You should beat him up, the other half people would just come up and abuse me, thinking it was fun. The PE teacher has long had a low opinion of Roland but on the course it becomes clear the boy is much better at the task. . They had to be politically correct and they took Amma (Cheryl) and Alison (Louise) and Ricky (Ant) because he was a major part of the record, and Joann Kenny (Jane) because she played a major part in the video. That was because he had his girlfriend at one point. We have to ask you about Rolands friendship with Janet. 'At first Mrs McClusky was written as a '"twin set and pearls" role but I was quite young at the time and didn't want to play it like that. Check out our exclusive Jonathan Lambeth aka Danny Kendall interview - now online! You couldnt even go for a pee without security. Roland has set up . At the time I already knew it was happening, so there was no surprise element. Would you like to see your episodes released? Its because they think they are better than Grange Hill. Certain characters develop over time and by the time I left Roland was doing a lot of fund-raising, he was trying to help Zammo ; he came out of his shell. Gordon 'Jonah' Jones, was a student at Grange Hill, from 1982 to 1983, played by Lee Sparke. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Roland 'Roly' Browning became one of the most inspiring characters on hit show Grange Hill, Actor Erkan Mustafa looks very different 29 years after show debut, Grange Hill star Lee 'Zammo' MacDonald joins EastEnders as Terry and has showdown with Danny Dyer's Mick Carter over Spice Girls tickets, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). No. The first scene would be a hand writing out letters (though it would probably be email or Facebook now) saying did you want to meet up again. She was very welcoming, she was warm. I didnt do that to many other members of the cast, but me and Simone always did. Erkan Mustafa - Roland 'Roly' Browning. . The now 52-year-old starred in the series for five years from 1982 until 1987. View our online Press Pack. . Yann Wehrling, vice-prsident de la rgion le-de-France, charg de la Transition cologique, et Patrice Leclerc, maire de Gennevilliers et Prsident du groupe Front De Gauche la . It was exciting; going into a recording studio, never done that before. Grange Hill star Gwyneth Powell passed away at the age of 76 Credit: BBC 10 The actress played headmistress Bridget McClusky for 10 years until 1991 Credit: Rex The late actress died aged 76. . Fast forward nearly three decades later, the 52-year-old actor looks unrecognisable from his appearance on the show. Did the character develop along the lines of your own personality? Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. How do you look back on your time at Grange Hill? Whether it's Tucker, Mrs McCluskey, Zammo, Bronson, Fay Lucas, Ziggy Greaves or Roland Browning, you'll find them here! Erkan Mustafa hosted a Grange Hill cast reunion at a nightclub in Leicester Square in 2009. Especially being asked for an autograph when Im eating. As the bullied 'fat kid,' Roland 'Roly' Browning was one of Grange Hill's most popular characters from 1982 to 1987. I get asked Were you Roland in Grange Hill? and I say No, Im Erkan from Stratford. That always gets a giggle. Once Ive got Todd Carty on board, its all there. Lee was disgusted with the plans and didn't sign up for the new series. When I left Grange Hill it was only really Ricky who I kept in touch with, and Amma Asante (Cheryl) for about 12 or 15 years. Roland (played by Erkan Mustafa from 1982 to 1987) is finding it hard to adjust on his first day at Grange Hill (episode 1 of series 5), and has a nasty encounter with bully Gripper Stebson. Who? Grange Hill wasn't afraid to tackle controversial subjects and that's why people loved it so much. No way. Erkan is also a writer and director. What are your favourite memories from your time playing Roland? In 2016, Mahmood was foundguilty of plotting to pervert the course of justice and following the case, it was suggested thatup to 72 defendants in criminal cases in which he played a role could apply for convictions to be quashed. But after his departure from the square, he played away from type portraying the villainous PC Gabriel Kent in The Bill. The star had actually trained as a teacher but never taught in the classroom, as she decided to pursue acting instead. The way I look at it; the demographics of the group that went there was right. Lee MacDonald - Zammo Maguire MacDonald, who joined the show age 13, went on to have one of the biggest storylines in the school's history when he became addicted to heroin. So we spent the whole evening chatting about the reunion! Was it difficult to play these scenes? . I never thought all those years ago that we would even be friends. I cant tolerate rudeness in people. I was speaking to Mark Savage (Gripper), six months ago, and said even though my character was getting bullied, it was too funny the way we were doing it. Lee has made several TV appearances since leaving Grange Hill, including an episode of The Bill in which his love interest was played by Melissa Wilkes - who also played his girlfriend Jackie Wright in Grange Hill. He was a very sad character. A few notable people who starred in the show include Todd Carty (Mark Fowler in EastEnders ), Gary Love (Casualty), Lee MacDonald (The Bill) and John Alford (London's Burning). CC shared room with RD in Roland Gardens when RD at St Martin's [School of Art] and CC at Royal College of Art [RCA] in stained glass department. Lee MacDonald, 52, was the star of one of Grange Hill's most hard-hitting storylines when his character Zammo became addicted to heroin. I came up with a story that bit me on the arse. . Its still on my laptop. They made my character dance with his