Gordon Patrick Newell appeared on Coronation Street in January 2004 as Dr Friar, who tended to Chesney Brown at Weatherfield General when he overplayed his "injuries" sustained at The Kabin after Rita Sullivan reprimanded him for stealing sweets. A former decorated Captain in the British Army, he attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. His other credits include roles in Auschwitz: The Nazis and the 'Final Solution', O Jerusalem, Spooks: Code 9 and a 2009 short film entitled Heartless.