Beloved Benidorm star unrecognisable as menacing drug dealer in gritty BBC drama

23 November 2023 , 09:47

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Beloved Benidorm star unrecognisable as menacing drug dealer in gritty BBC drama

Benidorm's Liam Conroy actor, Adam Gillen, looks completely unrecognisable in his new role as a drug dealer for the violent BBC drama Boat Story.

Avid Benidorm lovers might have been surprised to see Adam's name in the cast credits due to the fact he looks completely different from his days as the famous and loveable Liam Conroy.

Adam, 38, was best known for his role as the hapless maintenance worker Liam in the BBC comedy. The much-loved actor played the son of Tim Healy's character Les Conroy and originally showed up at the Solana as a holiday guest, but stayed on as staff.

Fans are used to seeing him clean shaven and wearing a pair of red overalls as Liam. So, his transformation for the violent BBC series Boat Story may have left some viewers doing a double take when the first two episodes aired last Sunday and Monday, 20 November.

Adam, 38, was best known for his role as the hapless maintenance worker Liam in Benidorm (ITV)

Adam looks unrecognisable these days (ITV)

In the new series, Adam plays the sinister drug dealer Vinnie Douglas. The series stars Daisy Haggard and Paterson Joseph and is about two down-on-their-luck strangers who stumble across a huge haul of drugs on a boat - and find themselves targeted by mobsters and police.

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As Vinnie, the actor looks much older with slicked back greying hair, a wiry beard and an earring. But the differences to harmless Liam go well beyond his looks. His Boat Story character is a menacing figure who spells further danger for Daisy and Paterson's characters in the action thriller.

The BBC describes character Vinnie as: "A mid-level drug dealer with a superstitious streak, Vinnie has worked hard to build his North-East operation. He has big dreams and will do anything to achieve them.

Adam plays a drug dealer in the violent BBC drama (BBC/Two Brothers/Matt Squire)

"So when a stranger tries to muscle in on his turf, Vinnie vows to fight to the death to keep it, but his deep paranoia means he soon starts to question who around him he can trust, making him all the more dangerous."

In the last episode of Benidorm in 2018, Liam left the hotel Solana to start a new hairdressing career with Kenneth Du Beke, played by Adam's mate Tony Maudsley. He has posted pictures of the pair hanging out together, but fans were more surprised to see another former co-star that Adam is still pals with.

Adam, announced his engagement to Laila Zaidi in September, after the lovebirds met during the final series of Benidorm. Laila joined the cast as holidaymaker Cyd and has since starred in several other TV shows including Ackley Bridge, Doctors, and Holby City.

Susan Knox