Throughout its more than half-century run on television, Emmerdale has seen a number of cast members come and leave. However, what became of the ITV soap opera’s original cast?
Over the past five decades, Emmerdale has seen a revolving door of characters, but the heart of the Yorkshire-based soap opera – its village and the romances, action, and laughter it brings – remains unchanged. But what happened to the original cast?
Jack Sugden – Andrew Burt
Andrew Burt portrayed Jack Sugden, the estranged son of Annie and her late husband Jacob Sugden. He was on screen until 1976, before returning four years later with actor Clive Hornby taking over the role for a 28-year stint.
After Emmerdale, Burt appeared in Poirot, Doctor Who, Warship, The Legend of King Arthur, Campion, Oscar Charlie, I’m Alan Partridge and Doctors. He later became a qualified counsellor, running his own practice before sadly passing away from lung cancer at the age of 73 in 2018.
Annie Sugden – Sheila Mercier
Sheila Mercier played Annie Sugden, the matriarch of the Sugden family in the 1970s. She continued in the role until 1996, making occasional appearances until 2009.
Emmerdale was Mercier’s final acting role before she retired alongside her husband and fellow actor Peter Mercier, with whom she had two children. The much-loved actress passed away at the age of 100 in 2019.
Prior to Emmerdale, Mercier featured in Nothing Barred and Laughter from The Whitehall.
Joe Sugden – Frazer Hines
Annie’s second son, Joe, was portrayed by actor Frazier Hines. He stayed with Emmerdale until 1994 and has since appeared in a variety of TV shows and films such as Lost at Christmas, Out of Sight, Two Days in the Smoke, and most recently, Doctor Who: The Abominable Snowmen.
The Leeds-born 79-year-old started his acting career as a child in A King in New York alongside Charlie Chaplin.
Marian Wilks – Gail Harrison
Marian Wilks, played by Gail Harrison, was the first character to be seen in Emmerdale, appearing on horseback in the opening scene of the inaugural episode. She had a tumultuous romance with Jack Sugden in the early days of the show and was the daughter of Henry Wilks.
She remained on the show for six years.
After leaving the ITV series, actress Gail Harrison went on to play Val in the sitcom Hi-de-Hi and Brelca in the children’s fantasy drama Return of the Antelope. She also had a role in the popular comedy Only Fools and Horses as Joanne in 1989.
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.
Peggy Skilbeck – Jo Kendall
Annie’s eldest daughter, Peggy Skilbeck, was played by actress Jo Kendall. Despite being married, Peggy Skilbeck was only a regular character on the show for a year.
The actress and writer went on to star in the 1979 drama Scum and the romantic 1992 film Howards End, which featured Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Her final acting role was in Bridge of Dragons in 1999 before her death in 2022.
Henry Wilks – Arthur Pentelow
Arthur Pentelow portrayed the character of Henry Wilks, a retired factory owner and father of Marian. Tragically, in 1991, Pentelow suffered a heart attack while driving back to Leeds for filming.
He left behind his wife and two children, one of whom, Nicholas, was a saxophonist for the band Wizzard.
Amos Brearly – Ronald Magill
Ronald Magill played the role of Amos Brearly, the village pub landlord and notorious gossip. He was a mainstay on the show from 1972 to 1995, appearing in over 1300 episodes. He sadly passed away in 2007.
