Actors/Actresses Who Appear or Have Appeared In EastEnders
In No Particular Order.
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Robert Kazinsky was born Robert John Appleby in Haywards Heath, Sussex, England, to Phyllis and Paul Appleby, and grew up in the seaside town of Brighton, on England's southern coast. Both of his parents are from Polish Jewish/Russian Jewish families.
Kazinsky studied theatre at the Guildford School of Acting from 2002-2005 graduating with full honors, shortly thereafter he was cast as the enigmatic footballer Casper Rose in Sky One's footballing drama Dream Team, he only starred in one season but his character was received so well that he won that seasons most popular character poll with a whopping 54.29% of the vote.
After announcing his intention to leave in 2006, Kazinsky was cast as the disturbed and dangerous ex-military ladies man Sean Slater in EastEnders. In his 254 episodes Rob was nominated for 23 awards winning 7 including two Best Actor Awards culminating in his triumph at the British Soap Awards in 2008.
In 2010 after guest stints on Law and Order: Los Angeles and ABC's Brothers & Sisters, Kazinsky was announced to be playing Fili in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit due to start filming in 2011.Portrayed Sean Slater.
Duration : 2006–2009, 2019, 2021-2022.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Martine McCutcheon was born Martine Kimberley Sherri Ponting on the 14th of May 1976 in Hackney, East London, to Jenny Tomlin (née Jeanette Lilian Ponting) and Thomas Hemmings. She has a younger brother called L.J.
She studied at the renowned Italia Conti stage school in London from the age of 10. She appeared in several billboard ads as a child, then won a part in the BBC children's series Bluebirds in '89, after which further TV and theatre roles followed. At 15 she was picked to front the all-girl band 'Milan', who went on tour with East 17, but they disbanded in April '94.
McCutcheon's big break came in January '95 with the part of Tiffany Raymond in 'EastEnders'. During her 4 years on the soap, Tiffany married Grant (Ross Kemp), had a daughter, and found a place in the nation's heart. However, her departure from the series was marked by controversy, with executive producer Matthew Robinson later saying in an interview "Martine McCutcheon didn't "decide to leave the show". She demanded the BBC allow her to come and go within the series at her behest, making it impossible for storyliners to write coherently for her character. So we had little choice but to kill Tiffany. Yes, the character was popular; yes, Martine had talent. But no one is bigger than the show - executive producers included."
McCutcheon went on to pursue a singing career. She went on to release six hit singles and three albums, two of which reached Gold and Platinum status.Portrayed Tiffany Raymond/Mitchell.
Duration : 1995–1998.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Legendary EastEnders actress and Carry On star Barbara Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks in Stepney, London, the daughter of Rose (Ellis), a dressmaker, and John Deeks, a costermonger. She was a bright pupil at school and her parents wanted her to go to university, but after her first taste of show business, when her grandmother took her backstage at a theatre, she decided acting was what she wanted to do.
Her mother spent all her savings on a place at the Aida Foster Acting School, where Barbara made her stage debut in Aida's 1950s pantomime at the Golders Green Hippodrome. Aida's tutors tried to iron out her Cockney accent but luckily they didn't succeed. In 1952, she was cast as one of the orphans in the musical "Love from Judy", which opened at London's Saville Theatre. With the show's star, she made her television debut in "Variety Parade". Two years later in 1954, she made her film debut as a school girl extra in "The Belles of St. Trinians", and by 1957, she was performing at London's Winston's Club with Amanda Barrie. The producer Joan Littlewood, who was committed to working class theatre, spotted her at an audition and in 1960 gave her the role which changed her life - Rose in "Fings Ain't What They Used to Be" at London's Garrick Theatre where it ran for two and a half years, during which she appeared in the sitcom The Rag Trade (1961).
As a result of the success of "Fings", Littlewood cast her in the film Sparrows Can't Sing (1963), which was seen by producer Peter Rogers who offered her roles in "Carry On" films, the first of which was Carry on Spying (1964). In 1964, She appeared in Joan's stage version of 'Oh! What a Lovely War' on Broadway and toured America with it. On her return, she was cast in the West End production of Lionel Bart's ill fated musical "Twang", which closed after a short run allowing her to take a role in "Come Spy with Me" with Danny La Rue at London's Whitehall Theatre. During the run, she had a complete change in playing one of the Ripper's victims in the film A Study in Terror (1965), then it was back to lighthearted roles in such films as Carry on Doctor (1967) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and in 1968, a British tour with Frankie Howerd in "The Wind in the Sasafras Tree". In late 1969, Ned Sherrin cast her as the music hall legend Marie Lloyd in "Sing a Rude Song" which opened at the Greenwich Theatre before transferring to the West End's Garrick Theatre.
Windsor did become well known in the London theatrical scene, but it was the "Carry On" comedies that made her a star. Although she appeared in only nine films in the long-running series (she left because she thought they were getting too risqué), she made such an impression as the basically good-hearted but dizzy sexpot that many of the series' fans believe she was in many more than she actually was. She almost didn't get the role originally, as she and series regular Kenneth Williams took an instant dislike to each other, but that was soon overcome and they became lifelong friends.
After she left the series, she continued her stage and film work, and became a regular in a long-running British soap opera, EastEnders (1985) as the matriarch of The Queen Victoria - Peggy Mitchell, which she played in over 1,500 episodes. She wrote two autobiographies, "Barbara - the Laughter and Tears of a Cockney Sparrow" and "All of Me - My Extraordinary Life". She was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment. She was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment and to charity.
Dame Barbara Windsor died of Alzheimer's disease on December 10, 2020, in London. She is survived by husband Scott Mitchell.Portrayed Peggy Mitchell/Butcher.
Duration : 1994–2010, 2013-2016.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Wendy Richard, was born in Middlesborough to Henry and Beatrice Emmerton who moved to London when she was 5. and there they ran The Shepherds Tavern in Mayfair. Her father commited suicide due to depression when she was 11. She was educated at St Georges School in Mount Street, Mayfair, London and at a boarding school then while still in her teens became a shop assistant at Fortum and Masons but was fired on her second day for not selling anything. She then joined the Italia Conti stage school at 16 but refused elocution lessons as she didn't want to do voice exercises. Her first big break was when she did voice on the Mike Sarne record 'Come Outside' which went to number one in 1962 the charts but all she got out of it was £ 15. David Croft then cast her in the comedy series Hugh and I and nurtured her career resulting in appearances in such series as The Likely Lads, Newcomers, Up Pompeii, Dads Army and Eastenders. She had a part in the Beatles film Help but was cut out of it but survived in the comedy Bless This House. The day after her mothers funeral she married music publisher Leonard Black in May 1972 but it only lasted 5 months. Afraid of being on her own she then married advertising executive Will Thorpe but their relationship became turbulent and developed into violent abuse resulting in a divorce in 1984. Her 3rd marriage was to Paul Glorney, a carpet fitter, but they divorced in 1994. In February 1996 she met John Burns, a painter and decorator and they lived together before marrying in October 2008, In 1996 she had discovered a lump on her breast which turned out to be cancerous but she was given the all clear after an operation, There was a recurrence of it in 2002 and after further treatment she was again given a clean bill of health until in 2008 when a check up revealed that she had cancerous cells in her breast and that they had spread through her body. She made a half hour television Programme 'Wendy Richard: To Tell You the Truth' documenting the last few months of her life which was broadcast in March 2009Portrayed Pauline Fowler.
Duration : 1985–2006.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Born in Chingford Essex United Kingdom, and not India as published, the actor is English of Parsi ancestry not an Indian citizen. She subsequently moved at age 9 . The family later returned to the UK where she completed her education.with her parents to Hong Kong while it was still under British controlPortrayed Zainab Masood/Khan.
Duration : 2007–2013.
Portrayed Nurse.
Duration : 1994.- Ann Mitchell was born on 22 April 1939 in Stepney, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Deep Blue Sea (2011), Widows (2018) and Lady Chatterley's Lover (1981).Portrayed Cora Cross.
Duration : 2011–2015, 2017-2018.
Portrayed Jane Williams.
Duration : 2001-2002 - Actor
- Stunts
Born to a roofer and a psychiatric nurse, Paul was born on April 12, 1979, joining his sister, Kelly who was born in 1978. Paul started acting at an early age of 10, when he joined the Oldham Theatre Workshop, but had acted before that at Church Road Primary School, Bolton and then Smithhills Dean High School. Still at the age of 10, Paul had his first television role, in "Childrens Ward" on ITV, though only saying 3 lines.
Later, he started appearing in TV shows like The Biz (1995) and became UK teenage girls' favourite pin-up when he joined the EastEnders (1985) cast as Joe Wicks. 12 record companies have reportedly offered Paul the opportunity to record a single but they have all been turned down. Paul has publicly stated that he will never record a single, adding that his cat, Gizmo, is better at singing than him.Portrayed Joe Wicks.
Duration : 1996–1997.- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Larry Lamb was born on 1 October 1947 in Edmonton, London, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for EastEnders (1985), Superman (1978) and Superman III (1983). He was previously married to Linda Martin and Anita Wisbey.Portrayed Archie Mitchell.
Duration : 2008–2009.- Glynis Barber was born on 25 October 1955 in South Africa. She is an actress, known for Point Break (2015), Emmerdale Farm (1972) and Blake's 7 (1978). She has been married to Michael Brandon since 18 November 1989. They have one child. She was previously married to Paul Antony-Barber.Portrayed Glenda Mitchell.
Duration : 2010–2011, 2016-2017. - Actor
- Producer
Ian Reddington was born on 25 September 1957 in Sheffield, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Highlander (1986), Zoe and the Astronaut (2018) and The Sisters Brothers (2018). He has been married to Lynda Ford since 10 October 2009. They have three children.Portrayed Richard Cole.
