Liz Dawn | |
|---|---|
 Dawn asVera Duckworth in 2007 | |
| Born | Sylvia Butterfield 8 November 1939 Leeds,West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 25 September 2017(2017-09-25) (aged 77) Whitefield, Greater Manchester, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1972–2015 |
| Known for | Role ofVera Duckworth inCoronation Street (1974, 1976–2008, 2010) |
| Spouse(s) | Walter Bradley (1957–1959) Donald Ibbetson (1965–2017; her death) |
| Children | 4 |
| Awards |
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Sylvia Ann Ibbetson (néeButterfield; 8 November 1939 – 25 September 2017), known professionally asElizabeth Dawn orLiz Dawn, was a British actress, best known for her role asVera Duckworth in the long-running British soap operaCoronation Street. First starting on the serial in 1974, she had a recurring role as a factory worker until her husband,Jack, (played byBill Tarmey) first appeared in 1979. She played the character of Vera for 34 years. For her role in the soap, she received theLifetime Achievement Award at the2008 British Soap Awards. She was also appointed anMBE in the2000 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Dawn was born inLeeds,West Riding of Yorkshire, to parents Albert and Annie Butterfield. She grew up on the city'sHalton Moor estate and began her performing career as anightclub singer.[1] By the late 1960s, Dawn had ventured into acting, often taking small parts in television programmes as well as advertisements. One commercial forCadbury's biscuits proved popular and helped her gain notice.[1] During the 1970s, she appeared in supporting roles in programmes includingAll Creatures Great and Small andColin Welland's television playLeeds United (1974) and several other episodes of thePlay for Today series in the mid-1970s.[2]
Dawn first appeared inCoronation Street in 1974.[1] She had a recurring role as a factory worker until her husband,Jack (played byBill Tarmey), first appeared in 1979.[3]
Dawn made several appearances in theGranada Television daytime seriesCrown Court. Initially in an un-credited role of a prison officer, in 1975 she played the character of Bedelia Conroy, apublic house licensee and witness in a deception trial.
She was the subject of aThis is Your Life episode in 1989, when she was surprised byMichael Aspel on the set ofCoronation Street.[4]
Following a diagnosis ofemphysema in March 2004, on 22 July 2007,Granada Television (makers ofCoronation Street) announced that Vera Duckworth was to be written out, at Dawn's request, before Christmas, because of further complications with the condition.[5]
Dawn's final appearance came in the episode screened on 18 January 2008, when Vera Duckworth died in her sleep, thus ending 34 years of the character's appearances in the series.[2]Bill Tarmey, who played on screen husbandJack Duckworth, continued to be a part of the cast ofCoronation Street and Dawn stated that the hardest thing about leavingCorrie was saying good-bye to Tarmey, with whom she was best friends.[2] On 8 November 2010, she made a brief one-off return to the soap for the final scenes of her on-screen husband, Jack, who died in the same chair as Vera. Dawn appeared as Vera's spirit, who had come to take Jack on his final journey and the pair enjoyed one final dance together.[6]
She came out of retirement in December 2015 to make a one-off guest appearance in the soapEmmerdale as the characterMrs Winterbottom.[7]
Dawn was appointed anMBE in the2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to theManchester Children's Hospital, the Genesis Appeal and the Liz Dawn Breast Cancer Appeal,St. James's Hospital,Leeds.[8]
Dawn won theBritish Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement at the2008 ceremony for her decades-long portrayal of her fictional character Vera Duckworth.[9]
At the age of 18, Dawn married Walter Bradley in Leeds in 1957 and the couple had a son, Graham, but the marriage collapsed when she turned 21. She married electrician Donald Ibbetson in 1965, with whom she had three daughters, Dawn, Ann and Julie.[10] At the time of her death, she had six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[11]
In March 2004,[12] Dawn was diagnosed with emphysema (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – COPD).[13] She attributed the illness to her ownsmoking habit and performing in smoke-filled clubs.[10] In May 2009, Dawn agreed to become the "Celebrity Ambassador" of theBritish Lung Foundation (BLF). She also worked to raise awareness of COPD. In June 2009 she spearheaded the campaign "Breathe Easy Week", to raise awareness of the work of the BLF.[9]
In 2013 she revealed her health had deteriorated further after she had aheart attack, and only a third of her lungs were still working.[14] In September 2017 Dawn was admitted to hospital in Manchester with severe breathing problems. Dawn, who had stopped smoking in 2002, had previously said her emphysema had taken such a toll on her that she had nearly collapsed during her appointment as an MBE atBuckingham Palace in 2000.[15]
Dawn died on 25 September 2017, at her home inWhitefield, Greater Manchester, after a long battle with COPD. Tributes came from manyCoronation Street actors, celebrity fans, and the Labour MPTracy Brabin, a formerCoronation Street actress, who toldBBC News, "She was a legend and an icon, an incredible person to work with. Deeply authentic, a natural comedian and a heart as big as Manchester."[9][16] Herfuneral took place atSalford Cathedral on 6 October 2017.[17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972, 1974 | Coronation Street | Rovers Customer/ Onlooker | Uncredited; 3 episodes |
| 1972–1975 | Crown Court | Female Officer/ Warder/ Bedelia Conroy | 20 episodes |
| 1973–1975 | Play for Today | Striker Enid | Episodes "Leeds United""Kisses at Fifty" |
| 1973 | Shabby Tiger | Hotel Lady | Uncredited |
| 1974 | Village Hall | Other Voter | |
| Sam | Sylvia Brightside | ||
| 1974, 1976–2008, 2010 | Coronation Street | Vera Duckworth | Regular role; 2,275 episodes Won:2001 British Soap Award for Best On-Screen Couple (shared withBill Tarmey) 2008 British Soap Award Lifetime Achievement Nominated:2008 Television and Radio Industries Club Award for TV Soap Personality; |
| 1975–1976 | The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club | Waitress | 7 episodes |
| 1975 | Sunset Across the Bay | Canteen Lady/ Striker/ Mrs Warboys/ Enid | |
| 1975 | Greenhill Pals | May | TV film |
| 1976 | Open All Hours | Woman Outside Shop | Uncredited |
| 1978 | Z-Cars | Rose | |
| Selwyn | Mavis | ||
| 1979 | All Day on the Sands | Derek's mother | TV film |
| 1990 | ITV Telethon | Vera Duckworth | Charity telethon |
| 1997 | Coronation Street: Viva Las Vegas! | Direct-to-videoCoronation Street spin off | |
| 2001 | Lily Savage's Blankety Blank | Herself[18] | |
| 2012 | Coronation Street: A Christmas Corrie | Vera Duckworth | |
| 2015 | Emmerdale | Mrs Winterbottom | Guest role; 2 episodes |
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