Emmerdale's original cast now from very different career to love with co-star

Daily Mirror

13-05-2025

Emmerdale has been a staple on our TV's for 50 years with the quaint village being home to its fair share of drama
The Yorkshire-based soap Emmerdale has been a mainstay on our televisions for 50 years, with the idyllic village playing host to its fair share of drama and a revolving door of characters. But before the Dingle family brought their unique brand of chaos to our screens, a completely different cast of villagers laid the groundwork for the show's current success.
These original Emmerdale actors have gone down in TV history, with many continuing in their roles for several years. Some even went on to feature in other classic shows, from Doctor Who to Only Fools and Horses.
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Let's take a trip down memory lane and see what became of the original cast from way back in 1972.
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Jack Sugden - Andrew Burt
Andrew Burt played Jack Sugden in the original series of the show and was on screen as Jack for four years until 1976. The character was recast when he returned four years later, with Clive Hornby taking on Jack for the next 28 years.
For Burt, he would go on to appear on some more classic TV shows, including credits in Poirot, Doctor Who, Warship, The Legend of King Arthur, Campion, Oscar Charlie, I'm Alan Partridge and Doctors.
In his later years, Burt retrained as a counsellor, becoming an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and would go on to open his practice before his death from lung cancer in 2018, aged 73.
Annie Sugden - Sheila Mercier
Playing the matriarch of the original notorious Sugden family, Mercier played the role for more than 20 years until 1997 and made the odd guest appearance for the following ten years until 2009.
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Emmerdale was the last acting gig for Sheila as she decided to retire with fellow actor Peter Mercier. The Hull-born actress died in 2019 at the grand age of 100.
Joe Sugden - Frazer Hines
Playing Annie's second son Joe, the Leeds lad began his acting career in a very different scene alongside the legendary Charlie Chaplin in A King in New York.
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He would continue playing Joe until 1994 before appearing in Out of Sight, Two Days in the Smoke and a part in Doctor Who.
In his private life, Frazer battled bowel cancer for more than 10 years, having first been diagnosed in 1999. In 2010, he disclosed to the public his battle. The tumours were removed in a gruelling surgery.
Now, in the 80s, Frazer understandably doesn't act as much but can still be seen in an appearance in Doctors in 2024.
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Marian Wilks - Gail Harrison
Marian was the first character to ever be seen on the show as she was seen riding a horse in the very first opening of the show, and was most known for her romance with Jack Sugden.
Leaving the show six years later, Gail would go on to appear in the sitcom Hi-de-hi as well as making appearances in Only Fools and Horses in 1989.
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Sam Pearson - Toke Townley
Sam Pearson, known as Grandad but actually Annie's father, was played by Toke Townley. He sadly passed away from a heart attack during a filming break in 1984 at the age of 71.
He also appeared in British spy series The Avengers, and a whole range of films in the 1050s including Lady Godiva Rides Again and Treasure Hunt.
Henry Wilks - Arthur Pentelow
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Playing the retired factory owner who took up the helm of the village's iconic Woolpack pub for nearly 20 years. Arthur Pentelow was "an immediate choice" when it came to casting Wilks.
Pentelow wasn't raised in Yorkshire but was in fact from across the Pennines in Lancashire. Before acting he served in World War II doing radar work for the Royal Navy before coming home after the war where he would start acting.
He was married and had two sons, one of which Nick Pentelow became the saxophonist for the band Wizard famous for the song I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.
The actor died in 1991 after tragically suffering a heart attack while driving to Leeds to film an episode for the soap.