Original Casualty stars now - from tragic deaths to Oscar wins
Now a staple of Saturday night TV, it's difficult to imagine that Casualty was once considered to be a 'television revolution' when it first burst onto our screens in September 1986. Initially titled Front Line, Casualty was championed as a feminist, anti-racist show that celebrated the NHS - and it would go on to change TV forever.
With so many important messages being conveyed, it was important for the BBC to hire actors who could effectively channel this revolutionary spirit - all while bringing plenty of nail-biting drama. The original cast was comprised of ten stars, each with their own important part to play in the emergency ward of Holby City Hospital.
As the final original cast member prepares to bow out, we take a look at what these ten pioneering actors are up to nowadays, from the bright lights of Hollywood to a tragic death.
Derek Thompson - Charlie Fairhead
Derek Thompson has played Charlie for nearly 40 years (PA)
Now 75, he's about to leave the long-running drama behind (PA)The last nurse standing from the first episode, Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) is widely regarded as the very heart of the medical drama, and many were dismayed to learn that he'll soon be finishing up his final shift.
In May 2023, it was announced that Derek would be departing the show at some time in 2024, after 37 years on the job. Giving a statement at the time, Derek, 75, said: "The time has come for me to hang up Charlie's scrubs after the most wonderful 37 years. Charlie Fairhead was inspired by a real nurse – Pete Salt. Together with the writers and producers, I have tried to bring to Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism, and sound judgement that we all see and love in Pete and I want to say thanks to Pete and everyone else over that time who has inspired me in bringing this character to life."
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Cathy Shipton - Lisa 'Duffy' Dufftin
As Duffy, Cathy Shipton had some hard-hitting storylines (BBC)Actor Cathy Shipton initially played the well-liked nurse Lisa 'Duffy Dufftin from 1986 until 1993, during which time she was a centre of a number of hard-hitting narratives, including a harrowing rape storyline. Cathy reprised the role in 1998 leaving again in 2003. After making the occasional appearance in Casualty, and its sister show Holby City, for a number of years, Cathy made a permanent move back to the ward in 2016.
Duffy made her reappearance during one of the show's most dramatic moments - a helicopter crash at the hospital on what was Charlie's 30th anniversary in the job. Fans were overjoyed to see her back and were even happier when she and Charlie tied the knot in a classic soap wedding that had viewers sobbing.
Sadly, their happiness wasn't to last, and, in 2019, Cathy announced that she would be leaving the show for good, ahead of a devastating dementia storyline. Speaking with PA at the time, Cathy explained that she was keen to try her hand at something different, revealing: "You are who you are and perhaps I will play Duffy-type characters for the rest of my professional career but I would love to play more baddies and conflicted characters and go to the dark side a bit. Perhaps people who do bad things for good reasons? Also, having played most of my professional life in modern clothes, I would love to get into costumes and corsets."
Since leaving Casualty, Cathy, 66, has had parts in Hollyoaks, and in the dark 2023 Mercy, which follows the tragic life of a factory-farmed pig.
Brenda Fricker - Megan Roach
Brenda Fricker went on to bag an Oscar (Bettmann Archive)Caring and straight-talking nurse Megan Roach (Brenda Fricker) also made her first appearance in episode one. She went on to bring viewers plenty of memorable moments, from her affair with married Tony Walker, to her battle with cervical cancer.
Brenda bowed out of the show in 1990, after five seasons in the role, and went on to pick up a number of interesting roles - most notably as the 'Pigeon Lady' in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). She also won Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in acclaimed biopic My Left Foot (1989). Other impressive credits include So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) and A Time to Kill (1996).
In 2020, fans were left thrilled after Brenda, now 78, returned to Casualty. Sadly, there were sad times ahead for the character, who pleaded with her old friend Charlie to help her die by euthanasia. In 2014, Brenda announced that she would be retiring from acting, however, she has been involved in a number of projects in recent years, including the four-part drama Holding (2022), based on the Graham Norton novel of the same name.
