John Ernest Briggs (5 September 1935 – 28 February 2021) was an English actor. He was known for his role as Mike Baldwin in the soap opera '' Coronation Street'', in which he appeared from 1976 to 2006.

Early life

Briggs was born in Battersea, south-west London, on 5 September 1935. His father was a master carpenter. He was evacuated from London during

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

campaign of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. He was awarded a scholarship to train at the

Italia Conti Academy The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts is a performing arts conservatoire based in Woking, England. It was founded in 1911 by Italia Conti, an actress. The first production at Italia Conti Academy was the play ''Where the Rainbow Ends''. Fo ...

stage school when he was 12 years old. There, he learned alongside

Millicent Martin Millicent Mary Lillian Martin (born 8 June 1934) is an English actress, singer, and comedian. She was the lone female singer of topical songs on the weekly BBC Television satire show ''That Was the Week That Was'' known as TW3 (1962–1963), a ...

Nanette Newman Nanette Newman (born 29 May 1934) is an English actress and author. She appeared in nine films directed by her husband Bryan Forbes, including ''Séance on a Wet Afternoon'' (1964), '' The Whisperers'' (1967), '' Deadfall'' (1968), '' The Stepf ...

and

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest leadin ...

Career

One of Briggs' first acting roles was in '' Quartet'' (1948), alongside George Cole. Briggs also worked as a

stagehand A stagehand is a person who works backstage or behind the scenes in theatres, film, television, or location performance. Their work include setting up the scenery, lights, sound, props, rigging, and special effects for a production. General S ...

at the

Windmill Theatre The Windmill Theatre in Great Windmill Street, London, was a variety and revue theatre best known for its nude '' tableaux vivants'', which began in 1932 and lasted until its reversion to a cinema in 1964. Many prominent British comedians o ...

, before completing two years of

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

with the Royal Tank Regiment in Germany. Upon his return to acting in 1955, Briggs worked in theatre and made his television debut in ''The Younger Generation'' with

John Thaw John Edward Thaw, (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor who appeared in a range of television, stage, and cinema roles. He starred in the television series '' Inspector Morse'' as title character Detective Chief Inspector ...

. He featured in the police drama ''

No Hiding Place ''No Hiding Place'' is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series ''Murder Bag'' (1957–1958) ...

'', as well as a few ''Carry On'' films. He also had roles in a number of other British shows, including ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'', ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'', ''

The Persuaders! ''The Persuaders!'' is an action-comedy series starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, produced by ITC Entertainment, and initially broadcast on ITV and ABC in 1971. The show has been called 'the last major entry in the cycle of adventure ser ...

'' and '' Thick as Thieves''. In 2005 Briggs announced his intention to leave the role of Mike Baldwin in ''Coronation Street'', citing the hectic filming schedule as the main reason for his departure. After appearing in 2,348 episodes, he filmed his final scenes in the show on 13 March 2006 and they were broadcast on 7 April. Briggs' character (who had been ill with Alzheimer's disease for several months) collapsed and died in the arms of

Ken Barlow Ken Barlow is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by William Roache. He was created by Tony Warren as one of ''Coronation Street''s original characters and December 2020 marked Ken's 60th anni ...

in the street after suffering a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. Briggs' last theatre appearance was at the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...

in the 2007 pantomime in which he played the father of

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

alongside former ''Coronation Street'' co-star

Tina O'Brien Tina Michelle O'Brien (born 7 August 1983) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Sarah Platt in the long-running ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1999–2008, 2015–present). She also appeared in the BBC One dram ...

. Despite suggesting he was to retire from acting after leaving '' Coronation Street'', Briggs made appearances in both ''

Agatha Christie's Marple ''Agatha Christie's Marple'' (or simply ''Marple'') is a British ITV television programme loosely based on the books and short stories by British crime novelist Agatha Christie. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the firs ...

'' and '' Holby City'' in 2007, as well as the short-lived ITV soap opera ''

Echo Beach "Echo Beach" is a song recorded by the Canadian group Martha and the Muffins in 1979. Written by band member Mark Gane, it was released as a single from their album '' Metro Music'' in 1980 and went on to reach number 5 in Canada, number 6 in Aus ...

'' in 2008. In 2009, Briggs appeared in long running daytime soap ''

Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

''. In 2012, he appeared in a ''Coronation Street'' sketch to raise money for the charity ''

Text Santa ''Text Santa'' was a charity initiative set up in 2011 by ITV to support UK-based charities during the Christmas period. The appeal to the public is to donate money mainly via text donation and profits from merchandise. The telethons have been h ...