Duration : 1992–1994.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sophie Thompson is a British actress who has worked in film, television and theatre. A six-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of Into the Woods. Her other nominations were for Wildest Dreams (1994), Company (1996), Clybourne Park (2011) Guys and Dolls (2016) and 'Present Laughter' (2019). Thompson's film appearances include Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Persuasion (1995), Emma (1996), Dancing at Lughnasa (1998), Gosford Park (2001) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010). Her television roles include playing Stella Crawford in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2006-2007) and Rosemary Piper in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2018).Portrayed Stella Crawford.
Duration : 2006–2007.- Actor
- Music Artist
- Writer
Sean Maguire comes from a family of teachers and has been professionally making films, television shows and performing on stage for over 40 years. In 2020 he combined his professional skills of acting with his love for teaching and launched The Players Conservatory, an acting school for students across the globe.
Originally from London, Sean started his career at age five starring alongside Sir Laurence Olivier in his final film, A Voyage around my Father. He then rose to fame at age ten when he was cast in the BBC drama "Grange Hill. in Voyage Around My Father with Sir Laurence Olivier. Many TV roles for UK television followed including Tegs in Grange Hill, Aiden Brosnan in EastEnders, Marty in Dangerfield and Lee in Sunburn (all BBC). Sean played the role of Euan in The WB sitcom, Off Centre, and Robin Hood in ABC's hit series Once Upon A Time (2013) replacing Tom Ellis in the role. He also starred in The Magicians on SyFy, the SnapChat series "Action Royale" and in the science fiction podcast series "Electric Easy". In 2022 he played a vampire in the Paramount film "V For Vengeance" which is available by video on demand.
Sean resides in Los Angeles with his wife Tanya and 3 children.Portrayed Aidan Brosnan.
Duration : 1993.- Actress
- Writer
- Art Department
Josie Lawrence was born on June 6, 1959 in Old Hill, Dudley, West Midlands, England as Wendy Lawrence. She is an actress, known for Enchanted April (1991), Outside Edge (1994) and Robin Hood (2006). She is also a voice actress for The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends episode The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Pigling Bland (1994).Portrayed Manda Best.
Duration : 2009–2010.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Lee Ross was born in 1971 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Centurion (2010), Press Gang (1989) and Secrets & Lies (1996). He has been married to Jo McInnes since 1999.Portrayed Owen Turner.
Duration : 2006, 2009.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Danny Dyer was born in the Custom House area of east London, England, on 24th July 1977. Danny was spotted at a Sunday Drama School for underprivileged kids, in Kentish Town, by the agent Charlotte Kelly who got him an audition for the part of Martin Fletcher in the Granada Television series Prime Suspect 3 (1993). At the age of 14 he was given the part and found himself working alongside Helen Mirren. Danny went through a quiet patch in terms of work coming in but after a few notable appearances in Thief Takers (1995) and Soldier Soldier (1991), the film, TV and theater work came flooding in making him one of the most sought-after London-based actors. As well as his film and TV work he has also appeared on stage in London and New York.Portrayed Mick Carter.
Duration : 2013−2022.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tom Ellis is a Welsh actor from Cardiff, Wales. He is best known for playing Lucifer Morningstar in the American television series Lucifer (2016-2021).
Ellis was born in Cardiff. He studied BA Dramatic Studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (previously the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama).
Ellis' notable roles include Hollywood physician in the USA Network series Rush, Mark Etches in the British supernatural drama The Fades and Gary Preston in the hit TV show Miranda which aired on the BBC from November 9, 2009 to January 1, 2015.
In February 2015, it was announced that Ellis was cast as Lucifer Morningstar in the Fox television drama Lucifer, based on the comic of the same name, which premiered on 25 January 2016. The show was continued by Netflix from its fourth to sixth season, later was released on the 10th of September 2021.Portrayed Dr. Oliver Cousins.
Duration : 2006.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kellie Bright was born on 1 July 1976 in Brentwood, Essex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Ali G Indahouse (2002), EastEnders (1985) and Xenoblade Chronicles (2010). She has been married to Paul Stocker since 5 July 2014. They have three children.Portrays Linda Carter.
Duration : 2013−- Francis Magee was raised in Ireland and on the Isle of Man. He spent eight years as a fisherman before becoming an actor and has also been a member of several music groups including Jo Jo Namoza - who released four singles and an album - and Disco D'Oro. He studied acting at the Poor School at London's Kings Cross and made his television debut as Liam Taylor in 'East Enders', a role he played on and off for two years. Since then he has been a regular face in many television series, notably 'No Angels' and 'City of Vice'.Portrayed Liam Tyler.
Duration : 1993-1995. - Most famous for her supporting role as Daisy, the sister of Patricia Routledge's Hyacinth Bucket in the hugely popular BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances (1990), Judy Cornwell's grandmother was the music hall singer Sarah Bonner. The London-born actress grew up in England, where she attended a convent school before moving to Australia where her parents, Darcy Nigel Barry and Irene McCullen Cornwell, emigrated. She became a classical stage actress whose theatrical career began as a dancer and singer in pantomime, vaudeville, cabaret and musical revues. She has written a number of novels including "Cow and Cow Parsley" (1985), "Fishcakes at the Ritz" (1989), "The Seventh Sunrise" (1994) and "Fear and Favour" (1996). According to Cornwell, John Nathan-Turner was hoping to make a film of "Fear and Favour" before his untimely death at the age of 54 in 2002.Portrayed Queenie Trott.
Duartion : 2007-2008. - Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Equipped with a crooked, leering smirk and devilish gleam in his eye, actor Ron Moody will be most assuredly remembered for one signature role, despite the fact that the talented comedian had much, much more to offer. Carol Channing may have had her Dolly Levi and Yul Brynner his King of Siam, but Moody would become the most delightfully mischievous, engagingly musical villain of all time.
The son of a plasterer born in London in 1924, Ron never gave much of a look at pursuing the acting field until age 29. Prior to that he had entertained thoughts of becoming an economist or sociologist (trained at the London School of Economics). But, changing his destiny on the way, he became a top stand-up and improv revue artist in England (from 1952), making an inauspicious film bow in 1957 in an unbilled bit. It was the British musical stage that offered him his first taste of stardom with the London company of Leonard Bernstein's "Candide" in 1959. Although it was not a great success, however, it did lead to the role of a lifetime the following year as Fagin, the loveable, rapscallious pickpocket in the musical version of "Oliver Twist" simply entitled Oliver!.
Moody later bandied about in other roguish roles too in such TV series as The Avengers (1961) and in the comedies The Mouse on the Moon (1963) and Murder Most Foul (1964), both starring Margaret Rutherford. But in 1968, Ron was given the opportunity to transfer his Dickensian stage thief to film. Oliver! (1968) allowed him to steal a well-deserved Golden Globe trophy and Oscar nomination in the process, not to mention Hollywood interest. Although he never again matched the success of Oliver! (1968), Moody's portrayal of Uriah Heep in a TV version of Charles Dickens's David Copperfield (1970) became another a great success. Other offbeat cinematic roles, both dramatic and sharply comic, included such films as The Twelve Chairs (1970), Flight of the Doves (1971), Legend of the Werewolf (1975), Dogpound Shuffle (1975), Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979) (aka: Unidentified Flying Oddball, as Merlin), Wrong Is Right (1982), Where Is Parsifal? (1984), Emily's Ghost (1992), A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995) (as Merlin), The 3 Kings (2000), Revelation (2001), Paradise Grove (2003) and Lost Dogs (2005).
Despite his fine work elsewhere, the role of Fagin would be Moody's long-lasting claim to fame. He reprised the part at a 1985 in a Royal Variety Performance at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, before Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Throughout his TV career, Moody's presence and/or voice graced several children's series including the adaptations of Into the Labyrinth (1981) and The Telebugs (1986), and he was occasionally on TV here in the U.S., including 80s episodes of "Hart to Hart," "Highway to Heaven" and "Murder, She Wrote."
The endearing Ron Moody died at age 91 in London.Portrayed Edwin Caldecott.
Duration : 2003.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Sheila Hancock was born February 22, 1933. on the Isle of Wight. She later moved to King's Cross in London, where her mother and father ran a pub. Sheila went to Dartford Grammar School, and then with a grant she went to RADA. She then went into nine years of weekly repertory around the country. While in repertory in Bath she met actor Alec Ross, whom she married in 1955, and had a daughter, Melanie Thaw (aka "Ellie Jane") on July 15, 1964.
Her first big TV hit was her appearance in The Rag Trade (1961). Her first theatrical success was in "Rattle of a Simple Man" at the Garrick Theatre London. In 1969 she starred in the West End hit "So What About Love?", where she met actor John Thaw. The same year her mother died of cancer, followed nearly nine months later by Alec's tragic death. On December 24, 1973, she married Thaw, with their daughters Melanie and Abigail present. On July 27. 1974, at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, Hammersmith, Sheila gave birth to her only child with John, Joanna Suzy Thaw.
In the 1980s Sheila toured the UK with the Royal Shakespeare Company and later with the National Theatre. In 1988 she was told she had breast cancer, but she fought and won her battle against it. She and Thaw split briefly during this period.
In the early 1990s Sheila and John bought a house in Luckington Wiltshire, as well as a farmhouse in Provence, France. In 2001 John was told he had cancer. For nine months he fought against it, and with Sheila's help his privacy was protected. John died in Sheila's arms the day before her 69th birthday.
Since his death Sheila has written a book called "The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw", and has made numerous TV and stage appearance talking about the book and her life with John.
Sheila lives in Hammersmith near her daughters and grandchildren.Portrayed Barbara Owen.
Duration : 2000–2001.- Jesse Birdsall was born on 13 February 1963 in Highbury, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Bugs (1995), Hollyoaks (1995) and Eldorado (1992). He has been married to Gwyneth Strong since 15 July 2000. They have two children.Portrayed John Hewland.
Duration : 2012. - Brian Capron was born on 11 February 1947 in Eye, Suffolk, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Coronation Street (1960), Emma (1996) and 101 Dalmatians (1996). He has been married to Jacqueline Bucknell since 2 June 2003. They have one child. He was previously married to Janette Legge.Portrayed Jerry McKenzie.
