in The Jury II.Press release. [1]. ITV.
In 2012 Reid began starring as Celia alongside Sir Derek Jacobi as Alan in the BBC romantic comedy-drama series, Last Tango in Halifax. Reid was nominated for the 2013 British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for this role.
In 2013, she appeared in the second series of the BBC drama Prisoners' Wives. She also starred with Katherine Kelly in The Last Witch, part of a series of original dramas for Sky Living and appeared in the final Agatha Christie's Poirot mystery, Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case as Daisy Luttrell. The following year, she guest-starred in "Sardines", the first episode of the BBC anthology series Inside No. 9. She also starred alongside Lee Ingleby and Ralf Little in the six-part BBC drama series Our Zoo.
Reid took part in an episode of the BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? in September 2015.
In 2017, Reid starred alongside Timothy Spall in "The Commuter", an episode of the Channel 4/Amazon Video anthology series Electric Dreams. In 2018 and 2019, she starred alongside Alison Steadman and John Cleese in a new BBC comedy series, Hold the Sunset.
In 2019 Reid co-starred in a six-part BBC drama series, Years and Years, starring Emma Thompson. Reid played the matriarch of the central family, Muriel Deacon. From 2019 to 2023 she starred as the wealthy Lady Denham in the ITV adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel, Sanditon.
In 2023 she starred alongside Timothy Spall and Éanna Hardwicke in the BBC true-life crime drama The Sixth Commandment, for which she nominated for the 2024 British Academy Television Award for Best Actress.
In 2024 Reid was announced as being in the cast of a new BBC drama series, Riot Women. The series is expected to broadcast in 2025.
Additionally, Reid filmed a minor role as a lesbian headmistress in the movie Love Actually (2003), but Reid is not credited in the cast list since all her scenes were ultimately deleted, because they were not central to the main plot. The scenes can, however, be viewed in the deleted scenes on the Love Actually DVD.
From September 2005 to January 2006, she appeared on stage in the West End in Epitaph for George Dillon.
In June 2007, Reid played the role of Jack's mother in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
From January to May 2008, Reid appeared in the National Theatre's production of Happy Now?, a new play by Lucinda Coxon.
From March to May 2009, Reid appeared at the Donmar Warehouse in Dimetos, a 1975 play by Athol Fugard.
From September to November 2012, Reid appeared at London's Old Vic, in a production of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, starring Sheridan Smith.
On 26 January 2015, Reid played Madame Armfeldt in a special concert version of A Little Night Music, at the Palace Theatre, to celebrate 40 years since the musical premiered in the West End.
In July and August 2016, Reid appeared at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester alongside James Bolam in a new play, Fracked! Or: Please Don't Use the F-Word by Alistair Beaton. The play was revived for a national tour in April and May 2017.
From October to December 2017, Reid returned to the West End opposite Eve Best in Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance at the Vaudeville Theatre.
From March to May 2023, Reid appeared in the UK premiere of Marjorie Prime by Jordan Harrison, at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.
Reid will play Queen Elizabeth II in a new play, By Royal Appointment, by Daisy Goodwin. The play, which will also star Caroline Quentin, is due to open at the Theatre Royal Bath in June 2025, to be followed by a tour.
| 1958 | Passport to Shame | Woman Getting Married | Uncredited role |
| 1995 | Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave | Wendolene | Short film, voice role |
| 1997 | Love and Death on Long Island | Maureen | |
| 2000 | Liam | Mrs. Abernathy | |
| 2003 | The Mother | May | |
| Love Actually | Headmistress | Uncredited role (scenes deleted) | |
| 2005 | A Little Trip to Heaven | Martha | |
| 2007 | Hot Fuzz | Leslie Tiller | |
| Hit for Six | Show Producer | ||
| Savage Grace | Nini Daly | ||
| 2008 | Affinity | Mrs. Brink | |
| Faintheart | Barbara Wallace | ||
