Hollyoaks is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month after first airing on October 23, 1995
Hollyoaks is marking a special occasion this month as it celebrates 30 years on air.
The popular Channel 4 soap first graced our screens on 23 October 1995 and will soon be marking its 30th anniversary.
Over the decades, Hollyoaks has seen a plethora of actors and characters come and go in the fictional village. Some stars, like Nick Pickard, who portrays Tony Hutchinson, have been with the soap since its inception.
However, other actors have traded the fictional village for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. From Oscar triumphs to hit HBO series, let’s take a look at the stars who’ve made the leap to Los Angeles…, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Rachel Shenton
Rachel Shenton portrayed Mitzeee Minniver on Hollyoaks from 2010 to 2013. After her departure, Rachel, 37, bagged a role in US series Switched at Birth, where she played Lily Summers.
The actress, who is fluent in both British Sign Language and American Sign Language, had her big moment in 2018 when she clinched an Academy Award for her short film The Silent Child, which she wrote, produced and starred in.
The short film tells the story of Libby, a profoundly deaf four year old girl, who lives a silent life until a social worker, played by Rachel, teaches her how to communicate through sign language.
Following her Oscar triumph, Rachel has portrayed Helen Alderson in All Creatures Great and Small since 2020. Other roles include The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Rumour and The Strangers: Chapter 2.
Nathalie Emmanuel
Nathalie Emmanuel, who portrayed Sasha Valentine on Hollyoaks from 2006 to 2010, has since enjoyed a successful career. After leaving the soap, Nathalie, 36, secured the role of Missandei in the HBO hit series Game of Thrones from 2013 to 2019, catapulting her to stardom.
Since then, she’s been playing Jordan King in Die Hart since 2020 and has taken on numerous film roles.
Her filmography includes Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, The Titan, F9, Fast X, Arthur the King, Megalopolis and The Killer.
Emmett J Scanlan
Emmett J Scanlan, who played Brendan Brady from 2010 to 2013, has also had a successful career post-Hollyoaks. After his departure, Emmett, 46, bagged the role of D. C. Glenn Martin in The Fall.
He’s also starred as Josh in Harlan Coben’s Safe in 2018, Billy Grade in Peaky Blinders, and has appeared in Derry Girls, The Teacher and MobLand, among others.
Emmett achieved international recognition with Netflix’s hit Harlan Coben drama Fool Me Once in 2024, where he played Shane Tessier. His film credits include Guardians of the Galaxy, Argylle and A Working Man.
Guy Burnet
Guy Burnet played Craig Dean in the popular Channel 4 soap from 2002 until 2008.
Guy, 42, has since gone on to have a successful Hollywood career with appearances in films such as Pitch Perfect 3, where he played Theo in the 2017 movie. The actor has also appeared in hit TV series Ray Donovan, The Affair and Counterpart.
However, it was one of his latest projects that left fans stunned as he was part of the star-studded cast of Oppenheimer, which was released in cinemas on 21 July 2023 in the UK.
He has recently appeared in FUBAR alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger as Theodore Chips and American Horror Stories.
Ricky Whittle
Ricky Whittle, who portrayed Calvin Valentine on Hollyoaks from 2006 to 2011, has also made a name for himself in Hollywood. After leaving the soap, Ricky, 45, relocated to Los Angeles and quickly landed a number of roles.
From 2014 to 2016, he starred in the sci-fi drama The 100 and US soap Mistresses. Following this, he secured the lead role in American Gods in 2017, with the series running until 2021.
Roxanne McKee
Roxanne McKee, who portrayed Louise Summers from 2005 to 2008, went on to secure the role of Doreah in Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2012 after her departure.
The 45 year old actress then bagged roles in Dominion as Claire Riesen and Pandora as Eve in 2020, among others. Her film credits include Inside Man: Most Wanted and Bambi: The Reckoning.
Wallis Day
Wallis Day played Holly Cunningham in Hollyoaks from 2012 to 2013.
Since then, the 31 year old actress has taken on roles such as Angie on The Royals from 2016 to 2018, Nyssa-Vex in Krypton from 2018 to 2019, Kate Kane / Circe Sionis in Batwoman in 2021, and Gigi in Netflix’s 2023 series of Sex/Life.