Kevin Kennedy (born Kevin Patrick Williams, 4 September 1961) is an English actor and musician, best known for playing Curly Watts for 20 years on ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street.
Kevin Kennedy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kevin Patrick Williams 4 September 1961 Wythenshawe, Manchester, England |
| Occupation(s) | Actor and musician |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | Coronation Street (1983–2003) |
| Spouse |
Clare Kennedy (m. 1996) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
editKennedy was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester. He attended St. Paul's Catholic High School and was a member of Manchester Youth Theatre. Kennedy later studied drama at Manchester Polytechnic.[1]
Career
editKennedy was in the band the Paris Valentinos with Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke, who later formed half of The Smiths.[2]
Between 1983 and 2003, Kennedy played the character of Norman "Curly" Watts in the TV soap Coronation Street. Among other jobs, the character started as a paperboy, then became a dustman, and was later an assistant manager at a supermarket. The character had two marriages, producing two children; one from each wife. After a short break from acting whilst recovering from an alcohol addiction in 2000,[3] he released a single, "Bulldog Nation", with his band the Bunch of Thieves, on the RCA Records label. The single peaked at No. 70 on the UK Singles Chart.[4]
He returned to Coronation Street a few months later, before being written out permanently in September 2003. In an interview in 2009, Kennedy said that he would consider a return to the show[5] and it was later confirmed that he would film scenes for its fiftieth anniversary DVD. However, more than twenty years after his departure, he has yet to make a return.[6] Kennedy was the writer and producer of the 2005 television series Spanish Capers. A second series was recorded in 2006–2007 for BSkyB.
In 2009, Kennedy played the part of aging hippie "Pop" in the touring production of Queen & Ben Elton's We Will Rock You[7] before joining the cast of the West End London production in 2010. In 2015, Kennedy was asked to be involved with the launch of the world's third-largest cruise liner "RCI Anthem of the Seas" appearing in a West End production of "We Will Rock You". He has appeared many times on board as Pop; most recently in the UK Seacation cruises from Southampton in October 2023, and in February 2024 several performances from Bayonne, NJ to the Caribbean.
He also appeared in the 2009 "Scent from Heaven?" advert for Daz, as part of the company's "Cleaner Close" campaign.[8] In 2010, Kennedy, along with several other Coronation Street stars, contributed to Trisha Ward's album Rogues, Angels, Heroes and Fools, recorded for the fiftieth anniversary of the soap.[9] In 2017, he played Graham Ollerinshaw, a David Bowie tribute act, in an episode of the BBC's Holby City.
In 2019, he appeared in Cinderella at Cambridge Arts Theatre.
He played an angel in the Christmas episode of Mrs Brown's Boys on 25 December 2019.
Personal life
editKennedy is married and has two children. He serves as the co founder and patron of Kennedy Street Foundation CiO, a Brighton based charity, with his wife Clare, who is the charity’s co-founder and CEO, the charity offers free support and signposting to anyone looking to recover from addiction, including family members. They also offer workplace recovery training, mental wealth workshops, various recovery focused programmes and a professional advice and recovery coaching service to the business sector
Credits
editActing
edit| Year(s) | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Dear Ladies | Boy in photo booth |
| 1983–2003 | Coronation Street | Norman "Curly" Watts 1,563 episodes |
| 1984 | Keep on Running | Pete Bennett |
| 2005–2007 | Spanish Capers | Presenter |
| 2006 | Blue Murder | Donny McAvoy |
| Doctors | Mick Carter | |
| 2010 | Coronation Street: A Knights Tale | Norman "Curly" Watts |
| 2010 | We Will Rock You | Pop |
| 2017 | Holby City | Graham Ollerinshaw |
| 2018–2019 | Rock of Ages | Dennis Dupree |
| 2019 | Mrs Brown's Boys | Clyde (The Angel) |
Albums
edit| Year(s) | Title |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Bulldog Nation |
| 2002 | Present Kennedy |
| 2010 | Rogues, Heroes, Angels & Fools |
References
edit- ^ Anglesey, Natalie (31 May 2013). "Kevin Kennedy's coming home to rock". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ Begbie, Scott (23 August 2022). "'I'm living a past life of sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll on stage' says Corrie legend Kevin Kennedy". Press and Journal. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ Blyth, Gavin (20 February 2000). "I was a washed-up alcoholic soap star until the day I started". Sunday Mirror. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 299. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
- ^ "Kennedy: 'I'd like to return to Corrie' - Coronation Street News - Soaps". Digital Spy. 14 April 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ "Ken Morley and Kevin Kennedy to return to Coronation Street | Unreality TV". Primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk. 2 August 2010. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
- ^ "Get ready to go Ga Ga over We Will Rock You". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
- ^ "Sniffing out white lies and dirty laundry - in Cleaner Close". Dazwhite.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ "Coronation Street - Rogues, Angels, Heroes and Fools - The Making of". YouTube. 21 December 2010. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2013.