John Savident (born 21 January 1938) is a British actor, known for his numerous television roles, including his portrayal of Fred Elliott in the soap opera Coronation Street from 1994 to 2006. He is also known for his performance as Monsieur Firmin in the West End cast of The Phantom of the Opera

Early life

Savident was born in Guernsey and still lived there at the time of the German occupation of the island in 1940. He and his family escaped to Britain in a fishing boat. During his early years, he was a police officer before turning to acting as his profession.

Career

Savident created the role of Monsieur Firmin in the original production of Phantom of the Opera, which opened on 9 October 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre in Haymarket, London.^[1] He appeared as the renegade scientist Egrorian in a 1981 episode of the cult science fiction TV series Blake's 7.^[2] He also had other television appearances in Danger Man, The Saint, Callan and Doctor Who. He played Doctor Meredith in The Remains of the Day.

Coronation Street

Despite his many film and TV roles, including civil servant Sir Frederick Stewart in Yes, Minister and a part in A Clockwork Orange (1971), it was only when Savident joined the cast of Coronation Street as the bellicose but romantic butcher Fred Elliott during the 1990s that he became a household name.^[3][4] He made his first appearance on the show in 1994 and his character quickly became popular with viewers.^[5]

In December 2005, Savident announced that he was to leave Coronation Street citing (undisclosed) "personal reasons". His character died of a stroke nine months later, in October 2006. He later revealed that he had retired from the show "because he wanted to spend more time with his family in Hertfordshire".^[6]

Later work

Savident was one of the readers on the BBC's online Advent Calendar in December 2006. That year, he appeared in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the henchman at Manchester Opera House, alongside his former Coronation Street co-star Suranne Jones, as well as Justin Moorhouse and an all-star seven dwarves including Warwick Davis.

In 2007, he was touring as the lead in a production of Hobson's Choice.^[7] He appeared on Loose Women on 19 March 2009 to discuss his part as Sir Joseph Porter in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta HMS Pinafore, which toured the United Kingdom during the spring and summer of 2009.^[8]

He guest-starred in the Christmas special episode of Holby City in 2012, playing patient Rupert Pool.^[9] He voiced the character Pendle in the Doctor Who audio-drama Order of the Daleks.^[10]

Personal life

On 1 December 2000, Savident was stabbed twice in the neck at his home in Manchester by Michael Smith, who claimed he was acting in self-defence. Savident said at the time, "I suddenly felt somebody come up behind me and whizz me round so I was face down on the bed and then I felt a prick on my throat". Smith demanded three thousand pounds from Savident, and the keys to his classic Morgan sports car. Savident had met Smith in Heenans bar, following a personal appearance at an event for World AIDS Day. They then went to Savident's home – apparently to discuss the theatre – which Smith claimed was a euphemism for sex. In September 2002, Smith, by then aged 30, was sentenced to seven years in prison. He had been charged with wounding Mr Savident with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, and robbing him of his wallet, credit cards, a silver money clip and cash, a Georg Jensen watch and ring, keys, and an invitation to Coronation Street's 40th anniversary birthday party.^[11] The next week on Coronation Street, the large sticking plaster on his character's neck was explained as a "butchering accident".^{[citation needed]}

Savident has been married to Rona Hopkinson since 1961; the couple have two children and several grandchildren.

Filmography