Michael Robert Turner
(born 15 December 1964), known professionally as Michael Le Vell, is an English actor. He is best known for his role as mechanic
Kevin Webster
Kevin Webster is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared on-screen during the ...
in the long-running
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...
'', a role he has played since 1983.
Early life
Le Vell was born in
Newton Heath
Newton Heath is an area of Manchester, England, north-east of Manchester city centre and with a population of 9,883.
Historically part of Lancashire, Newton was formerly a farming area, but adopted the factory system following the Industrial Re ...
,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
. When he was fifteen, his mother died from a
brain tumour
A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondary ...
, and when he was 22, his father died of
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
. He has a brother, Phil and two sisters.
Career
Le Vell began his acting career in the
Oldham Theatre Workshop
The Oldham Theatre and Music Workshop is a youth theatre group based in the north west of England.
Outline
Founded by David Johnson in , the Oldham Theatre Workshop has a purpose-built studio located in its own building off Oldham's Union Street, ...
after taking an interest in amateur dramatics while at school. He had a guest role as paperboy Neil Grimshaw in ''Coronation Street''. He then went on to appear in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
shows ''
Fame is the Spur'' and ''
One by One''.
Le Vell later attended an audition at
Granada Studios
Old Granada Studios (known simply as Granada Studios and previously known as The Manchester Studios) is a television studio complex and events venue on Quay Street in Manchester with the facility to broadcast live and recorded television programm ...
for the series ''
Scully'', where he met
casting director
In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra (acting), extra for a particular role or part in a scr ...
Judy Hayfield. Hayfield presumed that he was present to audition for ''Coronation Street'', and asked him to return the following day to try out for a part. Le Vell was then offered the role of
Kevin Webster
Kevin Webster is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared on-screen during the ...
.
During the 1980s, Le Vell gained status as a
gay icon
A gay icon is a public figure who is regarded as a cultural icon of some members of the LGBT community.
The most widely recognized gay icons are often actresses and singers who garnered large LGBT fanbases, such as Judy Garland, Madonna, Diana Ros ...
because he wore tight jeans and had a moustache. Le Vell received a high volume of fan mail from gay fans. He later stated that his gay following diminished after he shaved off his moustache. His following resurfaced in 2005 after photos of him dressed as a woman for charity appeared in the ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'' newspaper. 26 years into playing Kevin, Le Vell said he would continue in the role because he still viewed it as "the best job on television".
Personal life
Le Vell lives in
Hale
Hale may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hale, Northern Territory, a locality
*Hale River, in southeastern Northern Territory
Canada
*Hale, Ontario, in Algoma District United Kingdom
* Hale, Cumbria, a hamlet near Beetham, Cumbria
*Hale, Greater Man ...
,
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority, combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: City of Manchester, Manchester, City of Salford, Salford ...
.
He married actress Janette Beverley in October 1986, after she had featured alongside him in ''Coronation Street''.
They have two children together.
In 2011, Le Vell and Beverley separated after 25 years together because they had become estranged from each other.
[
Le Vell was a member of the celebrity ]football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team All Stars, who play for charities. In 2007, he was hospitalised during a match. He was a director of Ratio Money, which went into administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
on 12 April 2010. This business attempted to exploit a loophole in the Consumer Credit Act to allow people to avoid credit card debts.
Trial
In September 2011, Le Vell was arrested on suspicion of rape, which he denied. He was tried under his real surname Turner.[ In January 2012, the ]Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal adv ...
dropped the case, citing insufficient evidence. On 14 February 2013, Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the office or official charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world. The title is used mainly in jurisdictions that are or have been members o ...
, stated that she had reviewed a decision not to prosecute Turner following allegations made against him in 2011.[ She authorised ]Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England.
, Greater Manchester Police employed 6,866 police officers, 3,524 memb ...
to charge him[ with 19 offences.]
ITV announced that he would not be appearing in ''Coronation Street'' "pending the outcome of legal proceedings". Le Vell stated: "I am innocent of these charges and intend to fight them vigorously." He pleaded not guilty to all 19 charges. During the trial, which took place before Judge Michael Henshell at Manchester Crown Court, his barrister described the accuser's evidence as containing a series of inconsistencies. On 10 September 2013, he was found not guilty on all counts, and on 21 March 2014, he returned to his role as Kevin Webster. He left the series shortly after his on-screen return, to combat a drug addiction he developed during his trial. Le Vell returned in October the same year, his character's absence on the show being explained as caring for his father, Bill, in Germany.
Notes
*
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Vell, Michael
1964 births
Living people
Male actors from Manchester
English male soap opera actors
People acquitted of rape
People acquitted of sex crimes
People from Newton Heath