Souad Adel Faress (born 25th March 1948 in Accra, Ghana) appeared on Coronation Street in October 2001 as Urmila Alahan, mother of Dev Alahan (the role was recast to actress Jamila Massey when the character returned in 2004).
Born to Irish and Syrian parents, she came to London to study acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Her other television credits include roles in I, Claudius, Watch All Night, Albion Market, Shalom Salaam, EastEnders, The Bill, Supply & Demand, Being April, Casualty, Doctors, Bodies, Family Affairs, Holby City, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Silent Witness, Hunted, Game of Thrones, Brief Encounters, Back to Life, The Spy, Landscapers, The Sandman, Better and Alexander: The Making of a God.
Film roles include My Beautiful Laundrette, Bhaji on the Beach, Sixth Happiness, Such a Long Journey, The Fever, Bridget Jones's Baby, Christopher Robin, Made in Italy, Dune: Part One and A House in Jerusalem.
On stage, she appeared in productions of Beyond the 'A' Penny Steps, Minor Complications, Beauty and the Beast, Mariana Pineda, The White Devil, Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet and The Permanent Way.
She is perhaps better known for her portrayal of the solicitor Usha Gupta/Franks in the long-running BBC Radio 4 serial The Archers from 2007 to 2018 and from 2021 to 2023.