Duration : 1993-1994. - Actor
- Director
- Producer
Jonny (sometimes credited as Johnny) Lee Miller was born on November 15, 1972, in Kingston, England, UK. He is the son of actors Anna Lee and Alan Miller and the grandson of actor Bernard Lee. After appearing in many high school plays at his selective state grammar school, Jonny dropped out at 17 to pursue acting full time. Although he was reportedly quiet and shy in high school, he certainly expresses himself well in all his films. His very first popular film was Hackers (1995), alongside Angelina Jolie and Matthew Lillard. Later his co-star Angelina became his wife. They were divorced three years later. Interesting fact is that his entire family is well into acting, all the way back to his grandparents. He has a partnership in the production company Natural Nylon, which also includes Jude Law and Ewan McGregor, his co-star in Trainspotting (1996).Portrayed Jonathan Hewitt.
Duration : 1992.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Rupert Hill was born on 15 June 1978 in London, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for Coronation Street (1960), Awaiting (2015) and Entity (2012). He has been married to Jenny Platt since 11 May 2013. They have one child.Portrayed Kevin Bolton.
Duration : 2001.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Ross Kemp was born on July 21, 1964 in Barking, Essex, England. His mother, Jean, was a hairdresser and his father, John, was a policeman with the Metropolitan Police force. He has a brother named Darren who is a documentary producer for the BBC.
Ross attended Shenfield High School, where he is remembered as an excellent athlete. He wanted to be an actor from a young age and went on to study drama at the Webber Douglas Academy. He has rarely been out of work since leaving the academy in 1985, appearing on stage, in films, on television and in various adverts.
His first credited television appearance was in 1986, playing Graham Lodsworth in "Emmerdale Farm" (now "Emmerdale"). His most famous role to date was his award-winning portrayal of hardman Grant Mitchell in the popular BBC series "EastEnders".Portrayed Grant Mitchell.
Duration : 1990–1999, 2005-2006, 2016.- Lindsey Coulson was born in June 1960 in Edmonton, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for EastEnders (1985), Doctor Who (2005) and Clocking Off (2000). She has been married to Harry A Harris since July 2002. They have one child. She was previously married to Philip Chard.Portrayed Carol Branning/Jackson.
Duration : 1993–1997, 1999, 2010–2015. - Actress
- Writer
Tracy-Ann Oberman was born on 25 August 1966 in Brent, London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Friday Night Dinner (2011), Toast of London (2012) and Doctor Who (2005). She has been married to Rob Cowan since 19 December 2004. They have one child.Portrayed Chrissie Watts.
Duration : 2004–2005.- Michael French was born on 17 September 1962 in Bow, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Born and Bred (2002), Crime Traveller (1997) and EastEnders (1985).Portrayed David Wicks.
Duration : 1993–1996, 2012-2014. - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
June Brown served in the Wrens and was classically trained at the Old Vic Drama School. She enjoyed a long career in the theatre, television and the cinema. The actor Nigel Hawthorne described her as "one of the most beautiful creatures I've seen on stage" after seeing her performance as Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler." Aside from her EastEnders (1985) fame as Dot Cotton, she appeared as "Lady Macbeth" opposite Albert Finney and directed "Double D" at the 1993 Edinburgh Festival.Portrayed Dot Cotton/Branning.
Duration : 1985–1993, 1997–2020.- Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is a British actor, best known in his native United Kingdom for playing Max Branning in long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders and in the United States as the voice of the GEICO gecko. He is also well known as Kill Crazy in the eighth series of the sitcom Red Dwarf.
Wood was born in Westminster, London, England and he trained as an actor at the Anna Scher Drama School in Islington, North London.
His first acting role was in the 1984 television series The Gentle Touch.
He has since appeared in several television series including May to December, Minder, Only Fools and Horses, Nightingales, Murder in Mind, Press Gang, London's Burning, Sean's Show, Inspector Morse, One Foot in the Grave, Red Dwarf, A Touch of Frost, The Bill, Le Café des Rêves, Sea of Souls and Doc Martin. He made a cameo appearance as a carol singer on The Thin Blue Line and has appeared in the films Vera Drake (2004), The Aryan Couple (2004), The Illusionist (2006) opposite Edward Norton and "Dad Savage" (1998) with Patrick Stewart.
Wood starred in the 1989 Yellow Pages TV Advert, entitled "Party Party" and, as of the 2010s, has been the voice of the GEICO gecko ads on American television. Wood also featured alongside Cobent CTO and ex-Metal Hammer journalist Tony Dillon as part of a team presenting Click, a computer games magazine on VHS video in the early 1990s.
Wood also played the eldest son, Dougie, in sitcom family The Wilsons.
In June 2006, he joined the BBC soap opera EastEnders playing Max Branning. In March 2008, he took paternity leave and re-appeared on screen on 23 June 2008. For his work in EastEnders, he has won awards at the British Soap Awards and Inside Soap Awards.
In 1989, Wood appeared in Only Fools and Horses as an assistant for Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst), in the episode The Jolly Boys' Outing.
In the 8th series of Red Dwarf he played Kill Crazy, a prison inmate.
Wood took part in the 12th series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with Janette Manrara, reaching the semi-final.
In May 2015, Wood announced that he would be taking a year long break from EastEnders. Wood said "I have been at EastEnders for nine years and I feel the time is right to give Max a break. It won't be for too long as I shall be back next year to see Max face another chapter of drama.
Wood is a fan of Arsenal and took part in the 2007 Great North Run.Portrayed Max Branning.
Duration : 2006–2021. - Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Steve John Shepherd was born in 1973 in Plaistow, London, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), EastEnders (1985) and This Life (1996). He has been married to Anna Wilson-Jones since February 2004. They have three children.Portrayed Michael Moon.
Duration : 2010–2013.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
John Bardon was born on 25 August 1939 in Brentford, Middlesex, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for EastEnders (1985), Clockwise (1986) and Fierce Creatures (1997). He was married to Enda Gates. He died on 12 September 2014 in Romford, London, England, UK.Portrayed Jim Branning.
Duration : 1996, 1999–2011.- Lucy Speed was born on 31 August 1976 in Croydon, Surrey, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Shakespeare in Love (1998), The Bill (1984) and EastEnders (1985). She has been married to Spencer Austin since 12 September 2009. They have two children.Portrayed Natalie Price/Evans.
Duration : 1994–1995, 1999–2004. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Jessie grew up in Enfield, in north London, and -- after her parents divorced when she was three -- she and her older sister, Joanne, were brought up by their father, James, who now runs a pub in Essex. Just as Kat's grandmother, Mo, presides over the Slater family in EastEnders (1985), Jessie's late grandmother -- also called Jessie -- was a huge influence on her life and a maternal figure as she was growing up. Jessie lost her nan seven years ago, and both parents have now remarried. Her mother, Annette, has a third daughter, Danielle. Jessie left school when she was 15 and flitted from one job to another before moving to Portugal for seven months when she was 21 to work in a string of bars. On her return she decided to train as a professional make-up artist. She complete a two-year course at the College of East London and got a job with the Royal Shakespeare Company. But on her first day in the job she realised she'd much rather be on the stage than behind the scenes. After that day Jessie started secretly auditioning for acting courses. She got a recall from RADA, but didn't get in. She was accepted at the Poor School on the two-year course. It was during the evening so people could work during the day but as her job was evening work she had to quit. To get some money during the day she starting doing wig making. Soon after completing her course at the Poor School, Jessie got an audition for a small part in EastEnders (1985). Although she didn't get it, producers instantly thought of her for the new Slater family and gave her the part of Kat. She now lives in Epping in a flat (spookily it's Number 23 -- the same number as Kat's house in Albert Square). For now the only male in her life is her shih-tzu, Bailey, with whom she shares her new flat.Portrays Kat Slater/Moon/Mitchell.
Duration : 2000–2005, 2010–2016, 2018-- Daniela Denby-Ashe was born on 9 August 1978 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for North & South (2004), My Family (2000) and Waterloo Road (2006).Portrayed Sarah Hills.
Duration : 1995–1999. - Gillian Taylforth was born on 14 August 1955 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Footballers' Wives (2002), Messiah (2001) and EastEnders (1985).Portrays Kathy Hills/Beale/Mitchell/Sullivan/Cotton.
Duration : 1985–2000, 2015- - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Tanya Franks was born in Plumstead, London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Mum (2016), Broadchurch (2013) and Chewing Gum (2015).Portrayed Rainie Cross/Branning/Highway.
Duration : 2007–2008,2010–2011,2014–2015,2018–2022.- Jo Joyner was born on 24 May 1977 in Harlow, Essex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for For Her Sins (2023), Stay Close (2021) and Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators (2018). She has been married to Neil Madden since 14 July 2007. They have two children.Portrayed Tanya Cross/Branning/Jessop.
Duration : 2006–2013, 2015, 2017-2018. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Steve McFadden was born on 20 March 1959 in Maida Vale, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for EastEnders (1985), Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993) and Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000).Portrays Phil Mitchell.
Duration : 1990–2003, 2005–- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Shane Richie was born on 11 March 1964 in Harlesden, London, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for EastEnders (1985), Flushed Away (2006) and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008). He has been married to Christie Goddard since 21 July 2007. They have three children. He was previously married to Coleen Nolan.Portrays Alfie Moon.
Duration : 2002–2005,2010–2016,2018-2019,2022-- Actress
- Soundtrack
Linda Henry was born on 24 August 1963 in West Ham, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Beautiful Thing (1996), EastEnders (1985) and Bad Girls (1999). She has been married to Stavros Valiris since July 1992. They have one child.Portrayed Shirley Carter/Wicks.
Duration : 2006–2022.
Portrayed Lorraine Salter/Stevens.
Duration : 1991-1992.- Gillian Wright was born on 7 December 1959 in the UK. She is an actress, known for EastEnders (1985), Calendar Girls (2003) and Tamwar Tales: The Life of an Assistant Market Inspector (2013).Portrays Jean Slater/Walters.
Duration : 2004- - Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Nitin Ganatra was born on 21 February 1968 in Kenya. He is an actor and writer, known for Bride & Prejudice (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and EastEnders (1985). He has been married to Meera Thakrar since 17 July 2004. They have two children.Portrayed Masood Ahmed.
