Coronation Street icon has two famous co-star sons and multiple co-star wives

Coronation Street actor William Roache’s son Linus is a Hollywood star who has made a name for himself in the film industry

Coronation Street legend William ‘Bill’ Roache has a son who is a well-known figure in Hollywood. Although Bill has built his own successful television career, his son Linus has gone one step further. While his father was recognized by the Guinness World Record as the longest-serving living actor in a continuous TV role for his portrayal of Ken Barlow in Corrie, Linus went on to land roles in major projects such as Batman Begins.

Born in 1964 to Bill and his actress wife Anna Cropper, it’s no surprise that Linus chose to follow in his parents’ acting footsteps. The star honed his craft at the Central School of Speech and Drama and made his first TV appearance alongside his father in Corrie, taking on the role of his son Peter Barlow.

Linus held this role for two years, but had his eyes firmly set on Hollywood. In 2002, he had earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie for his performance in RFK, where he played Robert F. Kennedy, the Mirror reports.

He also received a BAFTA Scotland Award nomination for his work in 2003’s Blind Flight, in which he played John McCarthy.

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Off-screen, Linus married fellow actor Rosalind Bennett in 2002, in a beautiful ceremony in the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire. Rosalind herself appeared in Corrie in 1986 playing the character Tina Wagstaffe.

The Roache family appear to have a strong connection with Coronation Street, with most of the members having appeared on the soap at some point. Linus’ mother, Anna, appeared in several episodes in 1962, while his half-brother James played James Cunningham’s long-lost grandson Ken in 2010 and 2011.

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Interestingly, James’ brother Linus played his father, Laurence, on the show, while their real-life father Bill played his grandfather. James even got the chance to portray his own father William in a Corrie dramatization entitled The Road to Coronation Street.

Bill and his second wife Sara McEwan Mottram, who herself appeared in eight episodes of Corrie in various roles, welcomed their son James. They also had two daughters, Verity and Edwina, the latter of whom tragically died at just 18 months old.