In 2021, Dublin-born Brenda was widely praised after opening up about her mental health struggles in an episode of Ireland's The Tommy Tiernan Show, sharing: "At this moment in time, only yesterday, I went to the doctor and he said: 'We're going to put you on stronger antidepressants'. Because I am a bit of a recluse, the thing about staying inside by choice is fine but the moment you're told to stay inside you want to go out. So I've learned from that because I wanted to go out because going out the front door can be a problem for me sometimes. So mentally I suppose, I wouldn't say it's 100 per cent Tommy, but it's grand."
George Harris - Clive King
The first original character to leave the show, senior nurse Clive King (played by George Harris) is also the first series regular to have only appeared in season one. As Clive, Greneda-born actor George navigated some difficulties with alcoholism and eventually managed to give up drinking altogether after confiding in fellow nurse Megan.
Since leaving the show, George, now 74, has gone on to land parts in some iconic franchises, playing wizard Kingsley Shacklebolt in three Harry Potter movies and Captain Simon Katanga in Indian Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark. He's also portrayed warlord Osman Atto in Black Hawk Down and gangster Morty in Layer Cake.
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Christopher Rozycki - Kuba Trzincski
Casualty fans were saddened to learn of Christopher's tragic death (BBC)Actor Christopher Rozycki played hospital porter Kuba Trzincski for the first three series, with one particularly memorable storyline involving him figuring out there'd been a gas leak after cleverly noticing a patient's burns had a garlic-like scent.
Following his departure in 1988, Christopher Rozycki had parts in The Royal, The Bill, and the 1990 drama Truly Madly Deeply, starring Alan Rickman. He also played Nikolai Rostov in the fifth series of Downton Abbey - which was to be one of his final roles.
Sadly, Christopher died following an accidental fatal fall in April 2015, at the age of 71, leaving behind his wife, the actress and agent Joanna Hole, and four children.
Lisa Bowerman - Sandra Mute
Actor Lisa Bowerman played the show's first female paramedic Sandra Mute, who was at the heart of a number of tumultuous storylines during her time driving Holby's ambulances. This included an illicit affair with married fellow paramedic Andy Ponting, which left her wracked with guilt.
Sadly, Sandra met a tragic end in 1987, after a drunk man stabbed her in the stomach, shortly after Andy declared his love for her. In panic, Sandra pulled the knife out of her abdomen and succumbed to her injuries, leaving heartbroken Andy grief-stricken.
The first major character to be killed off, Lisa went on to enjoy plenty of TV success elsewhere, picking up roles in Coronation Street, Doctors, Hollyoaks, and Doctor Who. She also made a brief return to Casualty in 2007, in a one-episode cameo as a patient.
Looking back on her time in the hit medical drama in a 2010 interview with Holby TV, Lisa, who has also worked as a professional photographer, said that it was her decision to make a blood-soaked exit. She explained:"[Producer] Geraint Morris had said he felt the show had too many regulars in it and was I prepared to go back to 'semi regular'? It had been my first TV job and I thought it foolish to go backwards in the show. I knew Robert Pugh was leaving as he was busy writing then and as we all thought the series was ending, I decided on the spur of the moment to say 'No I'd go' – but I wanted to go for a reason, not just disappear. So I said, rather rashly, 'Why not kill me off?'. He checked a few times that I meant it and the rest is history! Sadly I have no keepsakes.. apart from the ambulance in the back garden!"
Robert Pugh - Andy Ponting
Game of Thrones fans may well recognise actor Robert Pugh (Robert Viglasky)Good-humoured yet at times outspoken Andy Ponting (Robert Pugh) was known for trying to make positive changes at the hospital. As well as taking issue with paramedics being treated differently from other hospital staff, Andy also successfully lobbied against the closure of the night shifts in 1987, following the preventable death of a motorcyclist.
