Casualty - My Aim Is True - 11:50 am Friday, July 31 on U&Drama +1

Suzanne Packer (Actor) .. Tess Bateman

Born: June 20, 1958 in Abergavenny, Wales

Best Known For: Playing Tess Bateman in Casualty.

Early-life: Born Suzanne Jackson in Abergavenny, Wales, on June 20, 1958, she is the older sister of former Olympic hurdler Colin Jackson. She showed an interest in acting from an early age and played lead roles in a number of school plays.

Career: Packer's first break as an actor came in 1990 when she began playing Mick Johnson's wife Josie in Channel 4 soap Brookside. She took a break from acting to complete a degree in teaching at Goldsmiths College and after graduating in 1996, she taught drama in London. After marrying American actor Jesse Newman, she moved to New York, where she taught drama. When their marriage ended, Packer relocated to Cardiff and quickly landed an audition for Casualty. She made her first appearance as Tess Bateman in the medical drama in 2003 and has remained on the show ever since.

Quote: 'Being nearly five years older, I was responsible for Colin — something I took on quite naturally.'

Trivia: She appeared with her brother in a celebrity edition of Pointless in 2011. They were eliminated in the first round.

Oliver Coleman (Actor) .. Tom Kent

William Beck (Actor) .. Dylan Keogh

Alex Walkinshaw (Actor) .. Adrian `Fletch" Fletcher

Born: October 05, 1974 in Barking, Essex

Best Known For: Playing Smithy in The Bill.

Early-life: Alex Walkinshaw was born in Barking, Essex, on 5 October 1974. A keen swimmer as a child, he used to train five days a week and compete in various competitions, finding it helped his asthma. An energetic, extroverted child, he studied drama as an outlet for his creativity. After studying drama at his secondary school, Alex soon found he had a real talent and joined a Saturday drama class. Encouraged by his teachers, Alex was elated to be accepted into the Sylvia Young Theatre School and later the London Dance Studios.

Career: His first TV appearance was at the age of 12 as an extra in Grange Hill. From 1992 to 1993 he appeared in the sitcom Side by Side. He first appeared in The Bill as a guest star in 1992, 1993 and 1995, before joining as a regular cast member in 1999. He played PC Dale Smith, better known as 'Smithy'. He left the show in 2001, only to return in 2003 when his character was promoted to Sergeant. After a spell in Waterloo Road, Walkinshaw joined the cast of Casualty in 2012 as senior staff nurse Adrian Fletcher. He took his character to Holby City in August 2014.

Quote: On his move from Casualty to Holby City: 'I was really quite nervous when I first started, but everyone has been so welcoming and friendly that I feel my transition has been fairly smooth.'

Trivia: In 2007, he took part in The Weakest Link and won £9,450 for Essex-based charity called 'Kids in Need'.

Sunetra Sarker (Actor) .. Zoe Hanna

Born: July 25, 1973 in Liverpool

Best Known For: Casualty.

Early-life: Sunetra was born in Liverpool on June 25, 1973. Her father is a doctor. She went on to study Information Systems for Business with French at Brunel University. Her breakthrough as an actress came in 1988 when she was cast as Nisha Batra in Brookside. She stayed with the soap for two years but returned to play the same character 10 years later between 2000 and 2003.

Career: Following her first stint on Brookside, Sarker starred in London Bridge, Cold Feet and Playing the Field. Bigger roles came in No Angels and The Chase. In 2007, she was cast as Dr Zoe Hanna in Casualty, a role she continues to play. In 2014, she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

Quote: On signing up for Strictly Come Dancing: 'I don't quite know what I've let myself in for. But the chance to swap my stethoscope for sequins was just too tempting.'

Trivia: In 2014, Sarker appeared with her son, Noah, on game show Big Star's Little Star.

Jane Hazlegrove (Actor) .. Kathleen `Dixie" Dixon

Matt Bardock (Actor) .. Jeff Collier

Charles Dale (Actor) .. Big Mac

Born: November 28, 1963 in Tenby, Pembrokeshire

Best Known For: The Lakes and Coronation Street.

Early-life: Charles Dale was born in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, in 1963. His father ran a record shop and both his parents were keen amateur actors. After leaving school in 1979, he became an assistant stage manager at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven, where he stayed for a year. After occasional acting roles, he moved to London and trained at Lamda.

Career: Dale broke into TV with a string of small roles in the likes of Lovejoy, A Touch of Frost and Bramwell in the early 1990s. However, his big break came when he appeared as Chef in Jimmy McGovern's The Lakes, where his memorable turn as the head-case and seducer created an instant screen legend. He appeared in a couple of West End shows and played Dennis in Coronation Street for 18 months. He later appeared as Clive in Paradise Heights, as well as its spin-off, The Eustace Brothers, alongside Neil Morrissey and Ralf Little. He had further roles in ITV's Steel River Blues and children's series Barking! He also appeared in Rocket Man with Robson Green. He joined the cast of Casualty in November 2007 as porter Big Mac.