Duration : 2007-2019.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Laurie Brett was born and raised in Hamilton, Scotland on 28 March 1969. She toured with a travelling circus in Mexico and Central America with Circo Magico and studied at the London Studio Centre. She starred in fringe productions and made her television debut in "London's Burning" (as an office girl) in 1992. Her singing and dancing skills made her a regular in the musical theatre and she appeared in several television advertisements.Portrayed Jane Clarke/Collins/Beale.
Duration : 2004–2012, 2014–2017.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
A versatile British actor noted for his great power and command on the classical stage and in several other mediums including radio, film and television, Timothy West was born on October 20, 1934 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, the son of actors (Harry) Lockwood West and his wife Olive (Carleton-Crowe). Educated at John Lyon School and the Polytechnic, he first appeared on the stage in 1956 at the Wimbledon Theatre in a production of "Summertime". He then spent several seasons in repertory at such venues as Wimbledon, Newquay, Hull, Northampton, Worthing and Salisbury. He made his London debut at the Piccadilly Theatre in the comical farce "Caught Napping" in 1959.
For the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Aldwych (in 1964), he appeared in "Afore Night Come" and "The Marat-Sade", in addition to building up his Shakespeare repertoire with roles in "The Merry Wives of Windsor", "Love's Labour's Lost", "The Merchant of Venice", "The Comedy of Errors" and "Timon of Athens". For the Prospect Theatre Company, he appeared he took on the Shakespearean roles of Prospero ("The Tempest"), Claudius ("Hamlet"), Bolingbroke ("Richard II") and Mortimer ("Edward II"), among others. He also played the noted historical figure Samuel Johnson in two plays.
Along with definitive portrayals of Lear, Macbeth, Falstaff and Shylock, he became well-respected as a stage director. More recently, he directed a touring production of "H.M.S. Pinafore" while delightfully grandstanding in the role of Sir Joseph Porter. Other recent performances at age 70+ include "National Hero" and the title role in "The Life of Galileo".
Cutting a grand and imposing Wellesian figure, his acclaimed work on television has included recreating a number of his classical characters. He has played kingly roles, such as his superb Edward VII in the epic miniseries Edward the King (1975), and essayed a number of notable historical figures such as Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII (1979), Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbechev in Breakthrough at Reykjavik (1987) and Martin Luther (2002). He has portrayed Winston Churchill a number of times in such master productions as Churchill and the Generals (1979), The Last Bastion (1984) and Hiroshima (1995), while his extended gallery of greats have gone on to include Sir Thomas Beecham and Joseph Stalin.
Although his star shines less bright on film, he has nevertheless contributed greatly over the years with marvelously stern and scowling character roles in such prestigious/box office fare as Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), The Day of the Jackal (1973), Hedda (1975) (as Judge Brack), Agatha (1979), Cry Freedom (1987), Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), 102 Dalmatians (2000), Iris (2001), Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones (1990), Endgame (2009), Run for Your Wife (2012) and Delirium (2017).
Long married to second wife actress/comedienne Prunella Scales, the couple have appeared together on stage over the years in such productions as "When We Are Married", "A Long Day's Journey Into Night", "The Birthday Party" and "The External". They have two sons, Joseph West (Joe) and Samuel West, the latter also an actor of note. Timothy's daughter Juliet is from his first marriage. A gifted raconteur, he is the author of several books, including "I'm Here I Think, Where are You?", a collection of letters written while on tour, his autobiography "A Moment Towards the End of the Play," and, his most recent, "So You Want to Be an Actor?" co-written with wife Prunella. In 1984, he was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the profession and has received honorary doctorates from six different universities.Portrayed Stan Carter.
Duration : 2014−2015.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Maggie O'Neill was born on 15 November 1962 in Buckinghamshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Friday on My Mind (1992) and Mystery!: Cadfael (1994).Portrayed Suzy Branning.
Duration : 2008.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jill Halfpenny was born on 15th July, 1975, in Newcastle, to Maureen and Colin Halfpenny. However, her father passed away when she was very young, and her mother married Jill's uncle, Derek.
She attended St Edmund Campion RC Comprehensive School, and trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Although her native accent is Geordie, she can also do many more, from New York to Northern Irish.
Her hobbies include roller-skating, ice-skating, fencing, dancing and she enjoys traveling. She is also friends with her old co-star, Kacey Ainsworth.
Her first major acting role was at the age of 14, where she starred in Byker Grove (1989) as Nicola. She is probably best known for her TV role as Rebecca Hopkins in Coronation Street (1960), Kate Mitchell in EastEnders (1985), and, more recently, Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road (2006). She has also had many minor roles in other well-known TV shows, such as The Catherine Tate Show (2004), The Bill (1984), and Shameless (2004).
In 2004, she participated in the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing (2004) with professional dancer Darren Bennett. They won the competition, and took part in the one off Christmas Special, winning the title 'Champion Of Champions'. They also made an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance. In December, it was then announced she would play the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago from January 2005.
Other theatre work includes The Bodies, in 2005, where she acted alongside her husband, Craig Conway, and pantomimes at the Theatre Royal in 2005 and 2006. She also starred as Julia in a performance of George Orwell's 1984 in 2002, which is where she and Craig first met. She also starred as Norma Farnes in Surviving Spike, alongside Michael Barrymore, in early 2008, when she was 5-6 months pregnant.Portrayed Kate Morton/Mitchell.
Duration : 2002-2005.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Annette Badland is an English actress known for a wide range of roles on TV, radio and film. She has played Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2005), Doomsday Dora in The Sparticle Mystery (2011), Birdie Henshall in the drama series Cutting It (2002), Mavis in season 6 of Skins (2007), Ursula Crowe in children's science fiction/fantasy series Wizards vs. Aliens (2012), and Babe Smith in soap opera EastEnders (1985). Badland plays Hazel Woolley in BBC Radio The Archers.
Her training took place at East 15 Acting School, London. She has appeared in many television roles including Bergerac (1981) (1981-1984), two episodes of the sitcom series 2point4 Children (1991), Making Out (1989), Summerhill (2008), Lace (1984), Jackanory (1965), Archer's Goon (1992), The Demon Headmaster (1996), A Little Princess (1986), The Worst Witch (1998), The Queen's Nose (1995) and Coronation Street (1960), as well as an early appearance in series one of Hale and Pace (1986) in a number of sketches. In 1989, Badland also appeared in The Rough and the Smooth (1989). She played the recurring villain Blon Fel-Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen a.k.a. "Margaret Blaine" in the 2005 series of Doctor Who. She also provides commentary on the Doctor Who Complete Series One Box Set, on the episodes "World War Three" and "Boom Town" as a Slitheen.
In 2006 she put in an appearance at Larkhall Prison for the eighth series of ITV1 drama Bad Girls (1999). She played Angela Robbins, a disturbing inmate who was suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder.
She has also appeared in many films including Jabberwocky (1977), Out of Order (1987), Beyond Bedlam (1994), Captives (1994), Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets (1995), Little Voice (1998), Beautiful People (1999), Honest (2000), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and appeared in the TV adaptations of Gulliver's Travels (1996) as the farmer's wife, and A Christmas Carol (1999) as Mrs Fezziwig. Badland has performed in several radio dramas including BBC Radio 4's Rolling Home (2001), Smelling of Roses (2003) and an adaptation of George MacDonald's novel At the Back of the North Wind; lead role as DC Gwen Danbury in An Odd Body on BBC Radio 4 Extra. In 2005 she took over the role of Hazel Woolley, the "bad seed" adopted daughter of Jack Woolley in the long-running radio soap opera The Archers, and in 2008 appeared in the radio serial The Way We Live Right Now as Tilly Carbury.
Badland was also the presenter of BBC's You and Me in the early 1990s and appeared in the British comedy Three and Out released on 25 April 2008. She also played the sharply conservative Ethel Tonks in the BBC's All the Small Things (2009) (April/May 2009) alongside Sarah Lancashire, Neil Pearson, Sarah Alexander and Bryan Dick. In 2009 she appeared in Casualty (1986) as a disturbed mother who was always worrying about her daughters.
She has made her debut at the Royal Exchange Theatre, in Manchester, as Madame Arcarti in Blithe Spirit.
In 2010, Badland performed in Caryl Churchill's Far Away at the Bristol Old Vic.
On 5 July 2010 she appeared as a Verger in Doctors (2000). In 2012, Badland appeared as Ursula in the new CBBC science fiction series, Wizards vs Aliens. She was also in BBC's Cutting It, for 4 series.
In the CBBC hit show The Sparticle Mystery, Badland played DoomsDay Dora and HoloDora. She appeared in four episodes as DoomsDay Dora and eight episodes as HoloDora.
In August 2013 it was announced that Badland would play the role of Mrs FitzGibbons in the Starz television series Outlander (2014).
On 12 December 2013, it was announced that Badland would appear as a regular in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, playing Babe Smith. She made her first on-screen appearance in the episode broadcast on 31 January 2014. On 18 September 2016, it was announced that Badland had been axed from the serial by new executive producer, Sean O'Connor, with the character making her final appearance on 9 February 2017.Portrayed Babe Smith.
Duration : 2014-2017.- Actor
- Writer
Chris Coghill was born on 11 April 1975 in Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for 24 Hour Party People (2002), EastEnders (1985) and Nowhere Boy (2009). He has been married to Rosalind Halstead since 2014. He was previously married to Lisa Faulkner.Portrayed Tony King.
Duration : 2008-2009.- She is the eldest of three children. Her mother is an art teacher and painter, and her father is a car parts salesman. She went to Trinity College at Dublin University, where she studied the History of Art, and English Literature. She began acting at school and continued it at University.Portrayed Yvonne Cotton.
Duration : 2014-2015. - Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Mike Reid was born on 19 January 1940 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was an actor and producer, known for Snatch (2000), EastEnders (1985) and Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993). He was married to Shirley Collins and Sheila A Axe. He died on 29 July 2007 in Marbella, Spain.Portrayed Frank Butcher.
