James Gaddas

James Gaddas (born 1960 in Stockton-on-Tees) played two roles in Coronation Street: first, Mike Baldwin’s business rival Robert Prescott in November 1989 and then the regular role of Rovers barman Vinny Sorrell from August 1999 to November 2000.

After leaving school, he studied drama at Billingham Technical College and then joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where he studied with Miranda Richardson and Daniel Day-Lewis. He was then a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and started to appear on television in Crown Court, Dempsey and Makepeace and The Camomile Lawn before landing the regular roles of Dr Robert Nevin in four series of Medics from 1992 onwards and DI Latham in Class Act for two years beginning in 1994. Other roles followed in Heartbeat, Jonathan Creek and Peak Practice before landing the role of Vinny Sorrell, a part he gave up to be nearer to his baby daughter who lived with his wife Deborah in London. Since leaving the Street, he gained further national television with his regular role as Prison Governor Neil Grayling in the Brian Park-produced Bad Girls.

In 2005 he ran unsuccessfully in the General Election as a Conservative candidate in the Stockton ward.