''.

Personal life

Briggs had an apartment in Portishead Quays, Portishead,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

and a house in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States. He was a keen golfer. In 2006, Briggs received a lifetime achievement award at the

British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies gi ...

for his thirty years of contribution to ''Coronation Street''. He was awarded the

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

in the 2007 New Year Honours. Briggs died on 28 February 2021, at the age of 85, following a long illness. The following day's episode of ''Coronation Street'' was dedicated to him.

Selected filmography

* ''

Hue and Cry In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime. History By the Statute of Winchester of 1285, 13 Edw. I statute 2. c ...

'' (1947) – Bit Part (uncredited) * '' Oliver Twist'' (1948) – Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Quartet'' (1948) – Boy on Common (segment "The Kite") (uncredited) * '' Helter Skelter'' (1949) – BBC Page Boy (uncredited) * ''

The Lavender Hill Mob ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' is a 1951 comedy film from Ealing Studios, written by T. E. B. Clarke, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway and featuring Sid James and Alfie Bass. The title refers to Lavend ...

'' (1951) – Small Role (uncredited) * ''

The Magic Box ''The Magic Box'' is a 1951 British Technicolor biographical drama film directed by John Boulting. The film stars Robert Donat as William Friese-Greene, with numerous cameo appearances by performers such as Peter Ustinov and Laurence Olivie ...

'' (1951) – Youth (uncredited) * Inspector Morley: Late of Scotland Yard (1952 TV series) - (Delivery Boy) - (episode 1, 'Murder at Scotland Yard', with ''

Dorothy Bramhall Dorothy Bramhall (1911-2004) was a British actress and former model. Selected filmography * '' Love Story'' (1944) * ''I See a Dark Stranger'' (1946) * '' Take My Life'' (1947) * ''The White Unicorn'' (1947) * ''The Clouded Crystal'' (1948) * ''A ...

)'' * ''

Cosh Boy ''Cosh Boy'' (released in the United States as ''The Slasher'') is a 1953 British film noir directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring James Kenney and Joan Collins. It was made at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Plot Based on an original play ...

'' (1953) – Skinny Johnson * '' Second Fiddle'' (1957) – Jimmy * ''

The Diplomatic Corpse ''The Diplomatic Corpse'' is a 1958 British comedy thriller film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Robin Bailey, Susan Shaw and Liam Redmond. It was produced as a second feature by ACT Films. The film's sets were designed by the art dire ...

'' (1958) – Johnny (Office Boy) * ''

Sink the Bismarck! ''Sink the Bismarck!'' is a 1960 black-and-white CinemaScope British war film based on the 1959 book ''The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck'' by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert.Weiler, A.H ...

'' (1960) – Young Seaman on Prince of Wales (uncredited) * '' Light Up the Sky!'' (1960) – Leslie Smith * ''

The Bulldog Breed ''The Bulldog Breed'' is a 1960 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom and directed by Robert Asher. Plot Norman Puckle (Norman Wisdom), a well-meaning but clumsy grocer's assistant, cannot seem to do anything right. After being rejected b ...

'' (1960) – Johnny Nolan * '' The Wind of Change'' (1961) – Frank Marley * ''

Information Received ''Information Received'' is a 1961 British crime film directed by Robert Lynn and starring Sabine Sesselmann, William Sylvester and Hermione Baddeley. In the film, a police detective goes undercover to infiltrate a safe-breaking outfit. Cast ...

'' (1961) – Willis * '' H.M.S. Defiant'' (1962) – Wheatley * ''

The Wild and the Willing ''The Wild and the Willing'' is a 1962 British romantic drama film, directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Virginia Maskell, Paul Rogers, and Samantha Eggar. It is the film debuts of Ian McShane, John Hurt, and Samantha Eggar. It depicts a grou ...

'' (1962) – Dai Hawkins * '' Doctor in Distress'' (1963) – Medical Student (uncredited) * '' A Stitch in Time'' (1963) – Armed Robber * ''

The Leather Boys ''The Leather Boys'' is a 1964 British drama film about the rocker subculture in London featuring a gay motorcyclist. This film is notable as an early example of a film that violated the Hollywood production code, yet was still shown in the Unit ...