Duration : 1987–2000, 2002, 2005.- Actress
- Producer
Linda Marlowe was born on 26 July 1940 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She is an actress and producer, known for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), A Hymn for Her (2022) and Big Zapper (1973). She was previously married to William Marlowe.Portrayed Sylvie Carter.
Duration : 2014-2017.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Tameka Empson was born on 15 April 1977 in Stoke Newington, London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Notes on a Scandal (2006), Beautiful Thing (1996) and EastEnders (1985).Portrays Kim Fox/Fox-Hubbard.
Duration : 2009-- Shirley Stelfox was born on 11 April 1941 in Dukinfield, Cheshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for 1984 (1984), Emmerdale Farm (1972) and Making Out (1989). She was married to Don Henderson and Keith Edmundson. She died on 7 December 2015 in Nottinghamshire, England, UK.Portrayed Jane Healy.
Duration : 1999. - Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Andrew Sachs born Andreas Siegfried Sachs was born in Berlin, Germany, he and his family emigrated to London in 1938, to escape persecution under the Nazis. He made his name on British television and rose to fame in the 1970s for his portrayals of the comical Spanish waiter Manuel in Fawlty Towers (1975), a role for which he was BAFTA nominated.
He went on to have a long career in acting and voice-over work for television, film and radio. In his later years, he continued to have success with roles in films such as Quartet, and as Ramsay Clegg in Coronation Street.
Sachs was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Katharina (née Schrott-Fiecht), a librarian, and Hans Emil Sachs, an insurance broker. His father was Jewish and his mother was Catholic, and of half-Austrian descent. He left with his parents for Britain in 1938, when he was eight years old, to escape the Nazis. They settled in north London, and he lived in Kilburn for the rest of his life.
In 1960, Sachs married Melody Lang, who appeared in one episode of Fawlty Towers, "Basil the Rat", as Mrs. Taylor. He adopted her two sons from a previous marriage, John Sachs and William Sachs, and they had one daughter, Kate Sachs.
In the late 1950s, whilst still studying shipping management at college, Sachs worked on radio productions, including Private Dreams and Public Nightmares by Frederick Bradnum, an early experimental programme made by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
Sachs began in acting with repertory theatre and made his West End debut as Grobchick in the 1958 production of the Whitehall farce Simple Spymen. He made his screen debut in 1959 in the film The Night We Dropped a Clanger. He then appeared in numerous television series throughout the 1960s, including some appearances in ITC productions such as The Saint (1962) and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969).
Sachs is best known for his role as Manuel, the Spanish waiter in the sitcom Fawlty Towers (1975 and 1979). During the shooting of the Fawlty Towers episode "The Germans", Sachs was left with second degree acid burns due to a fire stunt. He was hit with a faulty prop on the set of the show by John Cleese and suffered a massive headache.
Sachs recorded four singles in character as Manuel; the first was "Manuel's Good Food Guide" in 1977, which came in a picture sleeve with Manuel on the cover. Sachs also had a hand in writing (or adapting) the lyrics. This was followed in 1979 by "O Cheryl" with "Ode to England" on the B side. This was recorded under the name "Manuel and Los Por Favors". Sachs shares the writing credits for the B side with "B. Wade", who also wrote the A side.
In 1981, "Manuel" released a cover version of Joe Dolce's number one in the United Kingdom "Shaddap You Face", with "Waiter, there's a Flea in my Soup" on the B side. Sachs also adapted "Shaddap You Face" into Spanish, but was prevented from releasing it before Dolce's version by a court injunction. When finally released it reached 138 in the UK Chart.
In 2007, the BBC broadcast an adaptation of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency with Sachs portraying Reg (Professor Urban Chronotis, the Regius Professor of Chronology). He would later appear in another Adams adaptation as the Book in the live tour of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy during its run at Bromley's Churchill Theatre.
On 17 November 2008, it was announced that Sachs had been approached to appear in ITV soap Coronation Street. He later confirmed on 14 December that he was taking up the offer, saying, "I'm taking Street challenge". In May 2009 he made his debut on the street as Norris' brother, Ramsay. He appeared in 27 episodes and left in August 2009.
With the Australian pianist Victor Sangiorgio, he toured with a two man show called "Life after Fawlty", which included Richard Strauss's voice and piano setting of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "Enoch Arden". 2012 saw his last major role, as Bobby Swanson in the movie Quartet.
Sachs was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2012, which eventually left him unable to speak and forced him to use a wheelchair. He died on 23 November 2016 at the Denville Hall nursing home in Northwood, London, England. He was buried on 1 December 2016, the same day his death was publicly announced.
On 2 December 2016, BBC One broadcast the Fawlty Towers episode "Communication Problems" in his memory. John Cleese led tributes to Sachs, describing him as a "sweet, sweet man"Portrayed Cyril Bishop.
Duration : 2015.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Lilian Ridgway, known professionally as Lynda Baron, was an English actress, best known for playing Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours (1976-1985) and its sequel, Still Open All Hours (2013-2016).
From 1993 to 1997, she played Auntie Mabel in BBC children's programme Come Outside and in 2006, she starred as Linda Clarke in EastEnders, before returning from 2008 to 2009 and again in 2016.
Baron was born in Urmston, Lancashire. She was originally trained as a dancer at the Royal Academy of Dance. Early in her career, she appeared in repertory theatre and several West End venues.
Baron's early television roles included small parts in Crossroads (1964), Up Pompeii (1970), Z-Cars (1971) and the British horror film Hands of the Ripper (1971). Baron appeared on television in BBC-3 (1965), a series in the vein of That Was The Week That Was, involving some of the same performers. She also alternated with Annie Ross as the resident singer on Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life (1965). Baron has taken part in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who three times. She was heard as a singer in the 1966 serial The Gunfighters. She appeared in front of the cameras as Captain Wrack in the 1983 serial Enlightenment, and again in 2011 in Closing Time as Val.
Baron is best known for playing Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in the popular BBC comedy series Open All Hours with Ronnie Barker and David Jason which ran for four series in 1976, 1981 to 1982 and in 1985, and was subsequently voted eighth in Britain's Best Sitcom in 2004.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Baron co-starred in the ITV sitcom Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt! and the forgotten BBC sitcom A Roof Over My Head. She had small parts in Minder and Last of the Summer Wine. In 1986, she acted in a party political broadcast for the SDP-Liberal Alliance.
Baron also appeared in the 1987 Christmas special of The Two Ronnies. Baron then went on to appear in the BBC Two comedy series KYTV.
In the 1990s, Baron played Auntie Pat in five episodes of the ITV sitcom The Upper Hand (1992-93). Baron then went on to star in the children's television series Come Outside (1993-97) playing Auntie Mabel, an everyday woman living in a bungalow, set in Denham flying round on various adventures in her spotted aeroplane with her dog Pippin.
In 1997, Baron played Renee Turnbull in Coronation Street and took guest roles in Dinnerladies (1998), The Mrs Bradley Mysteries (1998), Sunburn (1999), Nancherrow (1999) and Goodnight Sweetheart (1999).
Baron continued to work regularly on television and the stage in the 2000s, with credits including Fat Friends (2000-2005), The Bill (2000), Doctors (2000, 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2014), Peak Practice (2001), Holby City (2002 and 2006), Down to Earth (2005), Rome (2005) and Casualty (2009).
Baron briefly appeared in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders in 2006 as Linda Clarke, the mother of Jane Beale. In September 2008, it was announced that Baron would be returning to EastEnders.
She appeared regularly in the series from November 2008 to February 2009. On 8 April 2016, it was announced that Baron would return to the soap once again alongside John Partridge. She appeared on screen in May and June 2016.
In August 2010, Baron appeared in an episode of Agatha Christie's Marple on ITV. In September 2010, Baron appeared in a one-off television drama The Road to Coronation Street on BBC Four, a programme looking back at the early days of the British television soap opera Coronation Street. Baron portrayed actress Violet Carson who played Ena Sharples in the soap.
Baron was nominated for the 2011 British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role.
On 26 December 2013, Baron reprised her role in a special one-off episode of Open All Hours on BBC One, entitled Still Open All Hours.
In December 2016 Baron made a guest appearance in a Christmas special of Citizen Khan and in January 2017 she appeared in an episode of Father Brown.
In 1966, Baron married her husband, John M. Lee. They had two children, Sarah and Morgan.Portrayed Linda Clarke.
Duration : 2006, 2008-2009, 2016.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
June Whitfield had a long and successful career that has included musical theatre, films and numerous radio and television performances. Her mother was into amateur dramatics and June had elocution and dancing lessons from an early age. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in theatre. One of her earliest experiences was working with Wilfred Pickles, whose great comic talent and gift for timing made quite an impression on her.
She became a household name on the radio comedy "Take It From Here" in 1953, a time when radio was far more popular than television. When television overtook radio in popularity, June made a successful transition. Over the next few years she worked with most of the biggest names in comedy, including Arthur Askey, Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd, Benny Hill, Harry H. Corbett, Wilfrid Brambell, Ronnie Barker, Richard Briers, Eric Morecambe and Dick Emery.
She became a television double-act with Terry Scott on Happy Ever After (1974) and Terry and June (1979). She also appeared in three installments of the popular Carry On film series, Carry on Nurse (1959), Carry on Abroad (1972) and Carry on Girls (1973).
By the 1980s, June Whitfield was viewed by some members of the alternative comedy scene as representing the kind of traditional, safe comedy they were reacting against. However, she still had her talent of perfect comic timing and her range of voices, which enabled her to continue working. She moved back to more theatre and radio, including The News Huddlines, a satirical radio show fronted by Roy Hudd. In 1992 she appeared in Carry on Columbus (1992), a failed attempt to resurrect the Carry On series. The same year she started a more successful venture, Absolutely Fabulous (1992), which became one of the most popular sitcoms of the decade and put her back into the spotlight.Portrayed Sister Ruth.
Duration : 2015-2016.- Ben Hardy was born Ben Jones on 2 January 1991 in England, United Kingdom. He grew up in Sherborne and attended The Gryphon School.
