Mustafa told Grange Hill Gold: "I was just a normal child attending school. Thats why it is never going to be rerun, because there is huge costs involved for any broadcaster. His relationships include Fabienne. That was because he had his girlfriend at one point. You should beat him up, the other half people would just come up and abuse me, thinking it was fun. Did the character develop along the lines of your own personality? . The fact that Im always going to look like Roland, unless I become slimmer of the year and change my whole body image means people will always recognise me as him. Thats what he wanted; he wanted somebody. A poolside prank during a swimming lesson has fatal consequences. Did you expect the character of Roland to stick with you for so long? leaving it . View our online Press Pack. He was one of the 'enormous orphans' in the Christmas Carol episode. Just general courtesy, an excuse me, sorry to disturb you is all it needs. The show focused on dealing with issues like bullying and learning difficulties in a fictional school in the fictional borough of Northam. Following the show, Erkan made appearances at three Grange Hill reunions: ITV This Morning's reunion in 1998, the Bring Back Grange Hill programme in 2005, and he hosted a cast reunion at Sound nightclub in Leicester Square in 2009. After Grange Hill he starred in Lenny Henry's 90s sitcomChef! Check out our exclusive Jonathan Lambeth aka Danny Kendall interview - now online! Email nicole.karageorgi@reachplc.com. Set at a comprehensive school in a fictional north London suburb, Grange Hill was one of the longest running and most influential shows in British TV history. I cant stand listening to Careless Whisper. Im going to be seeing Simone for the first time in about 20 years, this month, and its just going to be amazing. Id already performed Just Say No at School Disco, three or four months prior to that. 'I was told by lots of people she was a great fillip to young women teachers who started applying for headships.'. Erkan Mustafa found fame in the Eighties as Roland 'Roly' Browning who was bullied for being obese. Grange Hill's headteacher was in charge between 1981 and 1991. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. Without her character, Roland would not have been so popular. And the rest is history basically. Lee had always had an interest in boxing and continued to develop his skill to a high level but unfortunately a car accident in the early 1990s left him unable to pursue the sport. Grange Hill cast reunite 43 years on to discuss the importance of teaching kids about drugs in a pre-internet world and meeting First Lady Grange Hill reunion! Annette Firman had been taunting Roland about his weight, but he had also been unkind to Diane Cooney about her spots. Obviously at the time we had a great, great writer, Anthony Minghella, who went on to bigger and better things, God rest his soul. But the actor has also found success on other shows. I didnt know he was going; and he didnt know I was going. Contents Episode 2 1.5.3 Episode 3 1.5.4 Episode 4 1.5.5 Episode 5 1.5.6 Episode 6 1.5.7 Episode 7 1.5.8 Episode 8 1.5.9 Episode 9 You had the four main characters who were involved in the storyline; Lee (Zammo), Melissa (Jackie), Mmoloki (Kevin) and myself. It was great fun; it made me the person I am today. Following his success in Grange Hill, the actor went on to star in Lenny Henry's 90s sitcom Chef! Now 75, the actress went on to act in shows including A Touch of Frost, Casualty, Doctors and Holby City. 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. The actual show came across a bit strangely. The four actors starred in the hit BBC school-based show back in the late 70s and early 80s. Roland- Erkan Mustafa. "The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. There were 2000 people actually went for the role and I think the reason I got it, was because I was quite a shy child at one point, and the fact that I wore glasses. They talked about the campaign, and he explained the programme to her: I dont think she had a clue what Grange Hill was. It is only looking back, he says, that he realises what a big deal it was, although he did make an effort at the time. 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 . She noticed a small dimple on her breast while on holiday in Rome in May 2015. Roland Browning was Grange Hills fat kid. Roland's disappearance does much to transform his classmates' attitude to him and he returns to a hero's welcome.[1]. Grange Hill is for everyone." Now, 44 years since the bell first rang in February 1978, it's heading back to our screens. Erkan starred alongside other famous faces including former EastEnders star Todd Carty who played Peter 'Tucker' Jenkins, Casualty's Amanda Mealing, who portrayed Tracy Edwards and Lee MacDonald as Samuel 'Zammo' McGuire. How bizarre is that? It even covered racism, drugs, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, mental illness and so much more. There were a couple of people who were a few years older than me. She doesnt know what shes missing!! At the end of the day, if they didnt enjoy it; fair enough, but Grange Hill set you on a path. At my age now, 2 years older doesnt make any difference, but when youre 15,16, 17; it does. They smothered him and basically spoilt him. There were some great scenes that were cut, that were really really good. We always got on well. I was always a completely different personality to Roland. Apprentice pair facing the sack after romping at show's 17m mansion, Brand new Disney show fails to premiere leaving fans furious, Love Island's Olivia Hawkins breaks silence as she returns to the UK, EastEnders Natalie Cassidy shares rare picture of her lookalike daughter Joanie, 6, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. . shows hes done. Required fields are marked *. I dont remember much about arriving there, apart from the amount of security. You'll have to find the ghoul in under 11 seconds, so can you do it? "The national press were advertising the fact that they couldn't find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. Lee, now 54, tried his hand at professional boxing after leaving the show, but a car accident in the early 90s left him unable to return to the ring. