Live Life Team
Denise Black was born on March 16, 1958, in Emsworth in Havant, Hampshire. She was widely recognised in her roles as Denise Osbourne in the British soap opera ‘Coronation Street’ and Hazel Tyler in the television series ‘Queer As Folk.’ Black performed in ‘Coronation Street’ from 1992-1996 and after 11 years of absence, she returned on May 4, 2007. She had also appeared on several British television programmes: such as ‘The Bill,’ ‘Bad Girls,’ ‘New Tricks Doc Martin,’ and ‘Casualty.’
Black’s first professional role was acting as a pussy cat in the stage production ‘Miniature’, when it was performed at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. After this, she became part of various fringe theatres. After acquiring her equity card in 1980, Black joined the Actor’s Touring Company and appeared in Shakespeare plays in several countries. Upon coming back in England, she collaborated with Kate McKenzie and Josie Lawrence in ‘La Pasionaria’ at the Newcastle Playhouse. Together, they also developed the jazz group ‘Denise Black and the Kray Sisters’ to extend their careers in singing and music. In 1988, after a break for maternity leave, she appeared in ‘The Threepenny Opera’ at the Oldham Coliseum. She also toured with Art of Success in 1989 and made her TV debut in ‘Casualty’ in 1990 as a street prostitute, as well as in the stage production ‘Stop Children’s Laughter’ at the Bolton Octagon Theatre.
Black also acted for a time with the touring stage show ‘Grumpy Old Women Live,’ the stage presentation adopted on the model of the British Broadcasting Corporation television series ‘Grumpy Old Women.’
Black received the Best Supporting Actress from the London Critic’s Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) in 1981 for her ‘Street Wise’ performance.
