John Arthur (born "John Arthur Smith" on 20th October 1945 in Birmingham) appeared on Coronation Street in three roles:
- The hospital consultant who treated Hilda Ogden and Joan Lowther after they were attacked in a robbery in November 1987
- The judge at the custody hearing between Steve McDonald and Tracy Barlow over Amy Barlow between August and September 2005
- The minister who conducted the funeral service for Molly Dobbs in December 2010.
Educated at Wylde Green College for Boys and Bordesley Green County Technical School, he was initially employed as a cost clerk before attending The Birmingham School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art. He graduated in 1970 and worked for ten years in rep.
His other television credits include roles in We'll Meet Again, Leaving, Up the Elephant and Round the Castle, Fresh Fields, Boon, The Practice, Andy Capp, The Bill, Nice Work, Close to Home, Resnick: Lonely Hearts, London's Burning, Grange Hill, Pilgrims Rest, EastEnders, Barbara, Night & Day, Doctors, Crooked House, The Borgias, Mr Selfridge, Emmerdale and Holby City.
Film roles include Sharky's Machine, Dragon Fire, The Abduction Club, Thunderpants, The Great European Disaster Movie and Beasts of No Nation.
On stage, he appeared in productions of Love's Labour's Lost and Much Ado About Nothing for the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Second Mrs Tanqueray, Tons of Money, A View from the Bridge and A Small Family Business for the National Theatre. Other works include Gaslight, As You Like It, Travelling Hopefully, Plaza Suite, Sisterly Feelings, Taking Steps, The Shoemaker's Holiday, Communicating Doors and Single Spies.
While for radio, he was heard in The Iguanodon, La Bolshie Vita, Patriotic Bunting, The Lackey's Daughter, Cardboard Christmas Cut-Outs, Lovekill, Dead Men and Bunn and Co.