Bill Roache has spent more than six decades on Coronation Street, but he is not ready to leave Weatherfield. At 94, the actor still wants to keep going as Ken Barlow. He has now spoken about his plans for the future, his way of dealing with age, and the one storyline that made him tell the show’s bosses he could not do it.
Bill Roache Wants To Keep Going On Coronation Street
Bill Roache joined Coronation Street as Ken Barlow in 1960. He appeared in the very first episode of the soap and has stayed with the show ever since. The 94-year-old actor is now known as the longest-serving soap star in the world.
Even after all these years, Bill does not plan to retire from Coronation Street. He believes he can keep working well into his 90s. He also feels that the mind plays a big role in how people deal with getting older. He said: “I try not to think about the years, I just think about getting on and enjoying life.
“I would want for the future just more of the same. I think to quite a large extent ageing is a belief system, you know. As you get on people say, ‘Oh, take it easy, you shouldn’t be doing that.’ So, you start taking it easy. And then it’s, ‘Well, I think you should give that up.’ So, you give that up and it goes down, down you go.
“Actually, as you get older, you should start doing more, not less. We’re lucky to be here, as we are, so make the most of it. Life is a miracle. Our actually physical body is a miracle and it’s capable of so much more.”
Bill Roache Feels Very Close To Ken Barlow
Bill first appeared as Ken Barlow when Coronation Street began on December 9, 1960. In 2010, he broke the record for being the longest-serving actor in a soap opera. After such a long run, it is hard to imagine anyone beating that record.
Bill has played Ken for so long that the character feels very close to him. He said: “It’s pseudo-method I would say. If you’re playing a character that’s vastly different from yourself you’ve got all sorts of things to learn and do. I didn’t have that. I was just playing me as Ken Barlow.
“In my book I don’t act, I just do, and I believe it. That’s it. I don’t think about acting at all. I just absorb, take it all in, feel that’s who I am, that’s what I’m doing, and do it. “Over the years in Coronation Street there’s only been a couple of times, one time in particular, when it hasn’t worked. That’s because I took it personally, I was personally involved. It wasn’t Ken, it was me doing this but under the name of Ken.
If his latest comments prove anything, it is that Bill has no plans to slow down anytime soon. For Corrie fans, that means Ken Barlow’s story may still have plenty of life left in it. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Coronation Street spoilers and behind-the-scenes updates.