| 2010 | Cemetery Junction | Freddie's Gran | |
| 2011 | Foster | Diane | Also known as Angel in the House |
| 2012 | Song for Marion | Brenda | |
| 2013 | Believe | Jean Busby | |
| Tea Time in Haworth | Jean | Short film | |
| 2015 | A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman | Herself | Documentary |
| 2016 | Kaleidoscope | Aileen | |
| 2017 | Romans | Mother | Also known as Retaliation |
| The Snowman | Mrs. Bendiksen | ||
| 2018 | A Woman of No Importance | Lady Hunstanton | Filmed live at The Vaudeville Theatre, London |
| 2019 | The Aeronauts | Ethel Glaisher | |
| 2020 | The Nest | Rory's Mum | |
| 2021 | Charlotte | ||
| 2023 | The Trouble with Jessica | Miranda | |
| +Key | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| 1957 | The Benny Hill Show | Episode: "#2.2" | |
| The Machine Breakers | Mary | 3 episodes | |
| 1957–1959 | Hancock's Half Hour | Actress / Young Wife / Secretary | 5 episodes |
| 1958 | ITV Play of the Week | Alice | Episode: "The Rossiters" |
| Time Is the Enemy | Patience Mee | 7 episodes | |
| The Adventures of Robin Hood | Betsey / Alison / Mellissa | 4 episodes | |
| Murder Bag | Episode: "Lockhart Watches the Clock" | ||
| 1959 | Crime Sheet | Episode: "Lockhart Sees a Chemist" | |
| 1961–1971 | Coronation Street | Valerie Tatlock / Valerie Barlow | Recurring role, 632 episodes |
| 1962 | Television Club | Nurse | Episode: "The Wade Family: The Hospital" |
| 1969-1970 | All Star Comedy Carnival | Valerie Barlow | Television Christmas special |
| 1972 | ITV Playhouse | Lily | Episode: "Buggins' Empire" |
| 1973 | Play for Today | Eileen Morris | Episode: "Edward G: Like the Filmstar" |
| Six Days of Justice | Margery Birkenshaw | Episode: "The Complaint" | |
| 1975 | Nightingale's Boys | Claire Selby | Episode: "Spivvy" |
| 1976 | Red Letter Day | Sheila Harding | Episode: "Matchfit" |
| Heydays Hotel | Merel Roberts | Television film | |
| 1977 | Fathers and Families | Martha Frend | Mini-series, 1 episode: "Left for Dead" |
| 1978 | ITV Playhouse | Alice | Episode: "One of the Boys" |
| Strangers | Audrey Stephens | Episode: "Right and Wrong" | |
| Crown Court | Mrs. Grace Cook / Florence Davenport | 6 episodes: "Michael: Parts 1–3" and "A Man with Everything: Parts 1–3" | |
| 1979 | Leave It to Charlie | Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" | |
| 1979–1980 | The Mallens | Mathilda Bensham | 4 episodes |
| 1981 | My Father's House | Aunt Kitty | Mini-series, 3 episodes |
| 1984 | Love and Marriage | Ruth | Episode: "Lucifer" |
| 1985 | The Practice | Sylvia Rush | 4 episodes |
| Bleak House | Mrs. Bagnet | Mini-series, 1 episode: "#1.7" | |
| Shine On Harvey Moon | Joan | Episode: "All or Nothing at All" | |
| 1986 | Pam Twill | Episode: "#2.1" | |
| 1987 | Screen Two | Mrs. Hawke | Episode: "Inappropriate Behaviour" |
| 1988 | Boon | Yvonne Temple | Episode: "Beef Encounter" |
| 1989 | Doctor Who | Nurse Crane | "The Curse of Fenric" (4 episodes) |
| 4 Play | Pam Radley | Episode: "Dawn and the Candidate" | |
| Victoria Wood | Enid / Sheila | 2 episodes: "Mens Sana in Thingummy Doodah" and "The Library" | |
| About Face | Geraldine | Episode: "Mrs. Worthington's Daughter" | |
| 1990 | A Bit of Fry and Laurie | Episode: "#2.3" | |
| Made in Heaven | Wilma | Episode: "The Big Match" | |
| 1991 | Josie Smith | Miss Potts | 2 episodes |
| The Upper Hand | Nurse Edwards | Episode: "The Anniversary" | |
| Rich Tea and Sympathy | Sally | 6 episodes | |
| Very Big Very Soon | Susan Driscoll | Episode: "The Taxman" | |
| 1992 | Casualty | Barbara | Episode: "Will You Still Love Me?" |
| The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Joyce Virson | 2 episodes: "Kissing the Gunner's Daughter: Parts One & Two" | |
| Crime Story | Muriel McKay | Episode: "Gone Too Far: The Mystery of Mrs. Muriel McKay" | |
| An Ungentlemanly Act | Mrs. Mozeley | Television film | |
| 1992–1994 | Firm Friends | Wendy Holmes | 6 episodes |
| 1993 | The Bill | Mrs. Proctor | Episode: "Pride and Joy" |
| Micky Love | Jenny | Television film | |
| Heartbeat | Marjorie Doubleday | Episode: "Baby Blues" | |
| 1993–1999 | Peak Practice | Rita Barrat | 12 episodes |
| 1994 | Pat and Margaret | Maeve | Television film |
| Seaforth | Aunt Enid | Mini-series, 3 episodes | |
| Where the Buffalo Roam | Pam | Television film | |
