Soap legend Todd Carty, best known for his roles as PC Gabriel Kent in The Bill and Mark Fowler in EastEnders, was barely recognisable recently as he sported a moustache at The Lowry Theatre in Manchester.
The 60-year-old actor looked a world away from his iconic soap characters.
In snaps obtained by the Mirror, he was spotted running errands before entering the theatre in Manchester, looking almost unrecognisable with a thick moustache reminiscent of Hollywood actor Tom Selleck.
Dressed casually in a navy zip-up fleece, matching NYC cap, and dark denim jeans, Todd also wore glasses, further distancing him from his memorable EastEnders days.
Carty's most notable role was that of Mark Fowler in EastEnders, a character he portrayed from 1990 to 2003.
During his 13 years on the show, he was involved in a significant storyline revolving around Mark's HIV diagnosis.
In 2003, Todd bid farewell to his Walford persona as Mark Fowler rode off on a motorbike, reports the Mirror.
However, Todd's journey in the entertainment industry began with his role as Tucker Jenkins in Grange Hill - a part that gained so much popularity it led to his own spin-off series, Tucker's Luck, which aired from 1983 to 1985.
The actor has also made appearances on shows like Heartbeat, Holby City, and Doctors.
After his time on EastEnders, Todd ventured into the world of reality television.
His stint on Dancing on Ice in 2009 is still fondly remembered, especially for a dramatic slip that saw his partner Susie Lipanova left skating solo for a heart-stopping moment.
Fast forward to 2014, and he was impressing with his cooking prowess on Celebrity MasterChef, as well as hitting the road for Celebrity 5 Go Caravanning.
Todd's flair for the dramatic has seen him embrace the role of the dastardly Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Watersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth from December 2019 to January 2020.
Currently, he's treading the boards in Agatha Christie's classic whodunit The Mousetrap at Manchester's Lowry Theatre, sharing the stage with Only Fools and Horses and fellow EastEnders alumna, Gwyneth Strong.
The Mousetrap, renowned as the world's longest-running play, weaves a tale of murder mystery where seven strangers are trapped in a remote guesthouse during a snowstorm.
The plot thickens when a police sergeant arrives and they realise, much to their dismay, that there is a murderer among them.
In his private life, Todd's heart belongs to the acting world too. He's been happily married to actress and writer Dina Clarkin since 1990.
Their love story is one for the ages, beginning in childhood when both were budding actors.
Todd recounted to the Mirror in 2005 how their mothers' friendship brought them together: "Yes, it's a real love story. We were both child actors and our mums were friends. We got to know each other after Dina's mum started to chaperone me to auditions and I'd go over to their house for tea."
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A few years later, Dina's family moved out of London and the pair didn't see each other for a decade. Recalling their reunion, Todd said: "I was at a family do when Dina walked in and I just thought, 'God, you're beautiful'. All of a sudden, she came back into my life as a stunning 19-year-old and I fell head over heels in love. It was wonderful."
The couple now share two sons, James and Thomas.
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