Sarah Lancashire – 56, Oldham

Sarah Lancashire melted our hearts from her adorable rendition of the silly yet lovable barmaid Raquel Wolstenhulme in Coronation Street. Appearing in over 500 episodes, she stayed on as a regular cast member from 1987 to 2000. This week, Lancashire is filming several sequences for her new HBO series Julia in downtown Farmingham.

Growing up, the Oldham native had little interest in acting but was captivated by the behind-the-scenes legwork that went into creating a successful production. Along with Coronation Street, Lancashire has also scored recurring roles in series like Where the Heart Is, Rose and Maloney, and Last Tango in Halifax.