A History Of Liverpool Thespians - Ken Sharrock

 

Ken Sharrock was born on the 11th of December, 1946 in Liverpool and left the city aged 16 but always considered it his home as he grew up in Edge Lane. The father of four stumbled into acting after a series of jobs around the world, including busking around the US before paying for his acting lessons working on rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. He returned home to train at the National Youth Theatre REP Company and first appeared on TV in 'Minder' (1980) as D.C. Jones. He then got a break playing 34 episodes, mostly as Den Booth, in the BBC TV series 'Angels' (1980-81) about six nursing students from all walks of life doing the then 3-year nursing course, coping with the trials and tribulations of getting used to working with people and dealing with fellow nurses, porters, and doctors working in the hierarchical NHS. The Police Force seemed to attract his next roles with him appearing in 'Saturday Night Thriller' (1982) as Det. Sgt. Harris; as a Liverpool cop in the TV mini series ''One Summer' (1983); in 2 episodes of 'Juliet Bravo' (1983-84); Police Inspector Kipper in 'C.A.T.S. Eyes' (1895-86) and then as a Police Inspector in 'Screen Two' (1987). He was also a lead actor in Steven Berkoffs 'West', premiered at the Donar Warehouse theatre in London in 1983 and appeared in 6 episodes of 'Strike It Rich!' (1986), when the shareholders of a news agency find their changed lives forever when they receive a huge financial windfall from their dividends.

As Derek Taylor in EastEnders in 1987

 In 1987 he played Derek Taylor in 'EastEnders', making his first appearance on the 8th of September 1987 as a friendly, self-employed delivery driver who has two children, David and Kim, and speaks with a Scouse accent. He also returned to Liverpool to play Eddie, the gay cousin of the Boswell family in 'Bread' (1987) and to play J.C. Bradley in 'Brookside' (1996-97). The 1980s also saw Ken on the big screen as he appeared as Gaskin, Special Branch in 'A Prayer for the Dying' (1987), a jailer in 'The Living Daylights' (1987) and Sydney in 'Shirley Valentine' (1989). Entering the 1990s he was in 4 episodes of 'The Bill' (1987-93), 4 episodes of 'Casualty' (1990-93) and had numerous single appearances in various TV roles.

As Sydney in Shirley Valentine

In later years he  set up his own theatre production company and co-produced the film 'Redemption Road' (2001). He lived in London with his girl friend and then wife Sally before becoming ill. lKen had left the city in his twenties moving to London after marrying Lesley Kitto whom he met in Liverpool while still married to his first wife Beryl with whom he had three children, which he adopted to her new husband in the late 60's, their history is unknown. The biological father of four, after living in different parts of the UK, graduated in the mid-seventies from Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. He was married 4 times not including Sally. His daughter with his second wife Lesley (author Lesley Ann Sharrock aka Lesley Welsh), Estelle, had three children and emigrated to Australia at the turn of the century. He later divorced Lesley in 1987 having had one child. His career had just been given a new lease of life with a role in the cult BBC2 youth drama 'Grease Monkeys' (2003) and was just about to start filming the second series. He maintained a close connection to his two sisters, eight nieces and nephews and their families still living in Liverpool, until his death on the 20th of November 2003.

Ken died on the 20th of November, 2003 in London after suffering complications following a heart bypass a few weeks earlier. His fellow Brookside co-star Michael Starke paid tribute to his colleague and friend, "We stayed in touch after Brookside and would meet up from time to time when I was in London and he never lost that natural touch. Not only was he a great actor he was a great warm character too."

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2024/01/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-doug.html