Gaynor Faye
Gaynor Faye
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Played: Judy Mallet (2 October 1995 - 26 September 1999)
Gaynor Kay Mellor was born in Leeds on 26 August 1971, the second daughter born to screen writer Kay Mellor and mechanic Anthony Mellor. Their elder daughter is called Yvonne, also an actress, married with two children. Anthony is now a teacher with mentally handicapped and disabled students. Kay is famed for her writing including Band of Gold and Playing The Field.
Gaynor always wanted to become an actress and appeared as Dorothy in Gregory's Girl at school. She left school after taking her A-levels and set up her own theatre company in order to get her Equity card. Gaynor changed her surname to Faye after a school friend and soon gained her big break as Crystal in the BBC comedy The Sharp End.
Gaynor worked extensively on stage as Sharon Christmas in The Electric Christmas Show, Joyce in Mother Of Mine, Carol in Sold, Joanna in In All Innocence, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Mary Morgan in Accident of Birth and The Office Party. She also appeared in two training films for Leeds Polytechnic and Halifax Building Society. In 1992 Gaynor took the role of Mable Billington in The Life and Times of Henry Pratt and the following years played WPC Amy Benson in Peak Practice. She later played Naomi in Fair Game, Mandy in Downwardly Mobile and Lorraine in Some Kind of Life.
She later took roles in Six Sides of Coogan, Men of the World, The Chief and The Wanderer. She also appeared as Samantha in the film Fanny & Elvis. On 2 October 1995 Gaynor joined Coronation Street as Judy Mallett and joined actor Ian Mercer, with whom she had worked in Peak Practice, as the new neighbours who took residence in No9. Gaynor rapidly became one of the most popular characters of the show, but stunned Granada in 1999 by announcing that she wanted to move onto other roles and would not be renewing her contract.
Although the parting was amicable, Granada couldn't devise any scenario where devoted Judy would leave her husband and newly-born twins, so they reluctantly agreed that Gaynor's character would die - ruling out any possible return. Gaynor's last scenes were filmed in August 1999, and all the cast gathered to wish her goodbye. Judy Mallett was seen to die on 24 September 1999 whilst Ashley Peacock and Maxine Heavey married.
Gaynor was soon offered other roles, the first of which was Holly in BBC1's Playing the Field - created by her mother and produced by her mother's production company - Rollem Productions. Soon after she played the the role of Lauren in Fat Friends (YTV, 2000), also written by her mother.
Gaynor lives in Headingley, Leeds with her boyfriend, restaurateur Aaron Cowlrick, whom she met when she was 16. She is a practitsing Buddhist. When she's not working, she likes to get involved in another of the Mellor family's enterprises.
"We have an art gallery in Leeds selling original art and limited edition prints along with hand-made jewellery, stained glass mirrors and candles. It's run by my dad, Anthony, and I am often in the shop. Some of my artwork is for sale. It's my day job," she laughs.
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