Kenneth Cope, who was known for his roles in Carry On and Coronation Street, has passed away at 93, as confirmed by his former agent. He became famous for playing ghost detective Marty Hopkirk in the ITV series Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased). The show featured him solving crimes from beyond the grave, visible only to his partner Jeff Randall, after being murdered during an investigation in the first episode. According to Sandra Chalmers of The Artists Partnership, he died surrounded by his family on Wednesday. His family statement described him as “an incredible icon of British TV and film” with a career spanning six decades that “contributed to some of the most iconic moments in British culture”. The cult classic series Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) was known as My Partner The Ghost in the US and was later remade with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in 2000. In 1994, Cope spoke to the PA news agency, recalling the “happy times” making the programme. He expressed that the show was quite escapist and reminisced about the enjoyable moments during its production.
Kenneth Cope’s portrayal of Jed Stone, also known as Sonny Jim, on Coronation Street between 1961 and 1966 made him a firm favorite with the soap’s fans. Born in Liverpool in 1931, he starred in Coronation Street, appearing in more than 100 episodes from 1961 to 1963, before briefly returning in 2008 and 2009. A spokesperson for Coronation Street expressed their condolences and described Cope as a talented actor and writer, mentioning that his return to the show in 2008 was a delight for all involved. Cope also starred in two Carry On films, Carry On At Your Convenience (1971) and Carry On Matron (1972), and had an uncredited role in 1963’s Carry On Jack.
Another actor, Robin Askwith, paid tribute to Cope, having worked alongside him in a 1969 episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and described him as individual, encouraging, and generous. Cope’s work also included the 1963 Hammer horror film The Damned, TV comedy drama Minder, an episode of espionage series The Avengers, and the Warriors’ Gate episode of Doctor Who in 1981. The actor married actress Renny Lister, whom he worked with on Coronation Street, in 1961, and the couple had two sons, Nick and Mark, who formed a rock band called The Candyskins, and a daughter, Martha, who is an actress best known for her roles in Doctors and EastEnders. Kenneth Cope spent his final years in Southport, where he was a columnist for the Southport Visiter newspaper. The family statement also mentioned that he was a proud native Liverpudlian and a loyal supporter of Everton Football Club and asked for privacy during this time of mourning.
