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Philip Lowrie
Dennis Tanner 2.jpg
Lowrie as Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street
Born
Colin Philip Lowrie

(1936-06-20)20 June 1936
Died 25 April 2025(2025-04-25) (aged 88)
Occupation Actor
Years active 1958–2019
Known for Role of Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street (1960–1968, 2011–2014)

Colin Philip Lowrie (20 June 1936 – 25 April 2025) was an English stage and television actor, best known for playing Dennis Tanner in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, from the programme's inception in 1960–1968, and again from 2011 to 2014.

Biography

Early life

Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, Lowrie was the son of Bertha (née Collins) and Philip Lowrie, who was a foreman in a paper mill. Lowrie had a stammer so attended elocution lessons at Miss Atherton's Elocution. When he left secondary school, his mother managed to save enough money to pay his fees at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where he studied for three years.

Career

Aged 24, Lowrie appeared in the opening episode of the Granada Television soap opera Coronation Street as Dennis Tanner, the son of Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) and brother of Linda Cheveski (Anne Cunningham). Lowrie remained with the show as a regular character until 1968. During this period, he recorded a pop single, "I Might Have Known", which was issued by Ember in September 1963. Despite being recorded at the prestigious Abbey Road Studios and produced by John Barry, the record was not a hit.

Lowrie worked with Victoria Wood on several occasions, appearing in her programmes Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast, Victoria Wood, as well as in her television film Pat and Margaret. His other television appearances have included Andy Capp (1988), Crown Court (1975), War and Peace (1972), East Lynne (1976), The Cuckoo Waltz (1977), The Liver Birds (1978), Galloping Galaxies (1986), Rules of Engagement (1989) and Doctors (2005).

Lowrie did auditions and voiceover work from 1998 until 2003 for the Channel 4 quiz show Fifteen to One.

In September 2011, Lowrie was presented with a certificate by the Guinness World Records for being the person with the longest gap between television appearances as the same character in the same show, having returned to Coronation Street as Dennis Tanner earlier that year when his previous on-screen appearance as Dennis Tanner had been in June 1968. Lowrie made his final on-screen appearance as the character in July 2014. Lowrie's record of 43 years in between televised appearances as the same character in the same show was beaten in October 2022 by William Russell appearing in Doctor Who after a 57-year gap since his previous appearance as Ian Chesterton in June 1965. He subsequently played Mr Larkin in the ITV series Home Fires in 2015.

In addition to his work on television, Lowrie was also an accomplished theatre actor, starring in many West End and stage lead roles, including performances as Major Metcalf in The Mousetrap (2004), Klever in The Case of The Frightened Lady (2018) and Eric in The Lady Vanishes (2019).

Death

Lowrie died on 25 April 2025, aged 88.

Acting credits

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Saturday Playhouse Series 1 episode 17: A Young Affair
Starr and Company 1st Boy Series 1 episode 51: Willie
1959 Sunday Night Theatre Able Seaman Morris Series 10 episode 1: The Stone Ship
Sapphire Student Uncredited
Serious Charge Youth in Larry's Gang Film; uncredited
1960-1968, 2011-2014 Coronation Street Dennis Tanner 673 episodes
1963 Play of the Week Tim Series 10 episode 40: The Seventh Wave
1966 This Man Craig Pupil Series 1 episode 26: Old Flame
1970-1972 Kate Leonard Snow 3 episodes
1972-1973 War and Peace French Lieutenant/
French Captain/
Pierre's Second
3 episodes
1973 Putting on the Agony Barry Television film
1974 Notorious Woman Alexandre Manceau Series 1 episode 7: Rebolution
1975 Jackanory Architect Episode: The Emperor's Nightingale
Crown Court Dr. Pritchard Series 4 episode 11: Matron: Part 2
1976 Cilla's World of Comedy Philip Travers Series 1 episode 6: Who's Your Friend?
Golden Hill Terry Ashby 5 episodes
East Lynn Archibald Carlyle Television film
1977 The Cuckoo Waltz Tom Napier Series 3 episode 2: The Treat
Devenish Episode: The Great Exhibition
1978 A Soft Touch Paul Series 1 episode 3: Play Acting
Tycoon Gerry Speares 3 episodes
The Liver Birds Mr Green Series 9 episode 4: Weeds
1980 Company and Co Billy Hawkes 7 episodes
1983 Angels Mike Roberts 3 episodes
1985 Voices in the Dark David Television film
1986 Galloping Galaxies! Wimp Series 2 episode 1
1987 The English Programme David 2 episodes
1988 Andy Capp Mr Watson 6 episodes
Blind Justice Milligan 1 episode
1989 Rules of Engagement Nigel Quinn 4 episodes
Victoria Wood Keith/John Appleby Episode 2: The Library,
episode 4: We'd Quite Like to Apologise
Casualty Simon Spencer Series 4 episode 12: Hanging On
1990 Rita Rudner 1 episode
Frederick Forsyth Presents Supt. Jamieson Series 2 episode 2: Death Has A Bad Reputation
1993 Harry Houseman Series 1 episode 3
1994 Pat and Margaret Martin/Warm Up Man 1 episode
2005 Doctors Ron Cornwall Series 7 episode 103: Lost for Words
2010 Casualty Ancient Mariner Series 24 episode 34:
Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea
2012 Coronation Street: A Christmas Corrie Dennis Tanner/Norris' Grandfather Television short
2016 Home Fires Mr Lakin 3 episodes
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