Ivan Beavis (22 April 1926 – 24 December 1997) was an English actor, best known for his role as Harry Hewitt, one of the original characters in the British television soap opera Coronation Street.
It was after his illness, that Beavis took up amateur dramatics, working with the Little Theatre Guilds Unnamed Society, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company as Leonato in Much Ado about Nothing, Agamemnon in Troilus and Cressida, Lovewit in The Alchemist and Montague in Romeo and Juliet.
He appeared in The Army Game (which starred Bill Fraser and Alfie Bass), Skyport, Knight Errant, Biggles and Famous Trials before he was cast in Coronation Street.
They had a son, Christopher (Victoria Baker as an infant and Stephen Ward as a child), who in October 1962 was kidnapped, and gave Coronation Street a then record 21 million viewers.
Harry Hewitt died when Len Fairclough's (Peter Adamson) van jack slipped during the wedding of Steve (Paul Maxwell) and Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix).
[2] Beavis' television work included roles in Z-Cars, Emergency Ward 10, Crown Court, The Liver Birds, The Onedin Line, Shine on Harvey Moon, The Bill and Casualty.