Actress Barbara Ferris has died at the age of 85.
Throughout her decades-long career, the English star appeared in TV shows and movies such as Coronation Street and Catch Us If You Can. She passed away on Friday, May 23, according to The Guardian. Her cause of death was not disclosed.
Born in London in 1939 as the second of four children – her sister Liz was a champion springboard diver who won a bronze medal at the 1960 Olympics, while her sister Pam went on to become an actor who has starred in Matilda and Call the Midwife – Ferris began her acting career as a teenager, working in TV commercials and pantomime to supplement her father’s income. She eventually transitioned her career into modeling and dance, as well as the stage and screen.
Ferris’ earliest TV work included starring opposite Amanda Barrie and Una Stubbs in the pop music show Cool for Cats in 1956 and her short-lived role as barmaid Nona Willis in Coronation Street.
Ferris joined the ITV soap in 1961 and only starred in 10 episodes before leaving, as she didn’t understand the Lancastrian accents. On the big screen, Ferris is perhaps best remembered for her portrayal of Dinah the love interest who runs away with Dave Clark, in 1965’s Catch Us If You Can.
Ferris also had roles in TV shows such as All in Good Faith, Murder at the Wedding, and Conjugal Rights, per her IMDb profile. Her film credits include The Girl-Getters (1964), A Nice Girl Like Me (1969), and A Chorus of Disapproval (1989). Her final screen appearance came in 1990’s The Krays.
On the stage, Ferris starred as Pam in Edward Bond’s controversial play Saved in 1965, and also portrayed Moll in the Jacobean comedy A Chaste Maid in Cheapside in 1966, both of which premiered at the Royal Court and were directed by William Gaskill. She retired from acting in the ‘90s to focus on raising her children.
News of her passing sparked an outpouring of tributes, with one fan writing on X, “Sad to hear of the passing of Barbara Ferris – she appeared in some great films but my favourites has to be Sparrows Can’t Sing and Catch Us If You Can obviously coz of Yootha and Brian ! RIP Barbara.”
Ferris is survived by her husband, film producer John Quested, and their three children – Nicholas, Christopher and Catherine.
