Born:
September 05, 1935
in
London
Best Known For:
Coronation Street.
Early-life:
Born September 5, 1935, in Battersea, South London. He was the eldest of two children - his sister, Barbara, died at the age of 15 in 1955. Briggs was evacuated to Surrey and later Cheshire during World War Two, but on his return to the capital, won a scholarship at The Italia Conti School, where fellow pupils included Nannette Newman, Millicent Martin and Anthony Newley. He made his professional debut at 12 as a boy soprano with the Italian Opera Company.
Career:
Briggs's movie debut was in 1948's Quartet. He also starred alongside Audrey Hepburn on stage in Sauce Tartare. He went on to appear in various British films during the 1950s and 1960s, including Cosh Boy, The Bulldog Breed, Doctor in Distress, The Devil-Ship Pirates, 633 Squadron, The Intelligence Men and Carry On Up the Khyber. Briggs also made appearances in numerous TV shows, such as The Saint, Department S and On the Buses before landing a regular part in Crossroads in 1975. A year later, he made his debut as businessman Mike Baldwin in Coronation Street. He remained in the show until 2006.
Quote:
On the sacking story: "I think if I'd been fired, I would be the first to hear of it."
Trivia:
In 2006, he received a lifetime achievement award at the British Soap Awards and was awarded an MBE.