Ben starred in The Judas Kiss (1998) play, written by David Hare, in 2012 and played the character Arthur Wellesley, a member of the hotel staff. The play was held in Hampstead Theatre on the September 6, 2012.
On April 19, 2013 it was announced that Ben would play Peter Beale in EastEnders, taking over from Thomas Law who played the character from 2006 until 2010. He made his first appearance as Peter on 7 June 2013. On November 19, 2014 it was announced that Ben would leave the show.
Hardy joined the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) on February 25, 2015, following his departure from EastEnders in an (at the time) undisclosed role. Since leaving EastEnders that February, he was persistently linked to Singer's next X-Men film, and was at one point rumored to be in the running to play Cyclops, a role that went to Tye Sheridan. However, Hardy ended up playing winged mutant Angel (a.k.a Warren Worthington III).Portrayed Peter Beale.
Duration : 2013-2015. - Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Patrick Bergin has done more than 80 films and TV movies and is best known internationally for playing the menacing husband of Julia Roberts’ character in the thriller Sleeping With the Enemy, or for his role as an Irish terrorist alongside Harrison Ford in the film adaption of Patriot Games. He starred opposite Uma Thurman in the 1991 TV movie “Robin Hood,” playing the title role, and was a psychotic Provisional Irish Republican Army gunman in Johnny Was, with Vinnie Jones and Roger Daltrey. More recently Bergin appeared in Age of Kill, We Still Steal the Old Way, Free Fire, Black Bird and The Last Days of American Crime. Bergin’s recent TV credits include guest leads on ITVs “Wild Bill” and Channel 4’s “No Offence,” as well as playing series regular Jim Tierney in the fourth series of “Red Rock” for TV3/ BBC One and Aidan Maguire in “EastEnders” for BBC One.Portrayed Aidan Maguire.
Duration : 2017-2018.- Ciaran Griffiths was born on 3 March 1983 in Manchester, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Big Fat Gypsy Gangster (2011), The Bill (1984) and There's Only One Jimmy Grimble (2000).Portrayed Milo.
Duration : 2018. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
David Walliams was born on 20 August 1971 in Banstead, Surrey, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Little Britain (2003), Dinner for Schmucks (2010) and Run Fatboy Run (2007). He was previously married to Lara Stone.Portrayed Ray Collins.
Duration : 2003.- Roberta Taylor was born in 1948 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Witches (1990), The Foreigner (2017) and The Bill (1984). She has been married to Peter Guinness since September 1996. She was previously married to Victor Taylor.Portrayed Irene Hills/Raymond.
Duration : 1997-2000. - Yorkshire-born Zoe Lucker has been on our screens a lot in recent years in TV dramas such as "Holby City", Trial & Retribution IV - Part One (2000), Barabara, Brazen Hussies (1996) and Coronation Street (1960), where she played Sonia Leech, owner of the beauty parlour where Raquel worked.
But it's her role as Tanya Turner in Footballers' Wives (2002) that she really loves. She adores her character ("We're both survivors, but I wouldn't use people the way she does to get on in life"), the stunning clothes, the dramatic scenes with screen husband Cristian Solimeno - and she's even learnt to live with her extra-long fake fingernails. The only part she hated was filming the opening sequence in a pool because, probably just like Tanya, she's not keen on swimming and prefers to keep her head above water. However, 28-year-old Lucker really is keen on football, and once bid successfully at a charity auction for a tour of Leeds United football ground.Portrayed Vanessa Gold.
Duration : 2010-2011. - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Tracy has just enjoyed a great run playing feisty Carole in Emmerdale and spent most of last year playing Linda, Annie and Sharon in The Full Monty (Sheffield Crucible/UK tour and Noel Coward Theatre, West End) and is most remembered for playing Trisha Armstrong in Coronation Street. Other theatre credits include Joy in Jimmy Osborne's new play Meat at the Theatre503, Battersea; Long Road (Curve); Confusions (UK tour); Stiff Options (Croydon/UK tour); Trafford Tanzi (Bristol Old Vic); Road (Bolton Octagon); Strictly Ballroom, Tom Jones, Teaser (Swan, Worcester) and The Fancy Man (Coventry Belgrade/UK Tour). Television credits include Undeniable, Law and Order (UK), The Syndicate II, Outside Edge, Ghost Hunter, Strictly Confidential, EastEnders, Bodies, Nice Guy Eddie, Silent Witness, Where the Heart Is, Heartbeat, Casualty, Holby City, The Good Samaritan, The Bill, Rosemary and Thyme, Midsomer Murders, Doctors, Sunburn, Peak Practice, Crime Stories, El C.I.D and A Bit Of A Do. Tracy's film credits include Piercing Brightness (Shezad Dawood), Love + Hate (Dominic Savage), A Palace Divided (ABC TV) and Riff Raff (Ken Loach). Tracy is also a writer and has written for Doctors, Shameless, Hollyoaks, Tracy Beaker, Heartbeat and Family Affairs.Portrayed Roxy Drake.
Duration : 2001.- Shobna Gulati is a British actress, writer, and dancer. Gulati is a soap star best known for playing Anita in Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies and Sunita Alahan in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street from 2001 to 2006, a role to which she returned at the end of 2009 and departed again in 2013. From 13 March 2013 to 30 May 2014, Gulati appeared as a panellist on the lunchtime chat-show Loose Women.
Gulati is also one of very few actors to have appeared in both Coronation Street and its rival series EastEnders (in 2000).
Gulati was born in Oldham, Lancashire to parents of Hindu Indian descent. She has a degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern politics from the University of Manchester.
One of Gulati's earliest appearances was as a dancer in the video for Boy George's 1991 single "Bow Down Mister." In the late 1990s, she received excellent reviews for her work in Victoria Wood's BBC sitcom Dinnerladies as a main character, this finished in 2000 after two years and she appeared in both series. She appeared as Ameena Badawi from October to December 2000, in EastEnders she is one of few to have appeared in both rival-soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street, also Gulati appeared in the crossover between both soap's (East Street) in 2010 as her main character, Sunita. In 2001, she appeared in the short film Shadowscan, directed by Tinge Krishnan, which won a Bafta Award; and, in 2004, Gulati was nominated for a Manchester Evening News theatre award for her work in the play Dancing Within Walls, which was staged at the Contact Theatre in Manchester.
Gulati has also appeared on the TV quiz shows Call My Bluff, Have I Got News for You, The Weakest Link, Russian Roulette and as Diana Ross in Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes. In early 2006, Gulati took part in the Reality TV series Soapstar Superstar.
After Gulati left Coronation Street initially in 2006, she played Nisha Clayton, a recurring role in the final series of Where the Heart Is and made appearances in New Street Law and the one-off comedy drama Magnolia which was written by Dave Spikey for BBC's Comedy Playhouse series.
In October 2006, Gulati appeared at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a short skit featured in The Secret Policeman's Ball. In the sketch, Gulati and co-star Nitin Ganatra play a holidaying couple who are under the mistaken belief Guantanamo Bay is a holiday resort. The sketch also starred American actors Chevy Chase and Seth Green.
Gulati has recently been seen as one of many storytellers in the CBBC revival of Jackanory and in the UK tour of the hit play Girls Night by Louise Roche. She also appeared on the Channel 4 special Empire's Children, tracing her family's history during the partition of India. In summer 2007, she appeared in Pretend You Have Big Buildings at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.
In 2008, Gulati made her debut as a filmmaker, producing the short film Akshay for the Motiroti's 60x60 Secs.
During this same period, the actress returned to her Coronation Street role as Sunita Alahan, where she stayed for three years.
On 11 June 2009, Gulati appeared in the BBC1 programme Celebrity MasterChef. She did the first stage tour of Dinnerladies in early 2009 and she has appeared as a guest story teller for Bedtime Stories (CBBC). In November 2010, Gulati was a guest panellist on ITVs flagship show Loose Women, to celebrate fifty years of Coronation Street and in April 2012, to celebrate soap week and in June 2011, Gulati was a guest on Countdown. Upon announcing her departure from Coronation Street, the actress expressed her desire to write and perform more comedy than her soap-opera career permitted her time to do. In 2016, she appeared in the ITV/Netflix series Paranoid. Gulati also made a guest appearance on Casualty on 29th October 2016.
Gulati married the architect Anshu Srivastava in a Hindu ceremony on 10 November 1990 but the couple divorced in May 1994.Portrayed Ameena Badawi.
Duration : 2000. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Indira Joshi was born on 2 March 1942 in Sagaing, Myanmar. She is an actress, known for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), The Blue Tower (2008) and The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby (2012).Portrayed Mariam Ahmed.
Duration : 2018-2019.- Will Mellor was born on 3 April 1976 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001), Miss Conception (2008) and Unforgiven (2009). He has been married to Michelle McSween since August 2007. They have two children.Portrayed Warren Stamp.
Duration : 2007. - Katie Jarvis was born on 22 June 1991 in Dagenham, Essex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Fish Tank (2009), I Was 3 (2017) and Ginger (2016).Portrayed Hayley Slater.
Duration : 2018-2019. - Actress
- Producer
Lorraine Stanley was born on 28 June 1976 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Suffragette (2015), EastEnders (1985) and Legend (2015).Portrays Karen Taylor.
Duration : 2017-2024.
Portrayed Thelma Bragg.
Duration : 2016.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Gary Beadle was born in 1965 in London, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for In the Heart of the Sea (2015), Silent Witness (1996) and The Interceptor (2015).Portrayed Paul Trueman.
Duration : 2001-2004.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Sam Strike was born on 18 January 1994 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Mindhunter (2017), Chernobyl (2019) and The Boys in the Boat (2023).Portrayed Johnny Carter.
Duration : 2013-2014.- Ned Porteous was born on 7 July 1994 in Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), EastEnders (1985) and Astral (2018).Portrayed Mark Fowler.
Duration : 2016. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Luisa Bradshaw-White was born on 9 December 1974 in Eastcote, Middlesex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for This Life (1996), Holby City (1999) and EastEnders (1985). She has been married to Annette Yeo since 20 July 2015. They have two children.Portrayed Tina Carter.
