6 days ago
Who Was Barbara Ferris? Exploring Life and Career of Coronation Street Star Amid Her Death at 85
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
Barbara Ferris, who was well-known for playing the character of Nona Willis in Coronation Street, passed away at the age of 85. Her cause of death is not yet out, but the reports revealed that the actress breathed her last on May 23.
Ferris made an impact on the 1961 TV show based at the Rovers pub, even though she appeared on the sets of the daily soap for only 10 days. The reason was claimed to be her difficulty in understanding the Lancastrian accent. The actress has also appeared in projects like Children of the Damned and Catch Us if You Can.
Life and career of Barbara Ferris
Barbara Ferris was born in London and stepped into the acting industry when she was a teenager. The late actress initially took up roles in commercial ads and pantomimes. Later, the late daily soap star went on to choose modeling as her career. She also went briefly into dancing and got to perform in Bob Fosse's The Pajama Game.
Ferris took up roles in theater plays, considering she enjoyed the fringe theater. She went on to produce and finance two shows at the King's Theater in Islington.
As for her popular roles on screen, the late actress appeared as Dinah in the 1965 movie Catch Us if You Can. She was known to be the woman who eloped with Dave Clark in the film.
Following her big role in the movie, Ferris went on to bag the lead role in Edward Bond's Saved. The play was headlined in the newspapers as controversial.
To get the play past the censorship, Laurence Olivier wrote a letter to the organization, stating, 'Saved is not a play for children but it is for grown-ups, and the grown-ups of this country should have the courage to look at it.'
Barbara Ferris is survived by her husband and three children.
