Paul Seed, Coronation Street Actor and Director, Dies at 78

Paul Seed, a former actor on the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street and an acclaimed television director, has died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer.

Seed passed away on March 7 in north Devon, where he had settled in later years. Born in Bideford, Devon, he began his acting career in the 1970s, studying drama at the University of Manchester before graduating in 1970. His early television roles included appearances in BBC series such as Z Cars and Softly Softly. He joined Coronation Street in 1979, portraying the recurring character Father Harris, a priest at the fictional St. Boniface Church in the Salford suburb of Lower Broughton. During his time on the ITV soap, which aired until 1981, Seed's character officiated the wedding of Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and Brian Tilsley, portrayed by Christopher Quinten. He also conducted the christening of their son, Nick Tilsley. Gail and Brian's storyline continued to unfold after Seed's departure, with Brian later killed off in 1989 and the couple's children, Nick and Sarah-Louise Platt, becoming central figures on the show.

Seed's other acting credits included episodes of Doctor Who, Pretenders, and...