Former model and Coronation Street actress has passed away aged 85
Actress Barbara Ferris played barmaid Nona Willis on Coronation Street in 1961 and enjoyed a decades-long career.
After her role as Nona Willis, Ferris stepped away from the role after just 10 episodes due to the Lancastrian accent being too challenging.
Film fanatics may also know her as Dinah, Dave Clark’s love interest in the 1965 movie ‘Catch Us If You Can’. Her final screen appearance was in the 90’s thriller The Krays, by Peter Medak.
Ferris and her husband ended up settling in homes across Ireland, Zurich, and London. She left acting and decided to focus on raising her kids and accompanying her husband on international work trips.
Born in London to Dorothy and Roy Ferris, she was the youngest of two children. She was a student at the Italia Conti Stage School. Going to a drama school, led her to take on pantomimes and commercials to support her family.
Fans are sharing touching tributes following the news of her passing.
Honouring her memory, one of her fans wrote: Absolutely gutted to hear about Barbara Ferris. She had such a quiet grace on screen — Catch Us If You Can was a core memory from my childhood. Rest easy, Dinah.”
Someone else wrote: “RIP to Barbara Ferris – unforgettable in The Krays. That voice, that presence. We were lucky to have her, even if briefly.”
Another said: “Barbara was one of the kindest, most generous actors I ever worked with. Her laughter lit up every set we shared. It was an honour just to be around her.”
Ferris, who passed away on May 23, 2025, is survived by her husband and their three children: Nicholas, Christopher, and Catherine.
Ferris led a discreet life touched by both quiet stardom and personal devotion. Barbara’s younger sister Liz, became a springboard diving champion and took home bronze at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
