Jonathan Wrather, known for playing villains in Emmerdale and Coronation Street, has described supporting his father through a six-year battle with motor neurone disease (MND) as the hardest role of his life. The 56-year-old actor's father, Bill, died from the disease in December 2023 at the age of 84.
Wrather recalled a poignant moment during their last drive together in one of Bill's vintage cars. After a picnic in Macclesfield Forest, his father lost strength in one arm, forcing Jonathan to help change gears while Bill operated the clutch. 'It's a fond memory of our last drive tearing around country lanes, but it was also when I realised the disease had taken hold,' he said.
MND affects around 5,000 people in the UK at any given time. Wrather praised his stepmother and the live-in carers who supported his father, saying: 'End of life care is not easy. I feel immensely lucky that I spent a lot of time with my dad during his decline.'
The actor is now using his profile to raise awareness of MND. He will appear at Rye Arts Festival tonight in a James Bond-themed fundraiser for MND research. Wrather also returns to television later this year in ITV's Professor T, playing producer Bradley Sanders.