girlfriend, Fabienne. I think they should have release series 1-5, but I think the BBCs timing was wrong. All fun! The Grange Hill cast then and now: Erkan Mustafa who played Roland 'Roly' Browning (Image: HullLive) Erkan, now 50, played one of the most popular stars of the show.. His character Roly. Hotels near Woodcote Park Golf Club, Coulsdon on Tripadvisor: Find traveler reviews, 1,110 candid photos, and prices for 2,487 hotels near Woodcote Park Golf Club in Coulsdon, England. Even now if I hear it I just cringe!! Actor and TV presenter Erkan Mustafa shot to fame playing Roland 'Roly' Browning in popular BBC show Grange Hill. He had issues. lots of reasons. The storylines focused on hard-hitting issues for its time - including teenage pregnancy to alcoholism and drug addictions. The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. Sign up for the free Mirror Showbiz newsletter. Oh yes. For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here. 5. Grange Hill was only cancelled in 2008 as the production company felt like the series ran its course. Her most recent TV role was in an episode of Casualty in 2014. He played the character for six years. I say that to everybody in life! A friend of mine runs SchoolDisco.com and I already knew what was happening. 'I was told by lots of people she was a great fillip to young women teachers who started applying for headships.'. When I first heard about it, I was 15 or 16 and I thought this is a bit too much for a childrens show. It was one of the longest-running programmes on British TV, finally ending in 2008. Always full of money making schemes, Gonch was a wheeler dealer who ran a toast bar, a dating agency, a homework service and a PE kit lending scheme all from the classroom. danny kendall grange hillhow tall is william afton 2021. aau boys basketball teams in maryland. Theres a girl called Tracey who used to be in Grange Hill, who I tracked down and we met up in a pub in Islington, only to bump into Mark Burdiss (Stewpot)! Its a bit of a mish-mash to be honest. July 23, 1956 - October 26, 2018. Lee has made several TV appearances since leaving Grange Hill, including an episode of The Bill in which his love interest was played by Melissa Wilkes - who also played his girlfriend Jackie. He also appeared on Soccer AM and Celebrity Juice. We didnt grow up too far apart; about a 5 minute walk from each other. She also starred as Mum in . Gripper discovered Roland attending the psychologist and when Roland was unable to come up with a full payment to Gripper, Gripper plotted to expose Roland to his class. Thats a hell of a lot of viewers. You would think that they could have done a huge night of TV about it; they do Dads Army nights, Doctor Who nights, Blue Peter nights . Ive come out with great experiences. There was an episode where there was a school disco and they were playing Spandau Ballets True (another song I cant stand!). Now I know I get more pleasure from writing than acting. The star also hosted a Grange Hill cast reunion in a nightclub in Leicester Square back in 2009. Followed about by the ever helpful Janet, Rolands time at Grange Hill saw him develop from an unhappy eleven year old to a more confident teenager. Schools Out Exhibition Reunion Oct 2013, grangehillgold.wordpress.com/2022/10/26/ken, grangehillgold.wordpress.com/2022/10/25/bbc. He then starred as Mark Fowler in EastEnders from 1990 to 2003, with a groundbreaking storyline when his character was diagnosed with HIV. as the character 'Otto' in 1993. Now 50, he continues to act, write and direct according to his Twitter profile. Thats why me and Lee do our own Roland and Zammo thing; we do music shows (mainly because my friend is the booker) but also a couple of charity nights. Emily Atack won't stop accepting sexy TV roles despite cruel online trolls, The Inbetweeners actress and comedian Emily Atack has vowed to keep accepting racy on-screen roles despite the horrific abuse she's received from online abusers, Police hunt for East London gang setting foxes on fire with 'lighter fluid', The sickening criminals have reportedly been torturing foxes, setting them on fire, and smoking out their dens with police are appealing for more information from the public. Something went wrong, please try again later. I was there with someone I grew up with ; one of my brothers best mates. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. She's a mother-of-two and is also an ambassador for the Good Grief Trust. It was a story he and some of the other cast members made up after becoming tired of being asked the same questions about it, long after he left the programme. Theres even talk of a Grange Hill convention that Im discussing with someone at the moment; a meet and greet day, with a Q and A and show some episodes. We did one for the Rainbow Trust and then in October something in Luton for a special baby care unit. In 1988, Alison appeared in an Eastenders spin-off called Civvy Street, set during the second world war, playing a young Ethel Skinner. The BBC had to take a ceratin group and unfortunately others were left behind. The actor - who played underdog Roly for six years - became one of the BBC show's most beloved characters. Half the time people would come up to me in the street and say You should fight Gripper. This was because his parents had separated. It gave me some good memories and some bad memories. Roland Browning was Grange Hills fat kid. . The gritty Grange Hill with its often hard-hitting storylines was always one of the more true-to-life shows for kids of the 70s, 80s, 90s and the noughties. and also made appearances on Soccer AM and Celebrity Juice. Im starting to arrange this cast reunion, which started off as just a joke with John Holmes (Gonch). John gave up acting after Grange Hill and now works as the manager of a casino.
