Chris Gascoyne

Chris Gascoyne (born 31 January 1968) is an English film, theatre and television actor. He is best known for his role as Peter Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street. Making his first appearance in December 2000 during a live, 50 minute episode for the show's 40th anniversary.

Early life Gascoyne was born on 31 January 1968 in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England and grew up in a working class family. Both his grandfathers worked down the mines and his father Derrik was a greengrocer and florist who later became a milkman.

Gascoyne also spent a significant part of his early life in Gateshead in the North East living with his mother and grandparents. He was very close to his grandfather, Tom and Irish grandmother, Kitty. They later came to live with the family in Sutton-in-Ashfield after his grandmother was diagnosed with early onset dementia and his grandfather's failing health.

As a teenager, Gascoyne later became a member of the Central Workshop in Nottingham and subsequently gained a place at the Central School of Speech and Drama in Swiss Cottage, London, from 1989-1992. Other notable actors in his year were: Susan Lynch, Julian Rhind-tutt and Danny Sapani. During his time as a student at Central, he worked as a supermarket shelf stacker and Pizza Delivery driver in Hammersmith.

Career Gascoyne began his career at the Central Workshop and at the age of 15 where he began appearing in such shows as The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole and The Bill.

One of his earliest roles was as Judd on Central TV's children's program Murphy's Mob, also performing in the Central Television series for schools Starting Out, released in 1988. Since then, he has acted in numerous television dramas, including playing opposite Warren Clarke in The Locksmith and Timothy Spall in The Thing About Vince. He has also had roles in Between the Lines and made an appearance in Murdoch Mysteries as David Jennings. While working in film Gascoyne played the part of a New York Cop in My Last Five Girlfriends starring Michael Sheen.

Gascoyne was cast in the role of Peter Barlow, the seventh actor to portray the role, in Coronation Street. Gascoyne took a four-month break in July 2012, before leaving at the end of his contract in November 2014. He returned briefly in 2015 following the death of his co-star Anne Kirkbride, with Gascoyne stating, "Coming back was like a healing process, we laughed a lot".

On 10 July 2023, ITV confirmed that Gascoyne would be leaving the soap after playing Peter Barlow after 23 years, to pursue other acting projects and to spend more time with his family.

Theatre Work Gascoyne has worked extensively in the theatre, accepting his first professional role at the age of 18, at the Nottingham Playhouse. After graduating from Central, he joined the Richard Ayre Company at The National Theatre where he performed in The David Hare Trilogy, including Racing Demon, Murmuring Judges and the Absence of War (alongside John Thaw, Michael Bryant and Mark Strong). He appeared twice at The Royal Court Theatre first playing the role of Patsy in David Storey's The Changing Room, as part of the Royal Court Classic Season. He then went on to play the lead role of Jimmy, a cab driver, in Simon Stephens first play Bluebird (directed by Gordon Anderson). He also played the lead part in a new play titled The Ribcage at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester (also directed by Gordon Anderson).

More recently, Gascoyne played Ray Say in Jim Cartwright's classic, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice at the West Yorkshire Playhouse/ Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He then went on to play Clov in Samuel Beckett's Endgame directed by Domonic Hill in a co-production between the Glasgow Citizen's theatre and HOME Manchester, playing opposite fellow Coronation Street actor, David Nielson. Gascoyne was quoted saying: "Beckett is for everyone, not just middle-class intellectuals."

Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryResultRef2010 British Soap Awards Best Actor Best Dramatic Performance 2011 Best Actor All About Soap Awards 2012 British Soap Awards