Hollyoaks’ Lewis Richardson actor Ben Hull is unrecognisable 20 years after soap exit as he appears in After Life
HOLLYOAKS star Ben Hull looks unrecognisable more than two decades after his exit from the soap – where he played iconic character Lewis Richardson. Fans have noticed the star in the cast of the latest series of Ricky Gervais’ Netflix comedy After Life, playing new character Jack. Ben, 49, could be seen sporting short dark […]
HOLLYOAKS star Ben Hull looks unrecognisable more than two decades after his exit from the soap – where he played iconic character Lewis Richardson.
Fans have noticed the star in the cast of the latest series of Ricky Gervais’ Netflix comedy After Life, playing new character Jack.
Ben, 49, could be seen sporting short dark hair and perhaps a few more wrinkles since fans last saw him on Hollyoaks.
The soap star landed the role of bad boy Lewis Richardson back in 1995 – when he was seen with lighter blonde hair and a more youthful appearance.
He became a much-loved feature in the show until his departure in 2001, when producers decided to kill the character off.
Ben found himself at the centre of a dramatic and controversial storyline which saw his character tragically commit suicide.
He said of the scenes at the time: “When the producer outlined the story of Lewis’s self-destruction, my reaction was, ‘Brilliant!’
“Lewis was a good bloke for most of the time, but he’s always been involved in something a little bit dodgy.
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“I think we’ve all seen that before, so for me it was better to do something totally unexpected and challenging, rather than just fade away.”
Shortly after his Hollyoaks exit, Ben joined another soap – Brookside – as Dr Gary Parr, and stayed with Channel 4 for a year before moving on.
Fans then followed him to Casualty, where he played Dale Charters, Doctors and later Family Affaira before taking to Holby City.
Ben played Derwood Thompson on the show for six years from 2012.
Now, the star has been seen for the first time since his departure from the drama, playing Jack in After Life – with die-hard fans spotting him right away.
The actor’s character becomes the love interest of Ashley Jensen, with the nurse introducing him to Gervais’ character Tony at the end of the series.
Outside of his work on the screen, Ben married fellow actress Anna Acton – who is best known for her appearance in EastEnders – in 2002.
The couple first met on Channel 5 soap Family Affairs before they got hitched and went on to have two daughters Lana and Grace.
Ben isn’t the only Hollyoaks star who looks totally unrecognisable – with Adam Woodward shocking fans with his appearance months after quitting the soap.
The actor took to Instagram to show off his new look – smiling for the camera as he wrestled with a friend to the floor with a Brazilian Ju Jitsu move.
Various social media snaps reveal the slow growth of Adam’s brunette locks, neatly tucking it behind his ears before unleashing his long curls.