| Birth name | Anthony Sawley Adams |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 11 December 1940 |
| Birth place | Anglesey, Wales |
| Death date | 25 October 2025 (aged 84) |
| Death place | Brighton, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1951–2023 |
| Alma mater | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts |
Anthony Sawley Adams (11 December 1940 – 25 October 2025) was a Welsh actor, known for his performances in two British television soap operas.[1]
Early life
Adams was born in Anglesey, Wales, on 11 December 1940, to Winifred Brown, a sportswoman and aviator. In 1930, she had been the first woman to win the King's Cup Air Race around England.[2][1][3]
Adams trained as an actor at the Italia Conti Stage School.[4] As a child he appeared on the London stage, notably alongside the young Kenneth Williams in a production of Peter Pan at the Scala Theatre.[4] Other stage appearances included a starring role opposite Cheryl Kennedy in a West End revival of The Boy Friend, and he also appeared on the original cast album released with that production.[5] He also appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and in pantomime with David Essex.[6]
Career
Adams made his name as Dr Neville Bywaters in the 1970s soap General Hospital. He also appeared in the Doctor Who serial The Green Death (1973) as Elgin; however, he became ill with peritonitis during filming and could not complete the serial.[7]
In November 1978, Adams moved on to a role in Crossroads, as accountant Adam Chance, who soon became a major character.[8] It is for this role that he is best known. In September 1987, Adams decided to leave the programme. The announcement was made that the series would end in April 1988, and Adams stayed to the end. He was one of the cast members who returned in the 2001 revival of the series, though his character was later killed off in a fire.[9] He also appeared in a one-off DVD made in 2014.[10]
In late 2004, Adams appeared in the stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium theatre where he played Grandpa Potts.
In 2023, Adams appeared in a cameo role in the ITVX miniseries Nolly, which dramatised the life of his former Crossroads colleague Noele Gordon, and in which Adams himself was portrayed by Augustus Prew.[11][12]
Personal life and death
In 2013, aged 72, Adams began suffering from osteoarthritis, which he speculated might have resulted from eating an excess of seafood, especially prawns.[13]
Adams died at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, England, on 25 October 2025, at the age of 84.[14][7][15]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | The Magic Box | Boy | Uncredited |
| 1953 | The Enchanted Garret | Bill Banks | TV film |
| 1955 | Reluctant Bride | ||
| Touch and Go | Teenager | Uncredited | |
| 1964 | Kiss Me Kate | TV film | |
| 1971 | A Lizard in a Woman's Skin | Policeman | Uncredited |
| Villain | Man | Uncredited | |
| 1975 | The Godmothers | Vito | |
| 1977 | The Quality Connections | Nigel | Short film |
| 1980 | Hardly Working | Eddie the Clown | |
| 1986 | Aladdin | Monty Siracusa |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Crossroads | Mr. Perkins | 2 episodes |
| 1972 | The Two Ronnies | Brutus | Episode: Series 2, Episode 5 |
| Crown Court | Brian Parker | Episode: Conspiracy: Part Three | |
| 1972–1979 | General Hospital | Dr. Neville Bywaters | Series regular; 304 episodes |
| rowspan="2|1973 | Doctor Who | Elgin | Episodes: The Green Death |
| Play of the Week | Prince Damian | Episode: Queen of Hearts | |
| 1978–2002 | Crossroads | Adam Chance | Series regular; 260 episodes |
| 1986 | Hale and Pace | Prince Charming | Episode: Christmas Extravaganza |
| 1992 | The Upper Hand | Donald Crenshaw | Episode: You Shall Go to the Ball |
| 2001 | The Grimleys | Doctor | Episode: The Big Sleep |
| 2003 | The Afternoon Play | Agency Supremo | Episode: Turkish Delight |
| 2006 | Doctors | Edgar Price | Episode: Ghost in the Machine |
References
- ^ "Tony Adams, actor who brought sex appeal to Crossroads as the debonair womaniser Adam Chance". The Telegraph. 28 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "The life and times of pioneer Winifred Brown from Sale brought to life in new book". Great British Life. 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
- ^ "Winifred Brown First Woman to Take Trophy for 750-Mile Contest Over England.". The New York Times. 1930-07-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
- ^ "Ask: Tony Adams". Chronicle Live. 30 March 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ "The Boy Friend (feat. Cheryl Kennedy, Tony Adams, Marion Grimaldi, Frances Barlow, Nicholas Bennett, Jeremy Hawk, Ann Beach, Geoffrey Hibbert & Jacqueline Clarke)". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ David Essex (1 March 2012). Over the Moon: My Autobiography. Ebury Publishing. pp. 93–. ISBN 978-0-7535-4082-4.
- ^ Roberts, Jamie & Hayhurst, Claire (26 October 2025). "Tony Adams dead: Crossroads legend dies aged 84 as tributes pour in". Mirror. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Crossroads cast back to Birmingham". BBC News. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
- ^ "Characters in Crossroads". Evening Times. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Birmingham soap Crossroads is coming back – for one episode". Birmingham Mail. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ "Crossroads stars reunite for emotional cameos in Nolly finale". Radio Times. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ "Nolly cast: Meet the actors and their real-life counterparts". Radio Times. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ Tony Adams (13 November 2014). "Excruciating pain meant I needed a new knee joint but did seafood create the problem?". Mirror. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ Hayhurst, Claire (2025-10-27). "Star of Crossroads dies aged 84". The Independent. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ^ Hayward, Anthony (27 October 2025). "Tony Adams obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
External links
- Tony Adams at IMDb