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. My character had to see a child psychologist; there were scenes with just me and Mr Baxter. She left the series in 1985 and continued to act, appearing in TV series such as Spender and Only Fools and Horses. Its quite strange that that was the first episode we ever filmed and it was also, as actors, one of the most fun. as the character 'Otto' in 1993. Caroline 'Calley' Donnington - Simone Hyams Simone Hymas is best known for her role as Calley in Grange Hill, which she starred in from 1985 until 1991. To me it made no difference whether I worked with an adult or a child. While dropping his girlfriend, Jackie, off at Brookdale, Zammo is chased by Gluxo Remington the Brookdale Bully. 9.2K views 5 years ago #GrangeHill Lee MacDonald (born 21 June 1968) is a British actor who played Zammo McGuire in the children's TV series Grange Hill from 1982-1987. He later appeared in Blackadder's Christmas Carol in 1988, and in Lenny Henry's sitcom Chef! The Paula-Ann's edgy character Claire caused a stir by fantasising about teacher MrHopwood in her diary, who was then attached by her overprotective father. Its a shame they didnt have 45 minutes of it. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. A friend of mine runs SchoolDisco.com and I already knew what was happening. Alford's case was among those taken up by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. For Grange Hill's reunion, Erkan hosted an event at a nightclub in Leicester in 2009. A lot of characters get invited to the reunion, and people dont actually know who sent the original letter. At the time there was some animosity on the set because only certain people on the set got invited to America. Mrs McClusky was Grange Hill's headteacher and she was in charge between 1981 and 1991. His Grange Hill character was so popular, he was given his own spin-off show Tucker's Luck from 1983 to 1985. What did I have, the Freedom of the White House?. Its going to be quite strange for us, the class of 86; we had our reunion a couple of years ago. Roland attempted to fit in with the school and took part in a sports event where he was given support by older pupil Benny Green, who had also warned Gripper off from picking on Roland. Click here to sign up to our daily newsletter for the latest news and top stories from MyLondon sent straight to your inbox. Who was the black girl in Grange Hill? and also made appearances on Soccer AM and Celebrity Juice. 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. John gave up acting after Grange Hill and now works as the manager of a casino. WHERE ARE THEY NOW. People dont realise that. GRANGE Hill's Zammo, Tucker, Roland and Janet look unrecognisable in a 'mini reunion' picture. I wrote a 6 part comedy, aiming for Channel 4. . Who died in the swimming pool in Grange Hill? But it was all good really. Photograph: BBC Shortcuts Grange Hill Just say no! . Actor and writer Erkan Mustafa starred in the BBC1 series, Grange Hill, for six years from 1982 to 1987. No, really, I just hope that they enjoyed watching Grange Hill as much as we enjoyed making it! It was one of the longest-running programmes on British TV, finally ending in 2008. . Visiting Hours: Tuesday, October 30, 2018 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Baker-Swan Funeral Home, Wellsville Funeral Service: Wednesday, October 31, 2018 11:00 a.m. Baker-Swan Funeral Home, Wellsville Diane K. Young, 62, passed away Friday (Oct. 26 . Contents 4 6 7 8 9 Character History Series 5 (1982) It came from a tabloid sting in 1998 in which Mustafa was said to have boasted about taking a joint to the White House, and claimed to have smoked it in the garden: When I met Nancy, I was out of it., It seems unlikely. Ann Wilson was one of Grange Hill's original female pupils and wasted no time in getting herself voted onto the school council. The love that he had for the show was amazing. After leaving the school drama in 1987, he went on to act in two series of Chef! 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. We gave each other Christmas presents. Now I know I get more pleasure from writing than acting. The pair left the show in the early 1980s just four years after joining but remained friends throughout their careers. Todd Carty, 57, remains one of the show's most famous alumni having remained on TV screens since the first series aired in 1978. Janet St. Clair | Grange Hill Wiki | Fandom in: Children, Teenagers, St. Clair Family, and 4 more Janet St. Clair Edit Janet St. Clair was a student at Grange Hill from 1982 to 1986, played by Simone Nylander. But what became of the actor who played him? Was it difficult to play these scenes? I remember a scene I had in which Roland was supposed to be playing basketball. Because I had a character mother and father on set, I did scenes with those and when you have those parent scenes youre acting with adults quite a lot. The actor - who played underdog Roly for six years - became one of the BBC show's most beloved characters. