Philip Lowrie

Colin Philip Lowrie (20 June 1936 – 25 April 2025) was an English stage and television actor. He played Dennis Tanner in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street from its inception in 1960 until 1968 and again from 2011 until 2014.

Life and career

Early life Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire on 20 June 1936, Lowrie was the son of Bertha (née Collins) and Philip Lowrie, who was a foreman in a paper mill. Lowrie had a stammer so attended elocution lessons at Miss Atherton's Elocution. When he left secondary school, his mother managed to save enough money to pay his fees at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where he studied for three years.

Career Aged 24, Lowrie appeared in the opening episode of the Granada Television soap opera Coronation Street as Dennis Tanner, the son of Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) and brother of Linda Cheveski (Anne Cunningham). Lowrie remained with the show as a regular character until 1968. During this period, he recorded a pop single, "I Might Have Known", which was issued by Ember in September 1963. Despite being recorded at the prestigious Abbey Road Studios and produced by John Barry, the record was not a hit.

Lowrie worked with Victoria Wood on several occasions, appearing in her programmes Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast and Victoria Wood, as well as in her television film Pat and Margaret.

Lowrie did auditions and voiceover work from 1998 until 2003 for the Channel 4 quiz show Fifteen to One.

In September 2011, Lowrie was presented with a certificate by the Guinness World Records for being the person with the longest gap between television appearances as the same character in the same show, having returned to Coronation Street as Dennis Tanner earlier that year when his previous on-screen appearance as Dennis Tanner had been in June 1968. Lowrie made his final on-screen appearance as the character in July 2014. Lowrie's record of 43 years in between televised appearances as the same character in the same show was beaten in October 2022 by William Russell appearing in Doctor Who after a 57-year gap since his previous appearance as Ian Chesterton in June 1965. He subsequently played Mr Larkin in the ITV series Home Fires in 2016.

In addition to his work on television, Lowrie was also an accomplished theatre actor. Between May and June 1972, he appeared at the Hampstead Theatre in Patricia Welles's comedy The Lottery, directed by Ronald Hayman. He went on to star in many West End and stage productions, including performances as Major Metcalf in The Mousetrap (2004), Klever in The Case of The Frightened Lady (2018) and Eric in The Lady Vanishes (2019).

Death Lowrie died on 25 April 2025, at the age of 88.

Acting credits Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1958 Saturday Playhouse Series 1 episode 17: A Young Affair Starr and Company 1st Boy Series 1 episode 51: Willie1959 Sunday Night Theatre Able Seaman Morris Series 10 episode 1: The Stone ShipSapphire Student Uncredited Serious Charge Youth in Larry's Gang Film; uncredited 1960-1968, 2011-2014 Coronation Street Dennis Tanner 673 episodes 1963 Play of the Week Tim Series 10 episode 40: The Seventh Wave 1966 This Man Craig Pupil Series 1 episode 26: Old Flame 1970-1972 Kate Leonard Snow 3 episodes 1972-1973 War and Peace French Lieutenant/French Captain/Pierre's Second 3 episodes 1973 Putting on the Agony Barry Television film 1974 Notorious Woman Alexandre Manceau Series 1 episode 7: Rebolution 1975 Jackanory Architect Episode: The Emperor's Nightingale Crown Court Dr. Pritchard Series 4 episode 11: Matron: Part 21976 Cilla's World of Comedy Philip Travers Series 1 episode 6: Who's Your Friend? Golden Hill Terry Ashby 5 episodes East Lynn Archibald Carlyle Television film1977 The Cuckoo Waltz Tom Napier Series 3 episode 2: The Treat Devenish Episode: The Great Exhibition 1978 A Soft Touch Paul Series 1 episode 3: Play Acting Tycoon Gerry Speares 3 episodes The Liver Birds Mr Green Series 9 episode 4: Weeds 1980 Company and Co Billy Hawkes 7 episodes 1983 Angels Mike Roberts 3 episodes 1985 Voices in the Dark David Television film 1986 Galloping Galaxies! Wimp Series 2 episode 1 1987 The English Programme David 2 episodes1988 Andy Capp Mr Watson 6 episodes Blind Justice Milligan 1 episode 1989 Rules of Engagement Nigel Quinn 4 episodes Victoria Wood Keith/John Appleby Episode 2: The Library,episode 4: We'd Quite Like to Apologise Casualty Simon Spencer Series 4 episode 12: Hanging On1990 Rita Rudner 1 episode Frederick Forsyth Presents Supt. Jamieson Series 2 episode 2: Death Has A Bad Reputation 1993 Harry Houseman Series 1 episode 3 1994 Pat and Margaret Martin/Warm Up Man 1 episode 2005 Doctors Ron Cornwall Series 7 episode 103: Lost for Words 2010 Casualty Ancient Mariner Series 24 episode 34:Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea 2012 Coronation Street: A Christmas Corrie Dennis Tanner/Norris' Grandfather Television short 2016 Home Fires Mr Lakin 3 episodes