When Sally Dynevor auditioned to play the role of Kevin Webster’s posh girlfriend on Coronation Street and didn’t get the part, she worried that she’d blown her chances of ever being on the iconic TV show.
Fresh out of drama school, she’d also missed out on getting to play a milkman’s daughter.
But then she got the call from Coro’s casting director that would change her life. They wanted someone to play another girlfriend of Kevin’s, this time more working class.
“The character was called Sally and I thought, ‘That’s a good omen, she’s got the same name.’ I got a few episodes, and then it was a year. And the years have just rolled by. Coro’s almost part of my DNA now.”
It’s 34 years since Sally joined the show, and she’s now one of the longest-serving cast members. Only William Roache (Ken Barlow), Helen Worth (Gail Rodwell) and Barbara Knox (Rita Sullivan) have appeared in more episodes.
With Coro celebrating its 60th anniversary this month, Sally, 57, says it’s hard to believe she’s been a part of the programme for so long. “I still feel like a newcomer; it’s unbelievable.”
And although she’s worked with Coro legends like William (known as Bill), 88, for all that time, she still gets a little starstruck. “When I see him in the corridor, I still get excited, thinking, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe he has been in it since the very first episode.’”
This story is from the December 21, 2020 edition of New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
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This story is from the December 21, 2020 edition of New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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