Duration : 2013-2020.- Nigel Harman was born on 11 August 1973 in Purley, Surrey, England, UK. He is an actor, known for EastEnders (1985), Blood Diamond (2006) and Telstar: The Joe Meek Story (2008). He has been married to Lucy Liemann since 2011. They have one child.Portrayed Dennis Rickman.
Duration : 2003-2005. - Actress
- Writer
Ashley McGuire is known for This Is Going to Hurt (2022), This Country (2017) and It's a Sin (2021).Portrayed Bev Slater.
Duration : 2018-2019.
Portrayed Carol.
Duration : 2004.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Haluk Bilginer is a Turkish actor. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains known for his role as Mehmet Osman in the television soap opera EastEnders (1985) during the 1980s. He has also starred in Hollywood movies as a minor actor. He played a villainous guerrilla leader in the 1987 comedy film Ishtar (1987) (one of the most notorious flops in movie history) and a Turkish Mafioso in the 2001 dark comedy film Buffalo Soldiers (2001). He played the character of Emre Celenk in the episode of Persephone in MI-5 (2002) 2004.
Bilginer was born in Izmir, Turkey. He graduated from Ankara State Conservatory in 1977 before going to England where he graduated from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He landed his first role at EastEnders (1985). Bilginer makes his first appearance in EastEnders (1985) as Mehmet Osman on-screen in June 1985, four months after the show originally aired. His arrival coincides with a cot death story line of Sue and Ali's baby, Hassan. Mehmet appears as a recurring character from 1985-1987, setting up a cab firm named Ozcabs from inside Ali's cafe; however, he becomes a regular in 1988, when both he and his wife Guizin (Ishia Bennison) are made partners in Ali's cafe, which is renamed Café Osman. Mehmet is portrayed as a charmer, a rogue and a womanizer. Author of The EastEnders (1985) Handbook, Hilary Kingsley, has said of him, "he tries it on with every woman he meets and sometimes succeeds through a combination of good looks and sheer audacity." A serial gambler, Mehmet was shown to steer Ali into various money-losing ploys, and had a combustible marriage to Guizin, who put up with his philandering, as in the Turkish community, that's "what a wife was expected to do".
Described as "the Terrible Turk", Haluk Bilginer was one of the more popular male cast members on EastEnders (1985) during the 1980s, and he reportedly received sackfuls of fan mail, "despite playing a villain and a womanizing snake". Hilary Kingsley has said that what made the character so popular was Bilginer's Omar Sharif-style good looks and charm. Following the departure of Holland and Smith, Mehmet was eventually written out of the serial in May 1989, in a story line that signified the disbandment of the Osman family. On-screen, Mehmet returns to his native Cyprus after a fight with Guizin regarding her suspicions about Mehmet's fabricated affair with Sue. The Osman family were among many characters to leave the serial that year. Writer Colin Brake has commented, "the pace of comings and going was fast and furious during 1989, as the program me tried to find a new direction." Bilginer went into musical theatre after leaving EastEnders (1985). During the course of the show, he came to Turkey to star in the 1987 TV series Gecenin Öteki Yüzü (1987) (The Other Side of the Night), where he met his eventual first wife Zuhal Olcay, famous Turkish actress and singer. After dividing his time in London and Istanbul for six years, he left the show to stay in Turkey permanently and married Zuhal Olcay in 1992. He guest starred in an episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992) as Ismet Inönü, and went on to star in the Yavuz Özkan film "Iki Kadin (1992)" (Two Women). He then starred in various movies including the controversial Istanbul Kanatlarimin Altinda (1996) (Istanbul Under My Wings) and the famous Sawdust Tales (1997) (Master, Kill Me). After critical acclaim for these roles, he earned his first award as a supporting actor in Innocence (1997) (Innocence). After deciding he wants to pursue career on stage, he founded "Tiyatro Stüdyosu" (Theatre Studio) with his ex-wife Zuhal Olcay and Ahmet Levendoglu in 1990. After starring in various plays for six years, he had to return to screen in 1996 because of a fire that has destroyed the theater. He and his wife starred in television and movies to raise money to found another theater.
During this era, he starred in Eyvah Kizim Büyüdü (2000) (Oh My, My Daughter Has Grown), starting his second era in television. After years of work, he and his wife managed to start a second theater, called "Oyun Atölyesi" (Play Workshop). His most famous role however came after he started his second theater. He landed a role in Tatli Hayat (2001), a remake of The Jeffersons (1975). He played the role of Ihsan Yildirim, an angry and foul-mouthed, yet lovable dry cleaner. He was accompanied by legendary actress Türkan Soray, who played his wife, Asuman Dabak playing the witty cleaner, Neco playing the Greek neighbor (The enmity between Greeks and Turks were put instead of the Black-White one in the original) and Çolpan Ilhan playing Neco's wife. He and the show's breakthrough character Irfan (played by Celal Kadri Kinoglu) are regarded as the best characters in Turkish TV history. He divorced Zuhal Olcay in 2004 and began a relationship with Askin Nur Yengi, a famous Turkish singer. They married in 2006 and had a girl. After Tatli Hayat (2001), he starred in Neredesin Firuze (2004) (Where Are You Firuze?), Hirsiz Var! (2005) (Thief!) and Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü? (2006) (Why Were Hacivat&Karagöz Murdered?). His most recent role in Polis (2007) (Police) however, is his most critically acclaimed role after Tatli Hayat (2001). His portrayal of the troubled police legend Musa Rami has gained critical acclaim from both critics and viewers, who thought the movie was too experimental. Bilginer, however, has said that he will work in all of Onur Ünlü's (screenwriter and director of Polis (2007)) movies, even as an extra if required. Bilginer played the role of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in an Is Bank commercial, which first aired on 10 November 2007 during the 69th commemorations of Atatürk's death. In 2009 , He play in famous Turkish series Ezel (2009) during the second season. He became famous with this role around many countries . Bilginer co-starred in the 2009 American thriller The International (2009) as Ahmet Sunay, a Turkish high-tech missile guidance system dealer. He was accompanied by Clive Owen and Naomi Watts in this movie. Bilginer plays Aydin, an imposing Grey-haired former actor, in Winter Sleep (2014), which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014.Portrayed Mehmet Osman.
Duration : 1985-1989.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sharon Duncan-Brewster was born on 8 February 1976 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Dune (2021), Enola Holmes 2 (2022) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).Portrayed Trina Johnson.
Duration : 2009.- Actor
- Producer
Alex Ferns was born on 13 October 1968 in Lennoxtown, Scotland, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Joyeux Noel (2005), The Batman (2022) and EastEnders (1985). He has been married to Jennifer Woodburne since 1996. They have two children.Portrayed Trevor Morgan.
Duration : 2000-2002.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Adrian Edmondson was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. He went to Manchester University to study drama. Whilst he was there he met Rik Mayall, and the pair began performing as 20th Century Coyote. The act continued after university when Adrian & Rik moved to London, and they became two of the leading lights in the new 'alternative comedy' scene, performing at the newly established Comedy Store, and setting up their own club, The Comic Strip, with Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Alexei Sayle. This spawned two 1980s TV series: The Young Ones (1982), and The Comic Strip Presents (1982) In the 1990's Ade & Rik continued their partnership with a new series called Bottom (1991), which ran for three seasons and became a major success on the live circuit. It was basically a live sitcom, liberally sprinkled with slapstick humour, and the pair did 5 long tours between 1993 and 2003. Simultaneously, Adrian established himself as an actor, doing to improvised TV films under the Screen One and Screen Two umbrella, with director Les Blair: Honest, Decent and True (1986), and News Hounds (1990) (winner of the BAFTA for best single drama). He was a regular in the hospital drama Holby City (1999) from 2005 - 2008. He took the lead in a drama documentary about the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in the series Surviving Disaster (2006), and appeared as Henry Austen in the TV movie Miss Austen Regrets (2007), the film Blood (2012), and the drama series Prey (2014). But his most notable dramatic role to date is that of Count Rostov in the BBC series War & Peace (2016). He has been married to Jennifer Saunders since 1985, and they have three children together.Portrayed Daniel Cook.
Duration : 2019-2020.- Alison Pargeter was born on 31 May 1972 in Oxfordshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Chernobyl (2019), Catch-22 (2019) and EastEnders (1985).Portrayed Sarah Cairns.
Duration : 2004. - Actress
- Producer
Born Julie Anne Harris, the youngest child of Albert and Pat Harris, Patsy Palmer was born for stardom. She spent her childhood in Bethnal Green, London with her whole family close by. She was particularly close to her maternal parents, whom she affectionately called "Farvey" and "Nor." Her parents separated when she was 8 and her father, to whom she never felt close, remarried and moved to America.
Palmer was bitten by the acting bug at the tender age of six when her older brother Albert auditioned for a part in the West End production of "Joseph and the Amazing Techni-Colored Dreamcoat". Accompanying him to the audition along with their mother, Patsy demanded to be allowed to audition despite being too young and, to the amazement of her family and herself, she was given a chorus role - and was the youngest member of the entire show! This prompted a young Julie Harris to audition for the free-paying Anna Scher Theatre School and, because there was already an accomplished film and theatre actress by the name of Julie Harris, she was given the stage name Patsy Palmer, her mother's maiden name. Whilst there Palmer extended her talents to writing plays, resulting in her winning an award at the London Festival of Plays at the age of just 12 for writing her own play about prostitution.
