Coronation Street star Geoffrey Hinsliff has died aged 86, his family have confirmed.
The actor played taxi driver Donald “Don” Brennan in the long-running ITV soap, in the 1980s and 1990s, and was known for his romantic relationship with Ivy Tilsley (Lynne Perrie).
Hinsliff, who also had parts in Doctor Who, Brass, A Bridge Too Far and Heartbeat, was just short of his 87th birthday when he died, his family said.
Fellow Coronation Street actress Helen Worth, who plays Gail Platt, said in a statement released by ITV: “Geoff was a lovely, quiet man who will be sadly missed by us all.
“His partnership with Lynne Perrie was something rather special and they gave the viewers huge pleasure for many years.”
Platt was married to Ivy’s son, Brian Tilsley, around the same period that Hinsliff was on the soap.
Born in Leeds, Hinsliff graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) in 1960.
He went on to appear in crime shows The Professionals and Z-Cars, before taking to the cobbles as a main character in 1987.
Hinsliff featured in storylines documenting Don’s stormy relationship with his wife Ivy, who had issues getting over the death of her son, as well as his flings including with Denise Osbourne (Denise Black).
Perrie, who died in 2006, was last seen on the street in 1994 when she announced she was going to live in a convent, and viewers were later told she had died from a stroke.
Brennan died in 1997 when his car burst into flames in a crash off a viaduct when he became involved in kidnap and attempted murder after struggling with a gambling problem, and having a rivalry with businessman Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs).
When he left the soap, Hinsliff said: “I am going out in style.
“I really have to go. Don’s too far down that road now. He’s virtually a complete mental case and there’s no going back.”
Hinsliff is survived by his wife Judith and daughters Gaby, a columnist with The Guardian, and Sophie.
