Hollyoaks’ original Darren Osborne actor looks unrecognisable 28 years after soap exit and being replaced
HOLLYOAKS’ original Darren Osborne actor looks unrecognisable 28 years on from exiting and being replaced.
Ashley Taylor Dawson may be synonymous with Darren, but he did not originate the role.
That honour goes to Adam Booth, who debuted in November 1996 and left in 1997.
Darren’s original tenure ended by going to America after dad Jack’s cheating tore apart his family.
In the decades since leaving Hollyoaks behind, Adam has continued his acting career.
He has made appearances in The Bay, Coronation Street, Doctors and The Keith Lemon Sketch Show.
Adam has also worked extensively on stage, namely in pantomimes such as Cinderella, Peter Pan and Aladdin.
According to the actor’s Instagram, he received a gong for Best Comic at The Pantomime Awards 2023.
Sharing a photo of the prize, he captioned: “Wow! What an incredible night!
“So unbelievably proud, grateful and honoured to win ‘Best Comic’ at The Pantomime Awards 2023.
“Congratulations to all the nominees, winners, performers and presenters tonight.
He concluded: “It was a really amazing night!”
While Adam left Hollyoaks in 1997, replacement Ashley was not cast as Darren until 1999.
From there, Ashley then portrayed the role until 2001 when he left to focus on his music career.
The character Darren returned in 2003, as played by Ashley and has remained ever since.
Initially depicted as a “bad boy”, the character has matured and evolved over the years.
Some of Darren’s most notable storylines include a battle with gambling addiction.
He also previously helped dad Jack fake his death in an insurance scam.
Darren has been married to three women – Hannah Ashworth, Nancy Hayton and Mandy Richardson respectively.
Soap characters who've been recast
Soap operas are staple viewing for many people, but even some of the most famous characters have been played by different actors. Here are some examples from over the years.
- Tracy Barlow: Kate Ford took on the role of Corrie legend Tracy Barlow in 2002. Before Kate, three other actresses had played Tracy – most notably Dawn Acton from 1988 to 1999.
- Nick Tilsley: Ben Price has been playing Gail’s oldest child in 2009, but the former Footballers’ Wives star is the third actor to take on the part.
- Sarah Platt: Although Tina O’Brien debuted as Sarah Platt in 1999, she is the third actress who has played the iconic role of Sarah Platt.
- David Platt: Completing the line-up of Gail’s children, David was initially played by Thomas Ormson for a decade before Jack P. Shepherd took over.
- Daniel Osbourne: For almost a decade, the role of Ken Barlow’s son Daniel has been portrayed by actor Rob Mallard. Before Rob joined, two other actors had previously played Daniel.
- Bethany Platt: Fans know Lucy Fallon as Bethany nowadays but before her, three other actresses had stepped into the character’s shoes.
- Kirk Sutherland: Before Andy Whyment took on the role of Kirk, he played by an uncredited actor in his very first appearance.
- Todd Grimshaw: Gareth Pierce stepped into the role of Todd back in 2020, becoming the second performer to play this part.
- Summer Spellman: Harriet Bibby became the second actress to play Summer, taking over the role from Matilda Freeman in 2020.
- Ryan Connor: Ryan Prescott currently plays the long-running character, but Ben Thompson and Sol Heras had earlier portrayed the role.
- Martin Fowler: Although Martin was the first baby born on-screen in EastEnders, he hasn’t always been played by the same person. His current portrayer, James Bye, is the third actor to star as the character.
- Peter Beale: Seven actors have portrayed Ian Beale’s elder son, with the current actor, Thomas Law, in his second stint as the character.
- Ben Mitchell: Ben has been played by a total of six actors – with Max Bowden bowing out of the role in March 2024.
- Bobby Beale: Before Clay Milner Russell, Ian’s younger son had been played by four other actors.
- Freddie Slater: Bobby’s best mate, Freddie Slater, had been previously played by twins Alex and Tom Kilby before Bobby Brazier took over in 2022.
- Chelsea Fox: Former Coronation Street actress Zaraah Abrahams took over the role of Chelsea in 2020. The character had been first played by Tiana Benjamin from 2006 to 2010.
- Lauren Branning: Jacqueline Jossa took on the role of Lauren in 2010, succeeding Madeline Duggan who’d played her from 2006 to 2010.
- Johnny Carter: Johnny has been played by three actors since debuting in 2013 – most recently, Charlie Suff has taken on the role.