Patsy began her career on television by starring as an extra in an episode of The Bill (1984) in 1988 at 16. That year she had a prominent part as an acne-ridden teenager in a TV commercial for Clearasil. Further small roles in TV series such as Tricky Business (1989), Making News (1990), Clarissa (1991), Love Hurts (1992) and Drop the Dead Donkey (1990) followed before Patsy Palmer became an iconic household name with her famous portrayal of feisty red-head Bianca Jackson in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders (1985), making her first appearance in November 1993 at 21. During her time on the soap opera Palmer tackled various demanding storylines, such as her turbulent romance with Ricky Butcher, played by real-life best friend Sid Owen, the discovery of her father David Wicks, the premature death of her disabled daughter Natasha, for which she became the first- ever soap actress to be nominated for Best Actress at the Royal Television Society Awards, the death of her best friend Tiffany Mitchell, and the revelation of her affair with Dan Sullivan, her mother Carol Jackson's fiancé. In April 1997 she commanded the soap's biggest-ever audience draw with more than 22 million people tuning in to watch Ricky and Bianca's wedding. Her role in the show also prompted a meeting between her and Queen Elizabeth II, which she declared was one of the biggest highlights of her life. But after 6 years in the soap opera, Palmer bowed out to try new things, making her last appearance in September 1999.
Following her departure Palmer got involved in various projects, such as the detective series McCready and Daughter (2001), Do or Die (2001) and the period drama He Knew He Was Right (2004), as well as cameo appearances in short films Another Green World (2005) and Trapped (2008). Patsy also reprised her role as fiery Bianca Jackson in a special spin-off show Ricky and Bianca (2002), reuniting her with Sid Owen for the first time in three years, which detailed Bianca's life away from Walford, where she struggled to raise her son Liam and attend fashion college in Manchester as well as working in a seedy club in order to make ends meet. The show was extremely popular with Palmer's fans and resulted in her being invited to return to the show, but Palmer declined in order to spend time with her family. Later on in October 2007 it was announced that Patsy Palmer would be returning to EastEnders (1985) after 8 years away and, along with Sid Owen, her returning scenes were aired in April 2008. Palmer's second stint in the soap opera as Bianca portrayed her still as a struggling single mother, this time being thrown out of her residence for failing to pay rent and being made homeless along with her children. Palmer has also tackled the difficult storyline of sexual abuse, with her jailbird boyfriend Tony King grooming her stepdaughter Whitney.
Outside her career, Palmer is a mother to four children: Charley (born in February 1992, fathered by an ex-boyfriend); and Fenton (born in June 2000), Emilia (born in July 2001), and Bertie (born in December 2010), fathered by her husband, taxi-driver Richard Merkell. She was married to director Nick Love, who directed her in her role as a pregnant drug-addicted prostitute in Love Story (1999), but they separated after just five months of marriage. She lives in Brighton with Merkell, to whom she's been married since August 2000, and her four children. She is the active patron of Children's Cancer Charity CLIC Sargent.
Patsy Palmer is an incredible talent and a British icon from humble beginnings, a shining example to all Britons that no matter their background, there is hope for everyone that their dreams will come true. Hers did.Portrays Bianca Branning/Jackson/Butcher.
Duration : 1993-1999, 2008-2014, 2019, 2024- Actress
- Soundtrack
Maisie Smith was born in Essex. In 2006, she secured a role in The Other Boleyn Girl. In 2008, she landed the regular role of Tiffany Dean in the UK soap opera EastEnders. Maisie first appeared on the show on 1st April 2008. Maisie has proved very popular with viewers and has many awards nominations and wins. In 2009, she won 'Best Dramatic Performance From a Young Actor or Actress' at the British Soap Awards. Maisie was nominated for the same award in 2010 and 2011. In 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Maisie was nominated for 'Best Young Actor' at the Inside Soap Awards. She finally won the award in 2011.
Maisie attends Jackwell Junior School in Southend and studies drama at 'Singer Stage School' which she joined in 2005. She has two Jack Russell dogs and two goldfish. Her favourite school subjects are art and drama. She previously enjoyed gymnastics but had to stop going to classes when she joined EastEnders due to a lack of time. Maisie appeared on CITV show 'Bookaboo' in January 2011. Maisie then became the Junior Young ambassador for Bookaboo.Portrayed Tiffany Dean/Butcher/Butcher-Baker.
Duration : 2008-2014, 2016, 2018-2022.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Born Margaret Baker in Plymouth, Devon, in 1946, Maggie Steed studied drama with the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, graduating in the late 1960s. However, her first professional engagements were as an assistant stage manager, working behind the scenes in a somewhat lowly capacity, because, she says, she was not considered conventionally pretty enough to be an actress. She does, however, recall that the eccentric English puppeteer Harry Corbett praised her for assisting him with his creation Sooty the Bear. Maggie left theatrical life after only a few months and for several years worked as a secretary. An interest in Theatre in Education lured her back to the stage, this time as an actress, with Sue Johnston and Clive Russell at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. Since then she has worked on stage with both the Royal Shakespeare and National Theatre Companies, and in 2002 was a commanding Lady Bracknell in a revival of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. A lady of political awareness, she was a founder member of the Campaign Against Racism in the Media, and in the early 1980s visited Nicaragua with actor Andy de la Tour to view the plight of its citizens, and in 1983, helped stage the televised Concert for Nigaragua. She is, however, best remembered for her television roles, chiefly comical ones, beginning in the early 1980s with 'Shine On Harvey Moon', through 'A Bit of a Do' and 'Pie In the Sky' as the wife of cop-turned-chef Richard Griffiths to, in the mid-2000s. 'Jam and Jerusalem' as the dim but well-meaning Women's Institute leader, a sitcom filmed in her native Devon and reuniting her with her early stage co-star Sue Johnston.Portrayed Joyce Murray.
Duration : 2017-2018.- Amanda trained at R.A.D.A. She has appeared at the Royal Court, the RNT, the RSC, the Almeida, in the West End and on Broadway. Her television work includes A Very British Scandal, The Girl Before, The Outlaws, and Gangs of London. She was nominated for Outstanding Newcomer in 2003 at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and won the Clarence Derwent Award for her performance in "Eastward Ho!" for the RSC at the Gielgud Theatre.Portrayed May Wright/Dr. May Wright.
Duration : 2006-2008. - Don Gilet was born on 17 January 1967 in Walsall, West Midlands, England, UK. He is an actor, known for EastEnders (1985), The Beekeeper (2024) and Love & Marriage (2013).Portrayed Lucas Johnson.
Duration : 2008-2010, 2016, 2020-2021, 2024. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Bill Ward was born in 1967 in Newcastle, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Coronation Street (1960), Robin Hood (2006) and Emmerdale Farm (1972).Portrayed Mike Parker.
Duration : 2003.- Ricky Champ was born on 1 July 1980 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The World's End (2013), Mortdecai (2015) and Game of Thrones (2011). He has been married to Samantha Gilbert since 12 August 2016. They have two children.Portrayed Stuart Highway.
Duration : 2018-2022.
Portrayed Photographer.
Duration : 2009. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Rakhee Thakrar was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. Rakhee is an actor, known for Wonka (2023), Sex Education (2019) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019). Rakhee has been married to Vikash Bhai since 2 September 2017.Portrayed Shabnam Masood/Kazemi.
Duration : 2014-2016.- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Joseph Marcell was born on 14 August 1948 in St. Lucia, Caribbean. He is an actor and director, known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), The Exorcism of God (2021) and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019). He has been married to Joyce T. Walsh since June 1995. They have one child. He was previously married to Judith M Midtby.Portrayed Aubrey Valentine.
Duration : 2006.
Portrayed Adrian Bell.
Duration : 1992.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Samantha Womack was born on 2 November 1972 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) and EastEnders (1985). She has been married to Mark Womack since 17 May 2009. They have two children. She was previously married to Mauro Mantovani.Portrayed Ronnie Mitchell/Branning.
Duration : 2007-2011, 2013-2017.- Actress
- Writer
Lisa Hammond was born on 2 June 1983 in Chichester, Sussex, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Quills (2000), Vera (2011) and The Rubbish World of Dave Spud (2019).Portrayed Donna Yates.
Duration : 2014-2018.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Alison was born in January 1968. Her big break came after a casting director saw her in Anthony Neilson's hit The Censor at The Royal Court, and invited her to audition for Butterfly Collectors to play opposite Pete Postlethwaite. She then played the evil Renee Williams in Bad Girls (1999), and she was subsequently offered the role of Hazel Bailey in Footballers' Wives (2002). She's also known for her recurring character DI Samantha Keeble in Eastenders. Alison co-created the critically acclaimed series Harlots.Portrayed DI Samantha Keeble/DCI Samantha Keeble.
Duration : 2008, 2014-2016, 2022-2023.- Kierston Wareing was born on 7 January 1976 in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Fish Tank (2009), The Holding (2011) and The Double (2013).Portrayed Kirsty Branning.
Duration : 2012-2014. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Ben Freeman was born on 8 April 1980. He is an actor, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), The Dark Channel and The Three Musketeers (2023). He was previously married to Jennifer Biddall.Portrayed Caleb Malone.
Duration : 2021.- Zaraah Abrahams was born on 7 January 1987 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Payback Season (2012), Coronation Street (1960) and Waterloo Road (2006).Portrays Chelsea Fox/Atkins.
Duration: 2020- - Sue Holderness was born on 28 May 1949 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Only Fools and Horses (1981), The Green Green Grass (2005) and Dear John.... (1986). She is married to Mark Piper. They have two children.Portrayed Estelle Jones.
Duration: 2021. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Gwen Taylor was born on 19 February 1939 in Derby, Derbyshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Life of Brian (1979), The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978) and A Bit of a Do (1989). She has been married to Graham Reid since 1996. She was previously married to Frederick Blount.Portrayed Vi Highway.
Duration: 2021-2023.- Anna Karen was born on 19 September 1936 in Durban, South Africa. She was an actress, known for Holiday on the Buses (1973), The Rag Trade (1975) and On the Buses (1971). She was married to Terry Duggan and Dick Smart. She died on 22 February 2022 in Ilford, Greater London, England, UK.Portrayed Aunt Sal.
Duration: 1996-1997, 2001-2004, 2007-2011, 2013-2017. - Actor
- Composer
- Director
Gavin Richards was born in September 1946 in London, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for 'Allo 'Allo! (1982), EastEnders (1985) and Whoops Apocalypse (1986). He is married to Tamara Henry.Portrayed Terry Raymond.
Duration: 1996-2002.