Philip Lowrie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Philip Lowrie
Lowrie as Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street
Born	Colin Philip Lowrie (1936-06-20)20 June 1936 Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England
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 (born June 20, 1936 – died April 25, 2025) was an English actor. He was famous for playing Dennis Tanner in the popular TV show Coronation Street. He was on the show from when it started in 1960 until 1968. He then returned to the show from 2011 to 2014.

Philip Lowrie's Life and Acting Career

Early Life and Training

Philip Lowrie was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England. This was on June 20, 1936. His father, Philip Lowrie, worked as a foreman in a paper mill. His mother was Bertha Lowrie.

When Philip was young, he had a stammer. To help with this, he took special speaking lessons. After finishing secondary school, his mother saved money for him. This allowed him to study acting. He spent three years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. This is a very famous acting school.

Starting His Acting Career

When he was 24 years old, Philip Lowrie appeared in the very first episode of Coronation Street. This was a new TV show from ITV Granada. He played the character Dennis Tanner. Dennis was the son of Elsie Tanner and brother of Linda Cheveski.

Philip stayed on Coronation Street as a main character until 1968. During this time, he even recorded a pop song! It was called "I Might Have Known." The song was recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios. A well-known composer, John Barry, produced it. However, the song did not become a big hit.

Other TV Shows and Films

Philip Lowrie worked with the famous comedian Victoria Wood many times. He appeared in her shows like Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast and Victoria Wood. He was also in her TV movie Pat and Margaret.

He acted in many other television shows too. These included Andy Capp in 1988. He was also in Crown Court in 1975. Other shows were War and Peace (1972) and East Lynne (1976). He also appeared in The Cuckoo Waltz (1977) and The Liver Birds (1978). Later, he was in Galloping Galaxies (1986) and Doctors (2005).

From 1998 to 2003, Philip did voiceover work. He worked for the Channel 4 quiz show Fifteen to One. He would do auditions and voice parts for the show.

A World Record and Later Roles

In September 2011, Philip Lowrie received a special award. He got a certificate from Guinness World Records. This was for having the longest time between TV appearances as the same character. He returned to Coronation Street as Dennis Tanner that year. His last appearance as Dennis had been in June 1968. This was a gap of 43 years!

Philip made his final appearance as Dennis Tanner in July 2014. His record was later broken in October 2022. William Russell appeared in Doctor Who after a 57-year gap. After Coronation Street, Philip played Mr Larkin. This was in the ITV series Home Fires in 2016.

Theatre Work

Besides TV, Philip Lowrie was also a talented theatre actor. He performed in many plays in London's West End. He also had lead roles on other stages. Some of his theatre roles included Major Metcalf in The Mousetrap in 2004. He played Klever in The Case of The Frightened Lady in 2018. His last stage role was Eric in The Lady Vanishes in 2019.

His Passing

Philip Lowrie passed away on April 25, 2025. He was 88 years old.

Acting Roles in TV and Film

Philip Lowrie had many roles throughout his long career. Here are some of the TV shows and films he appeared in: