Julia Margaret Deakin (born 20th May 1952 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire) appeared on Coronation Street in two roles: firstly in April 1989 as the secretary to Derek Wilton's boss at Barkers wholesale stationers; and she returned to the programme between September 2003 and January 2004 as Brenda Fearns, the paternal grandmother of Bethany Platt.
She was educated at Gainsborough Girls High School and completed teacher training in French and Drama near Manchester, before being employed as a French translator for the GPO in London. She then attended an evening course at Mountview Theatre School.
Her other television credits include roles in Unnatural Causes, Casualty, The Bill, So Haunt Me, Mother's Ruin, Oh Doctor Beeching!, Spark, Spaced, Holby City, Doctors, Big Bad World, The Midnight Beast, Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, Hijack and the regular role of Daphne Andrews in House of Anubis from 2011 to 2012.
Film roles include Mr. Love, Dancin' Thru the Dark, Staggered, Liam, Pure, Between Two Women, Shaun of the Dead, Scoop, Hot Fuzz, Down Terrace, The Sweeney, Having You, The World's End, High-Rise, The Snarling, Rebecca and Mind-Set.
On stage, she appeared in productions of Educating Rita, Far From the Madding Crowd, Pride and Prejudice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Doll's House, Mixed Blessings and Oliver!.
She is married to actor and author, Michael Simkins.
