Career: Bolam appeared on stage alongside Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, then followed it up with films The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and A Kind of Loving, before being cast as cynical Terry Collier in The Likely Lads in 1964. He agreed to reprise the role in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? nine years later. James went on to star in When the Boat Comes In, Only When I Laugh and Alan Plater's Beiderbecke trilogy. He has also appeared in Clockwork Mice, The End of the Affair, Born and Bred, Grandpa in My Pocket, To Kill a King and controversial feature-length drama Shipman, about serial killer doctor Harold Shipman. He starred in New Tricks between 2003 and 2012 and continues to appear on stage.

Career: Michael spent 10 years appearing on stage and working as an air steward before his big break came in 1993 when he landed the part of David Wicks in EastEnders. He stayed in Walford for three years before leaving to appear in Crime Traveller (he returned briefly in 2012 to mark the death of his on-screen mother, Pat Evans). More TV roles followed in The Gentleman Thief, Born and Bred, and The Fabulous Bagel Boys. He also featured in radio plays and did video game voiceover work. Between 1998 and 2013 he had various stints playing Dr Nick Jordan in Casualty and sister programme Holby City. He returned briefly to EastEnders in 2012 to mark the death of his on-screen mother, Pat Evans. He rejoined EastEnders as a regular character in September 2013.

Career: Russell's early career saw her perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Then, between 1990 and 1992, she played Maggie Lomax in the television comedy On the Up. Russell has appeared in a number of theatre and musical productions and received an Olivier Award for her performance in Sunday in the Park with George. She was also nominated for a Tony Award when she appeared in the same play in New York. On TV, she played the role of Deborah Gilder in the series Born and Bred and has appeared in such shows as Doctor Who, Peak Practice and Minder. Her career has taken her to the big screen, including a role as a detective in Mortdecai (2015). In 2016, Russell took on the character of Michelle Fowler in EastEnders.

Career: Swift made his TV debut opposite Warren Mitchell in a 1963 episode of Love Story. His first film was Catch Us If You Can (1965). He would later star in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972). For the next 20 years, he worked solidly as a character actor on stage, TV and radio. His TV credits include The Liver Birds, South Riding, The Brothers, Hazell, The Nesbitts Are Coming, The Gentle Touch, and The Pickwick Papers. His life changed in 1990 when he was cast as Richard Bucket in the hugely popular BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. The role made him a household name and it ran for 44 editions. He returned to the world of sitcoms in 2009 when he began starring opposite Roger Lloyd Pack in The Old Guys.

Career: Gunn has appeared in a number of British TV series. One of his first appearances on the small screen was in an episode of Young Charlie Chaplin in 1989. Following this, he had guest appearances in such series as Pie in the Sky, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Grange Hill, The Bill and A Touch of Frost before landing a regular role in Heartburn Hotel between 1998 and 2000. He later played Len Cosgrove in the comedy drama Born and Bred between 2002 and 2005. In 2010, he first appeared in Coronation Street as Brian Packham, whom he played until 2013. He made a return in 2015 and became a series regular again in 2016. Gunn is best known to American audiences for playing Oswald Granger in Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). He has also previously had parts in such American films as Roseanna's Grave (1997) and Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998).

Career: In 1985 Dinsdale landed a key role in Eric Chappell's sitcom Home to Roost, starring alongside John Thaw. It ran for five years and paved the way for Haggard, ITV's answer to Blackadder, also penned by Chappell. In 1995, he starred in ID, a movie about football hooligans, and a year later landed the role of DI Charlie Scott in detective drama Thief Takers. Other notable projects have included Kenneth Branagh's film version of Hamlet, Conviction, Life on Mars, The Chase and Coronation Street; he appeared in 175 episodes of the Weatherfield soap. Recent offerings have included roles in Taggart and Waterloo Road.

Career: De la Tour spent four years playing spinster Miss Jones in classic sitcom Rising Damp on TV, and also appeared in the 1980 film spin-off. She's rarely been out of work since, playing a wide range of roles on TV, film and stage. Among her most acclaimed small-screen projects are Duet for One, Cold Lazarus and Tom Jones; she's recently returned to sitcom with Vicious and Big School. On film she's featured in the Harry Potter franchise, Alice in Wonderland and Hugo. On stage, her recent collaborations with Alan Bennett, in The History Boys, The Habit of Art and People, have been resounding successes.