| 1995 | The Infiltrator | Ingrid Fischer | Television film |
| Roughnecks | Renie | 3 episodes | |
| 1996 | Hetty Wainthropp Investigates | Hilda | Episode: "A High Profile" |
| Sometime, Never | Annette | Episode: "Getting Results" | |
| 1996–1997 | Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... | Mother / Gwen / Mrs. Thomson | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | The Wingless Bird | Alice Conway | Mini-series, 3 episodes |
| Spark | Mrs Rudge | 6 episodes | |
| Next of Kin | Patsy | Episode: "Neighbours" | |
| Heartbeat | Aunt Alison | Episode: "Affairs of the Heart" | |
| 1998–1999 | Playing the Field | Mrs. Gill | 6 episodes |
| 1998–2000 | dinnerladies | Jean | 15 episodes |
| 1999 | Lost for Words | Gloria | Television film |
| 2000 | Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings | Various characters | Television special |
| 2001 | Linda Green | Yvonne Mott | Episode: "Rest in Peace" |
| Hearts and Bones | Annie Rose | 2 episodes: "#2.4" and "#2.6" | |
| 2001–2002 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Harriet Clifford - Dalziel's Sister | 2 episodes: "Truth and Consequences" and "Sins of the Fathers" |
| 2002 | Sweet Charity | Agnes | Television film |
| 2003 | Midsomer Murders | Sarah Proudie | Episode: "A Tale of Two Hamlets" |
| The Booze Cruise | Grace | Television film | |
| The Young Visiters | Mrs. Monticue | Television film | |
| 2004 | Rose and Maloney | Bea Linden | 2 episodes: "Daniel Berrington: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2004–2006 | Life Begins | Brenda Thornhill | 16 episodes |
| 2005 | Bleak House | Mrs. Rouncewell | Mini-series, 9 episodes |
| Grace Stringer | Television film | ||
| 2006 | The True Voice of Murder | Television film | |
| Grace | Television film | ||
| Jane Eyre | Gypsy Woman | Mini-series, 1 episode | |
| 2007 | The Bad Mother's Handbook | Nancy Hesketh | Television film |
| Doctor Who | Florence Finnegan | Episode: "Smith and Jones" | |
| Agatha Christie's Marple | Sister Agnes | Episode: "Nemesis" | |
| 2008 | Shameless | Joan Dallimore | Episode: "Absent Parents" |
| In Love with Barbara | Barbara Cartland | Television film | |
| 2009–2010 | Ladies of Letters | Vera Small | 20 episodes |
| 2010 | Five Days | Jen Mason | 5 episodes |
| New Tricks | Sophie Urquhart | Episode: "It Smells of Books" | |
| Moving On | Diane | Episode: "I am Darleen Fyles" | |
| 2010–2012 | Upstairs, Downstairs | Mrs. Clarice Thackeray | 12 episodes |
| 2011 | Marchlands | Ruth Bowen | Mini-series, 4 episodes |
| The Jury | June Brierley | 5 episodes | |
| Doc Martin | Mrs. Dingley | Episode: "Cats and Sharks" | |
| Grandpa in My Pocket | Madame Vibrato | Episode: "Boom a Boom Whoop Zing Zoo!" | |
| 2012–2020 | Last Tango in Halifax | Celia | 24 episodes |
| 2013 | Prisoners' Wives | Margaret | 4 episodes |
| The Last Witch | Miranda | Television film | |
| Agatha Christie's Poirot | Daisy Luttrell | Episode: "" | |
| 2014 | Inside No 9 | Geraldine | Episode: "Sardines" |
| Our Zoo | Lucy Mottershead | Mini-series, 6 episodes | |
| 2017 | Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams | Martine | Episode: "The Commuter" |
| 2018 | Claude | Dame Mumsie Turret | Episode: "A Good Night's Sleep", voice role |
| 2018–2019 | Hold the Sunset | Queenie | 12 episodes |
| 2019 | Years and Years | Muriel Deacon | Mini-series, 6 episodes |
| 2019–2023 | Sanditon | Lady Denham | 20 episodes |
| 2023 | The Sixth Commandment | Ann Moore-Martin | Mini-series, 3 episodes |
| TBC | Riot Women | Nancy | Upcoming drama |
| 2003 | European Film Award for Best Actress | The Mother | |
| 2004 | BAFTA Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role | ||
| 2004 | London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year | ||
| 2004 | British Independent Film Award for Best Actress | ||
| 2004 | European Film Award Best Actress Audience Award | ||
| 2013 | Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series | Last Tango in Halifax | |
| 2013 | BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress | ||
| 2024 | BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress | The Sixth Commandment | |
Reid was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours, both for services to drama.
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