Following the death of his lover Sandra, Andy felt unable to continue his work as a paramedic, and one week later, began looking for work elsewhere. Like Lisa, Robert also returned to the show decades later. Last year, Robert took up the role of Gethin, the ex-husband of parademic Jan (Di Botcher), who had fallen on hard times.
Robert, 75, has enjoyed a number of roles in significant TV shows, including Midsomer Murders, Doctor Who, Doctor Foster, and Mr Selfridge. Game of Thrones fans may also recognise him as the wildling Craster. On the silver screen, Robert has appeared in movies such as Master and Commander, Kinky Boots, and Robin Hood.
Bernard Gallagher - Ewart Plimmer
Ewart later appeared from beyond the grave in a poignant flashback (BBC)A consultant, Ewart Plimmer (played by Bernard Gallagher) was committed to his work - often at the expense of his own marriage. Most notably, he fought hard to keep the all-important night shift open, after reportedly stolen medical equipment from other hospital areas were later found in the emergency department.
In the third season, viewers were saddened after Ewart died of a heart attack at the hospital he loved. This wasn't quite the last they saw of Ewart however, with the dedicated doctor later appearing in one of Charlie's flashbacks in 2015, when he too is suffering a heart attack.
Reminiscing over his time in Casualty during a 2000 interview with Holby TV, Bernard recalled: "I was interviewed by the producer and offered Ewart, which I greatly liked playing – though I hated the name and asked them to change at least half of it. They wouldn't."
Bradford-born Bernard kept busy in the world of theatre and TV following his sad departure, going on to appear in The Sweeney, Heartbeat, Bad Girls, and Midsomer Murders. He will also be remembered for playing gardener Bill Molesely in Downton Abbey from 2010 until 2013.
Bernard died from pneumonia in November 2016 at the age of 87, leaving behind his wife, the actress Sylvia Vickers, and their two children, Matthew and Zoe.
Julia Watson - Baz Wilder
Baz was one of Charlie's most significant love interests (BBC)Doctor Baz Wilder (played by Julia Watson), was known to be excellent at her job, at one point even rising to become head of department. Her romance with Charlie also proved to be one of the soap's most gripping storylines, with Baz falling for the nurse in 1986, shortly before leaving.
The character of Baz was reintroduced at the end of 1995, by which point she was married to Peter Hayes. This didn't stop Baz and Charlie from having a steamy affair behind Peter's back, however, resulting in the birth of baby Louis. The lovebirds tied the knot in 1998 but called it quits in 2001. In 2004, tragedy struck when Baz was killed in a car crash, leaving Charlie to navigate life as a single dad.
Actor Julia has appeared in Doctors, Not Going Out and Midsomer Murders over the years while pursuing theatre work and editing poetry anthologies and readings for weddings and funerals.
Explaining her reasons for quitting the show in an interview with Country Images magazine, Julia explained: "I thought there was a limit to how many times I could come back. We'd done everything. Charlie and I had been married, divorced, married to other people – there wasn't really any further for the storyline to go." She added: "I never wanted to be a long-running character. I've always liked variety and to do stage as well as television. So I thought it was time to leave Casualty."
Debbie Roza - Susie Mercier
Receptionist Susie Mercier (played by Debbie Roza) uttered the very first words ever spoken on Casualty - a simple 'good night'. Known for her cheerful, charming demeanour, Susie left the show at the end of season two, after which point no-nonsense Sadie Tomkins (Carol Leader) took over reception.
After leaving the show, Debbie, who is now based in Canada, decided to shift careers, and has now clocked up more than 20 years worth of experience in the field of theatre and museum marketing.
Opening up in the Distinct Nostalgia podcast, Debbie admitted that she'd felt her character hadn't been explored enough during her time on the show. She said: "I think it would have been interesting to explore her outside from behind the desk. She was a pretty smart woman, and what she did outside her role could have been quite interesting."
You can catch up with Casualty this evening (January 3) at 9.10pm on BBC One. Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , and .
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