Stanley Meadows
- Actor
Dependable British character actor Stanley Meadows became popular as talent agent Laurie Frazer on the long-running soap Coronation Street (1960). Meadows was born and raised in the London East Borough of Stepney. A younger brother, whom he described as 'a frustrated actor', ended up becoming a barrister and died at age 44. The family moved to Bayswater when Stanley was 14. He loved the cinema from early childhood. It seemed the only escape from the drudgery of daily life in the East End. He particularly idolised Hollywood star James Cagney.
Though Meadows had his sights set on acting, his path to getting there was circuitous. In 1948, he worked as a beach photographer in Brighton. He then entered the hospitality industry as a waiter/bartender - and hated it. His next job was in advertising. After getting the boot because the 'House of Ideas' did not appreciate his ideas, Meadows worked in the shipping industry during the day while attending acting school at might. From 1953, he studied at RADA. Two years later, he took his first steps on the repertory stage in Bournemouth, earning £8 a week. By 1957, he had progressed to serious dramatic roles at the Old Vic in classics like Measure for Measure, King Lear, Hamlet and Henry VI. Meadows particularly enjoyed working alongside John Gielgud.
On screen from 1953, Meadows came to the fore as a prolific face in TV shows of the 1960s and 70s. Frequently cast as detectives or public servants, he graced the cast of most of the major British crime and espionage dramas of the era, including Le Saint (1962), Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir (1961), Softly Softly (1966), Paul Temple (1969), Amicalement vôtre... (1971), Dixon of Dock Green (1955), Les professionnels (1977) and Minder (1979). He has also often portrayed policemen on the big screen, notably in Ipcress - Danger immédiat (1965) (Inspector Pat Keightly) and The Night Caller (1965) (Detective Tom Grant). Meadows made his last screen appearance in 1984.
Though Meadows had his sights set on acting, his path to getting there was circuitous. In 1948, he worked as a beach photographer in Brighton. He then entered the hospitality industry as a waiter/bartender - and hated it. His next job was in advertising. After getting the boot because the 'House of Ideas' did not appreciate his ideas, Meadows worked in the shipping industry during the day while attending acting school at might. From 1953, he studied at RADA. Two years later, he took his first steps on the repertory stage in Bournemouth, earning £8 a week. By 1957, he had progressed to serious dramatic roles at the Old Vic in classics like Measure for Measure, King Lear, Hamlet and Henry VI. Meadows particularly enjoyed working alongside John Gielgud.
On screen from 1953, Meadows came to the fore as a prolific face in TV shows of the 1960s and 70s. Frequently cast as detectives or public servants, he graced the cast of most of the major British crime and espionage dramas of the era, including Le Saint (1962), Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir (1961), Softly Softly (1966), Paul Temple (1969), Amicalement vôtre... (1971), Dixon of Dock Green (1955), Les professionnels (1977) and Minder (1979). He has also often portrayed policemen on the big screen, notably in Ipcress - Danger immédiat (1965) (Inspector Pat Keightly) and The Night Caller (1965) (Detective Tom Grant). Meadows made his last screen appearance in 1984.