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Lee Macdonald and I get on really well now. My friend had got me down there Djing. I know when Lee got approached, he thought Well, Ive got to do my research. The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. You can do it.". In May last year, I approached the BBC with an idea and they said no. A recovered Roland returned for the new school year, although Gripper showed no mercy for him and made clear to Roland that he still wants paying from him. . Naomi Campbell was an extra on the show. 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)! Some people say lines from the show, which I find a bit strange. Grange Hill ran for 30 years until 2008 and covered major issues from drug use to teen pregnancy, HIV and knife crime. They remember Pogo, but if you ask people they will say they only remember Roland and Zammo. He was discovered aged 14 by a talent scout while playing football in the park and enjoyed success in 1989 film The Firm, starring alongside Gary Oldman and Phil Davis. Thats snowballed into quite a lot of people going to be attending. Roland was a very unique character; but some of the bullying he suffered on screen was quite graphic and personal? It was 50 minutes long and it had to be edited to 29 minutes. But I was pleased as punch. Erkan Mustafa rose to fame when he was cast as Roly all those years ago. They even had the same name for the restaurant that Id wrote! Todd has been with his childhood sweetheart Dina Clarkin since 1990, and they have two sons James and Thomas. By the time he left Grange Hill six years later, Roland was able to stand up for himself and had developed a talent for foreign languages. She also enjoyed a romance with Stewpot, before discovering he was seeing Annette Firman behind her back. Do you have a message for the thousands of Grange Hill fans out there? Diane K. Young. Something went wrong, please try again later. She previously told the BBCthat she was determined to make the role more modern because she was only 35 when she took on the role. Unable to cope, he goes and locks himself in the toilets. I left Grange Hill in about 1986, so thats some time to still be recognised from the show! In the last ten years, fans may have spotted the child actor on Celebrity Juice, Pointless Celebrities and Soccer A.M. Erkan spoke about his time on the show: "I was just a normal child attending school. 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Do you have a story to sell? The first 4 series of Grange Hill were released on DVD in November, but subsequent releases have been cancelled due to poor sales. The very first episode we ever filmed was the Chessington Zoo episode. 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. They should have done a whole Grange Hill 30th Anniversary celebration. The star had actually trained as a teacher but never taught in the classroom, as she decided to pursue acting instead. I never even thought about acting. and what did you think of the finished programme? Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. st lawrence county police blotter; how soon after gallbladder surgery can i get a tattoo; taurus horoscope today and tomorrow; grubhub acquisition multiple When I first heard about it, I was 15 or 16 and I thought this is a bit too much for a childrens show. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. . When you were released from the school buildings , it was like you were being released from prison for the day; youd just go mad. Alison Bettles, now 51, played Fay Lucas from 1982 to 1987 in six series of the show. Grange Hill 1978 - 2008 - Precious stands up to Gripper 44,025 views Aug 31, 2013 Grange Hill - Series 6 Episode 7 .more .more 238 Dislike Share Save Jon Lamacraft 1.58K subscribers 100. So never say never! You can ask as much as you like about Roland and Janet. She reached out to shake our hands. GRANGE Hill Roland 'Roly' Browning actor Erkan Mustafa looks very different 39 years after his debut on the popular teen show. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. As a result, in what must be the strangest TV/political encounter of all, a number of the Grange Hill cast found themselves invited to the White House in 1986. Bullied by others, only child Roland struggled to fit in at Grange Hill. Susan Tully landed her Grange Hill role in 1981, aged 13. 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. . As a result, he became involved in a number of anti-drugs campaigns encouraging youngsters to 'Just Say No'. They made my character dance with his girlfriend, Fabienne. It really bugs me. I said to Simone, without Janet, Roland wouldnt have been anybody. . Watch out for a Grange Hill feature in this on BBC 1, Weds at 2100. I cant tolerate rudeness in people. Roland Browning was Grange Hill's 'fat kid'. It was amazing., One of the other cast members who went was Erkan Mustafa, who played Roland Ro-laaand Browning. Eventually they are found by a search party led by Mr Knowles. . Looking back, you live and learn. So the fact that he cant remember much about the visit wasnt to do with being high, but a more prosaic reason. It was exciting; going into a recording studio, never done that before. Fly to America ; never done that before. The actor shot to fame playing Roland 'Roly' Browning on BBC's Grange Hill, All the latest TV news and gossip straight to your inbox every weekday. Was it difficult to play these scenes? Gripper had picked on Roland during the series, making him give him money and humiliating him. Even now if I hear it I just cringe!! We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. During the '90s she turned her back on acting and opened shoe shops called Paola in Knightsbridge and Chelsea before starting her own PR company.