Anne Cunningham facts for kids

Anne Margaret Cunningham, born in 1937, is an English actress. She is famous for being one of the first actors on the TV show Coronation Street. In the show, she played a character named Linda Cheveski. Linda was the daughter of Elsie Tanner (played by Pat Phoenix).

Anne Cunningham's Early Life

Anne Cunningham was born in Leeds, England. She was an only child. When she was young, her family moved to South Africa. At school, she acted in a play called As You Like It. Her drama teacher was very impressed. The teacher suggested Anne should train to be an actor in England.

When Anne was 16, her family moved back to England. She then went to the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. There, she studied both acting and teaching. Even though she trained as a teacher, she has always worked as an actress.

Anne Cunningham's Acting Career

Anne Cunningham started her acting career at the Bristol Old Vic theatre. After that, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. She performed in their play Twelfth Night. Later, she was acting in a Repertory Theatre show in Buxton. A casting director from Granada Television came to watch her perform.

A few months later, Anne was asked to try out for a role in Manchester. She got the part of Linda Cheveski in the new TV show Coronation Street. This was her very first role on television.

Starring in Coronation Street

Anne Cunningham appeared in the very first episode of Coronation Street. It aired on December 9, 1960. Her character, Linda Cheveski, was the daughter of Elsie Tanner and older sister to Dennis Tanner (Philip Lowrie). Linda was a main character for the first year of the show. She left when an actors' strike happened. This meant Linda and her husband Ivan (Ernst Walder) were written out of the story.

Anne continued to play Linda sometimes until 1968. She came back briefly in 1984 when Pat Phoenix's character, Elsie, left the show. In 2020, after Dennis Tanner passed away, Ken Barlow (William Roache) mentioned Linda. He told Rita that Linda was still alive and living in Toronto.

Other TV and Film Roles

Anne Cunningham also appeared on one of the first shows on BBC2. It was a fun entertainment program called Impromptu. She was also in A World of His Own in 1964. In that show, she played Helen Blake, the wife of Stanley Blake (Roy Kinnear).

Besides her stage work, Anne has had many other TV roles. These include Z-Cars in 1962 and The Avengers in 1966. She was also in The Dick Emery Show in 1973. In 1976, she appeared in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and Are You Being Served?. In August 1972, she narrated five stories for the children's show Play School.

Anne Cunningham also acted in movies. She was in Doctor in Clover (1966). She played Ella in Bitter Harvest and Judith in This Sporting Life (both from 1963). Her other stage roles include Lady Percy in Chimes at Midnight. She also played Vera in Come Laughing Home and Amy in Duty Free.

Memorable Moments

Anne played Linda Cheveski one last time in a special video. It was called The Life and Loves of Elsie Tanner. This video was made to honor Pat Phoenix after she passed away in 1986. Anne's character, Linda, was the first woman on Coronation Street to have a baby. On June 12, 1961, she gave birth to a son named Paul (played by Marcus Saville). In 2010, Anne appeared in a special show called Coronation Street: 50 Years, 50 Moments.

Anne Cunningham's Personal Life

While working on the set of A World of His Own, Anne Cunningham met Darrol Blake. He was a set designer and theatre director. Anne and Darrol got married in 1965. They have three daughters and live in London. One of their daughters, Philippa, was named after Anne's on-screen brother, Philip Lowrie. Anne Cunningham also used to run an antiques shop with her former Coronation Street co-star, Ernst Walder. He played her husband, Ivan Cheveski, on the show.