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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Coronation Street star Geoff Hinsliff has died aged 87, the soap has confirmed.
Hinsliff, best known for playing the Don Brennan on the cobbles from 1987 to 1997, died this week.
Helen Worth, who plays Gail Platt on the long-running soap, said: “Geoff was a lovely, quiet man who will be sadly missed by us all.”
“His partnership with Lynne Perry was something rather special and they gave the viewers huge pleasure for many years.”
The actor played various different characters on the soap in 1963 and 1977 before securing his full-time role as Don, one of the most-remembered villains who plotted an attempted murder and kidnap.
During his decade on the soap, Hinsliff’s Don Brennan bought MVB motors from Mike Baldwin but started to resent him when the garage started losing money.
In a dramatic plotline, Don then kidnapped Mike’s wife Alma and drove their car into the canal, which they both survived. He later tried to murder Mike by attempting to run him over but the plan was foiled when Don’s car crashed into a viaduct and exploded.
Don married Ivy Tilsley, played by Lynne Perrie, and had an on-screen son called Brian.
Born in Leeds in 1937, Hinsliff went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts before embarking on a career in television, including stints on Doctor Who, Brass and Doctors. According to his IMDB page, the actor has not appeared in any television work since 2003, with his last project being appearing on a singular episode of Heartbeat.
He is survived by his wife, Judith E Seel, who he married in 1967, and their two children.
Fans have been sharing their condolences online, with one viewer writing: “He was such a great actor. It was amusing to see Don remember to limp on occasion after his leg was amputated in the show. Brilliant exit too, crashing his car into the viaduct. RIP Geoff.”
