1. Anne Reid was born on 28 May 1935 and is an English stage, film and television actress, known for her roles as Valerie Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street ; Jean in the sitcom dinnerladies ; and her role as Celia Dawson in Last Tango in Halifax for which she was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress.
Anne Reid was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, the daughter of Colin Norman Anne Reid and Annie Eliza.
Anne Reid lived with her parents and three older brothers in Redcar, where she attended John Emmerson Batty primary school and the White House School.
Anne Reid then became a stage manager and worked in repertory theatre.
Anne Reid's character was very popular with the show's fans; as such, Valerie's marriage to Ken Barlow can be seen as an early example of a soap supercouple.
Anne Reid joined the cast, initially for two months, starting in August 1961 and leaving in October.
Anne Reid returned to the programme to marry Ken on 1 August 1962, in a wedding watched by 15.8 million viewers.
In 1968, Anne Reid played one of her most difficult parts in Coronation Street when Val was held hostage by a rapist.
In November 1970, Anne Reid announced she was leaving Coronation Street.
Anne Reid was a regular performer with Victoria Wood, appearing in several of Wood's projects, including Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, the series Victoria Wood in 1989, and the drama Pat and Margaret in 1994.
From 1998 to 2000, Anne Reid played the major role of Jean in the BBC comedy series dinnerladies written by and starring Wood, and has appeared in other television programmes including Boon, Casualty, Heartbeat and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.
Anne Reid played Alice Conway in the ITV adaptation of Catherine Cookson's novel The Wingless Bird in 1997.
Anne Reid made an appearance in the Doctor Who serial The Curse of Fenric which was broadcast in October 1989.
In 2003, Anne Reid had a part in Midsomer Murders in the episode "A Tale of Two Hamlets" as Sarah Proudie and a main part in the comedy drama The Booze Cruise.
Anne Reid had a major role in the ITV drama series Life Begins, which ran from 2004 to 2006, in which she appeared alongside Caroline Quentin and Frank Finlay.
On 31 March 2007, Anne Reid appeared for a second time in the series Doctor Who in the episode "Smith and Jones".
In February 2008, Reid appeared as the mother of Monica Gallagher, Joan, who was suffering from Alzheimer's in the Channel 4 drama Shameless.
In 2009, Anne Reid appeared in the television series Agatha Christie's Marple in the episode Nemesis.
In 2011 Anne Reid had a major part in Marchlands, a five-part ITV supernatural drama, made a guest appearance in Doc Martin and played a supporting role in The Jury II.
In 2012 Anne Reid began starring as Celia alongside Sir Derek Jacobi as Alan in the BBC romantic comedy-drama series, Last Tango in Halifax.
Anne Reid was nominated for the 2013 British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for this role.
Anne Reid starred with Katherine Kelly in The Last Witch, part of a series of original dramas for Sky Living and appeared in the final Agatha Christie's Poirot mystery, Curtain: Poirot's Last Case as Daisy Luttrell.
Anne Reid starred alongside Lee Ingleby and Ralf Little in the six-part BBC drama series Our Zoo.
In 2019 Anne Reid co-starred in a six-part BBC drama series, Years and Years, starring Emma Thompson.
Anne Reid played the matriarch of the central family, Muriel Deacon.
In 2024 Anne Reid was announced as being in the cast of a new BBC drama series, Riot Women.
Additionally, Anne Reid filmed a minor role as a lesbian headmistress in the movie Love Actually, but Anne Reid is not credited in the cast list since all her scenes were ultimately deleted, because they were not central to the main plot.
In 2002 Anne Reid appeared in the premiere of The York Realist at the Royal Court Theatre, which later transferred to the West End.
In June 2007, Anne Reid played the role of Jack's mother in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
From March to May 2009, Anne Reid appeared at the Donmar Warehouse in Dimetos, a 1975 play by Athol Fugard.
From September to November 2012, Anne Reid appeared at London's Old Vic, in a production of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, starring Sheridan Smith.
On 26 January 2015, Anne Reid played Madame Armfeldt in a special concert version of A Little Night Music, at the Palace Theatre, to celebrate 40 years since the musical premiered in the West End.
From October to December 2017, Anne Reid returned to the West End opposite Eve Best in Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance at the Vaudeville Theatre.
From March to May 2023, Anne Reid appeared in the UK premiere of Marjorie Prime by Jordan Harrison, at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.
Anne Reid was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2010 Birthday Honours and Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2025 New Year Honours, both for services to drama.