Former Coronation Street actor John Saint Ryan has passed away at age 72, his family confirmed. The news of his passing was conveyed by his wife Joyce on Facebook where she expressed: “I and our family want to let our friends know that John had a heart attack the evening of Thursday 3rd of April.

“We were with him at the hospital where the staff did everything possible but unfortunately he did not survive. We are absolutely heart broken. John wanted to aid medical research and donated his body, so there will not be a funeral.

“Later, we will arrange a celebration of his wonderful life. We are all fortunate to have known and loved this special ”Gentleman” as he has been described to me numerous times over the last couple of days.”

Born in Burnley, Lancashire, in 1953, John first established himself as a martial arts instructor before turning his expertise to acting.

His initial foray into the field involved serving as a stunt double for screen icon Sean Connery in the movie The Medicine Man, marking the start of his journey into the world of entertainment. His official acting debut came with Channel 4’s G.B.H in 1983, reports the Mirror.

John later joined ITV’s Emmerdale portraying Jameson and eventually landed a role on Coronation Street as Charlie Whelana long-distance lorry driverwhich catapulted him to considerable fame. In a well-remembered storyline, his character, Charlie, embarked on a whirlwind romantic plot with Rovers Returns landlady Bet Gilroy, played by Julie Goodyear, during her split from husband Alec (Roy Barraclough).

Charlie’s charm was clearly irresistible, as barmaid Tanya Pooley (Eva Pope) soon fell for him. The pair eloped to Germany after Charlie’s fling with Bet, but their relationship didn’t last, with Tanya ending things shortly after their move.

Following his stint on the soap, he relocated to California in the 1990s and continued to enjoy a successful career in film and television.

He secured supporting roles in a variety of productions, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, General Hospital, Murder, She Wrote, Cybill, and The Heidi Chronicles. He also played the lead villain in the sci-fi action film American Cyborg: Steel Warrior.

Beyond acting, John owned and ran Red Rose Ranch, a cattle ranch where he trained both horses and riders in dressage and western riding. He specialised in the doma vaquera style and won numerous national and international titles in the sport over the years.

John is survived by Joyce and their three sons.