Terry Gilligan played nine parts in Coronation Street from his days as a child actor through to more recent appearances in adult roles: his first part was as a Boy in February 1968 and he reappeared as a Young Man who attended a protest meeting at the Community Centre exactly six years later in February 1974. 12 months after that, he took the role of Jeff Lee, a love interest for Tricia Hopkins in February 1975. In September 1984 he played the Reverend Unsworth who was supposed to officiate at the wedding-that-never-was between Derek Wilton and Mavis Riley, returning to the role in November of the same year to oversee the funeral of Stan Ogden. In March 1994 he appeared as salesman Brian Curry, and the following April portrayed receiver Vince Cooper. In March 1998 he played PC Johnstone who arrested fraudster Jon Lindsay and in May 1999 he returned as another policeman, Sergeant Perryman, who was involved in the siege of 13 Coronation Street when Greg Kelly held Sally, Rosie and Sophie Webster hostage. His most recent role was as a third policeman, DS Taylor, who was involved in tracing the Croppers when they abducted abused child Wayne Hayes in August 2001.

Terry has played many parts on television since the 1960s, including a role in the Tony Warren-scripted 1968 Granada series The War of Darkie Pilbeam as well as parts for the same company in City 68, Nightingale's Boys and Fallen Hero. Other roles include many parts as policemen in series such as Home to Roost, Families and Heartbeat as well as roles in Cracker, Shoot to Kill, Bullman, How We Used To Live, Barbara, Now you see her, Always and Everyone Dear Ladies (with Hinge and Bracket), All creatures Great and Small, The Cops and several different roles in Emmerdale and Last of the Summer Wine.