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Margot Bryant (1897 in Kingston upon Hull – January 1, 1988 in Manchester) was an English actress. The daughter of a doctor, on completing her education she moved to London with her family. There, she became interested in the theatre, and appeared in the chorus lines of various productions before moving on to musical comedies.

She also appeared in a number of films, such as Stop Flirting with Fred Astaire, Cure for Love, and Beat Girl with Oliver Reed in 1960. She also appeared in a West End role, as Lucy in Gay's the Word at the Old Saville. Bryant also toured in My Mother Said and later appeared in the show's television production. She also appeared in The Bell Family and in the movies I Get Myself Arrested and The Larger Rope.

Her most notable television role came later in life, playing timid Minnie Caldwell on the soap opera Coronation Street, a role she occupied from 1960 to 1976 over the course of 560 episodes. The character's life tended to revolve around her ginger tom-cat, Bobby. Minnie Caldwell was a diminutive figure, with a distracted manner and often appeared drinking milk stout in the Snug of the soap's public house 'The Rover's Return'. The character, consequently, was a put-upon companion of her two friends Martha Longhurst (played by Lynne Carol) and Ena Sharples (played by Violet Carson). Bryant suffered severe memory loss - amnesia in 1976, and was unable to continue in the role; her on-screen absence was explained by mentioning that her character had moved to live with an old friend, Handel Gartside in Derbyshire.

She was a dedicated performer, always insisting on high standards of professionalism and good manners. She was later distressed by her declining ability to learn her lines as her health deteriorated.

Ultimately Bryant was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was admitted to Cheadle Royal Mental Health Hospital, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport where she remained as an in-patient until her death in 1988. She never married.

References

• The Daily Telegraph - Obituaries (5 January 1988)

External links

• Margot Bryant at the Internet Movie Database