BELOVED Coronation Street and Doctors actor, Anita Carey, has passed away at the age of 75 after a courageous 13-year battle with breast cancer. Despite her diagnosis, Anita continued to work, leaving an indelible mark on the world of television.
Anita’s standout roles included playing Joyce Smedley on ITV’s Coronation Street from 1996 to 1997, and later a two-year stint on the BBC show Doctors, where she won acclaim and an award for her portrayal of receptionist Vivien March. She was also recognized for her powerful performance in Doctors, where she portrayed the trauma of her character’s rape by a burglar, earning her the British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance in 2009.
Throughout her career, Anita was known for her talent in comedic roles, including a brief appearance on Coronation Street in 1978 as Brenda Summers, a character facing domestic violence, who found solace in Emily Bishop’s friendship. A decade later, she returned to the soap as Joyce Smedley, the mother of Judy Mallett, and enjoyed several compelling storylines until her character’s departure during Coronation Street producer Brian Park’s casting changes.
Fans and colleagues have taken to social media to pay tribute to the late actress, praising her incredible performances and joyful personality. One fan fondly remembered Anita’s work on Doctors and the powerful impact of her portrayal of Vivien’s rape story, which rightfully earned her awards.
Anita’s talent extended beyond television, as she also had an impressive list of TV credits, including Last of the Summer Wine, Casualty, The Last Witness, Midsomer Murders, Where the Heart is, and Band of Gold. Her passion for acting also led her to the stage, where she played Gower in Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
In her personal life, Anita was married to actor Mark Wing-Davey, whom she met while performing together in Sheffield in 1973. The couple had two daughters and later relocated to the United States when Mark took a job overseas. In America, Anita continued her stage work and served as the chair of the graduate acting program at New York University in 2008.