'' (1964) – Boy Friend * ''

The Devil-Ship Pirates ''The Devil-Ship Pirates'' is a 1964 British pirate adventure film directed by Don Sharp. The film was the first of several collaborations between Don Sharp and star Christopher Lee. Plot A pirate ship, involved in 1588 battles on the side of ...

'' (1964) – Pablo, a pirate * ''

633 Squadron ''633 Squadron'' is a 1964 British / American war film directed by Walter Grauman and starring Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris, and Maria Perschy. The plot, which involves the exploits of a fictional World War II British bomber squadron, wa ...

'' (1964) – Flt Lt Jones * ''

The Intelligence Men ''The Intelligence Men'' is a 1965 comedy film starring the British comic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. In the US, it was retitled ''Spylarks''. It is subtitled " M.I.5 plus 2 equals 0". The film was successful enough to enable Morecambe ...

'' (1965) – Boy in cinema * ''

Carry On Up the Khyber ''Carry On Up the Khyber'' is a 1968 British comedy film, the 16th in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It stars ''Carry On'' regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butt ...

'' (1968) – Sporran Soldier (uncredited) * '' La ragazza con la pistola'' (1968) – Brawler (uncredited) * ''

Some Girls Do ''Some Girls Do'' is a 1969 British comedy spy film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was the second of the revamped Bulldog Drummond films (following 1967's ''Deadlier Than the Male'') starring Richard Johnson as Drummond, made following the success ...

'' (1969) – Air Traffic Controller * '' The Last Escape'' (1970) – Cpl. O'Connell * ''

Perfect Friday ''Perfect Friday'' is a British bank heist film released in 1970, directed by Peter Hall. It stars Ursula Andress as Lady Britt Dorset, Stanley Baker as Mr Graham, David Warner as Lord Nicholas Dorset and T. P. McKenna as Smith. Plot Mr. Graha ...

'' (1970) – Taxi Driver * '' Quest for Love'' (1971) – Club Barman (uncredited) * '' Au Pair Girls'' (1972) – Malcolm * '' Bless This House'' (1972) – Open Truck Driver * ''

Go for a Take ''Go for a Take'' is a 1972 British comedy film, directed by Harry Booth and featuring Dennis Price, Bob Todd, Reg Varney, Norman Rossington, Sue Lloyd and Anouska Hempel. Debbie Russ reprises her role as the character "Tiger" from the televi ...

'' (1972) – Assistant Director (uncredited) * ''

The Best Pair of Legs in the Business ''The Best Pair of Legs in the Business'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama film directed by Christopher Hodson starring Reg Varney, Diana Coupland and Lee Montague. A comic/female impersonator at a holiday camp is concerned about the future. Howeve ...

'' (1973) – Millet * ''

Secrets of a Door-to-Door Salesman ''Secrets of a Door-to-Door Salesman'' is a 1973 sex comedy film directed by Wolf Rilla.European Nightmares: Horror Cinema in Europe Since 1945' (2012). Columbia University Press. p. 65. Also known as ''Naughty Wives''. Plot The film is about ...

'' (1973) – Loman * ''

Man About the House ''Man About the House'' is a British sitcom created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer that starred Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy. Six series were broadcast on ITV from 15 August 1973 to 7 A ...

'' (1974) – Milkman * '' Bedtime with Rosie'' (1974) – Man in Cafe * ''

Carry On Behind ''Carry On Behind'' is a 1975 British comedy film, the 27th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the first entry in the series not to be scripted by Talbot Rothwell since ''Carry On Cruising'' 13 years previousl ...

'' (1975) – Plasterer (uncredited) * ''

Carry On England ''Carry On England'' is a 1976 British comedy film, the 28th release in the series of the original 30 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1978). It was released in October 1976 and featured ''Carry On'' regulars Kenneth Connor, Jack Douglas, Joan Sim ...

'' (1976) – Melly's Driver * ''

The Office Party ''The Office Party'' is a 1976 British sex comedy directed by David Grant and starring Alan Lake, Johnny Briggs, Pamela Grafton, Ellie Reece-Knight and Theresa Wood. It depicts the sexual misadventures of staff enjoying an office party where ...

'' (1976) – Peter

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Briggs, Johnny 1935 births 2021 deaths 20th-century British Army personnel 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts English male soap opera actors English male stage actors English male film actors Male actors from London Members of the Order of the British Empire People from Battersea Royal Tank Regiment soldiers