Quote: 'Big Mac's grumpy, overweight and a hypochondriac. It's nice to be in my comfort zone.'

Trivia: In the BBC series Coming Home, Dale uncovered the role played by his grandfather in the Second World War.

Michael Obiora (Actor) .. Lloyd Asike

Christine Tremarco (Actor) .. Linda Andrews

Charlotte Salt (Actor) .. Sam Nicholls

Tony Marshall (Actor) .. Noel Garcia

Born: May 14, 1974 in Manchester

Best Known For: Playing Noel Garcia in Casualty.

Early-life: Tony was born in Manchester on May 14, 1974. He made his TV debut in 1989 as a waiter in the TV drama Saracen. Minor roles followed in The Paradise Club, Second Thoughts, Only Fools and Horses and Nelson's Column.

Career: Marshall had a recurring role on All Quiet on the Preston Front and went on to make guest appearances in the likes of Faith in the Future, The Bill, The Queen's Nose, Doctors, My Family, Judge John Deed and Holby City. He played the bartender Nelson in Life on Mars. His big break came in 2008 when he began playing receptionist Noel Garcia in Casualty.

Quote: On his Casualty character: 'He's a chancer! Cheeky, up for a laugh - looking out for ways to make money.'

Trivia: Away from acting, Marshall enjoys classic cars, football and comedy DVDs.

Derek Thompson (Actor) .. Charlie Fairhead

Born: April 04, 1948 in Belfast

Best Known For: Playing nurse boss Charlie Fairhead in Casualty.

Early-life: Born in Belfast on April 4, 1948. He began his showbusiness career at the age of 10 in a close harmony group with his twin sister Elaine (she is 10 minutes younger than him). The siblings then went on a roadshow touring the variety theatres of Britain and landed a record deal, eventually having a hit with One Little Robin in a Cherry Tree when they were 12. They appeared in the 1965 film Gonks Go Beat and formed a trio called Odin's People with Larry Johns. Derek decided to concentrate on acting at the age of 19.

Career: Thompson got a job as a stage manager and went on to do repertory and fringe theatre. His first professional role was in Romeo and Juliet at the Ludlow Festival and he made his TV debut in the police series Softly, Softly. Other early work included roles in The Gentle Touch, The Long Good Friday and Yanks. Although his main love has always been the stage, he was delighted at being offered the part of Charlie in Casualty. First appearing in 1986, he is the longest-serving actor in the show and has faced many emotional scenes and delicate issues. His famous alter ego has crossed over into sister show Holby City, and in the short-lived spin-off series HolbyBlue.

Quote: 'Playing Charlie for as long as I have means it's hard to tell what parts of me have become part of his personality.'

Trivia: A keen swimmer, Thompson also loves sailing and taking long walks.

Azuka Oforka (Actor) .. Louise Tyler

Connie Fisher (Actor) .. Amanda Franks

Born: June 17, 1983 in Lisburn

Best Known For: Winning reality talent show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Early-life: Born on June 17, 1983, in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Connie lived in Dorset until she was six, when the family moved to Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire. There, as a teenager, she joined a local operatic society and a youth theatre. After appearing in several touring productions (including Pendragon, which went to Japan), Connie won a scholarship to the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 2005 with a First Class degree in Musical Theatre.

Career: Connie's early TV credits include Jane MacDonald's series Star for a Night and BBC Children In Need, and she landed her first professional job in 2005 in panto. However, real fame came a year later when she won BBC talent contest How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?, landing the leading role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End musical The Sound of Music. Since then, she has taken part in the 2007 Concert for Diana, and a revival of the musical They're Playing Our Song, opposite Alistair McGowan. She made her TV acting debut in ITV one-off drama Caught in a Trap and had a recurring role in Casualty. She joined a touring version of The Sound of Music in 2009 and returned to the stage in the spring of 2012 in a revival of Leonard Bernstein's Wonderful Town.

Quote: 'My voice now has a creak. I still have melody in it but I've gone from a high soprano to an alto, and that precludes certain roles in musical theatre.'

Trivia: In 2011, Fisher was forced to scale back her singing commitments when she was diagnosed with congenital sulcus vocalis (holes in her vocal cords).

Gary Cady (Actor) .. Dominic Carter

Gemma Atkinson (Actor) .. Tamzin Bayle

Born: November 16, 1984 in Bury

Best Known For: Hollyoaks and Emmerdale.

Early-life: Gemma Louise Atkinson was born in Bury on November 16, 1984. Gemma had success early in her acting career when she landed the role of Lisa Hunter on Hollyoaks. She starred in more than 600 editions between 2001 and 2005 and also reprised her role in spin-off shows Hollyoaks: After Hours, Hollyoaks: Let Loose and Hollyoaks: In the City.

Career: Since leaving Hollyoaks, Atkinson has starred in The Bill, Waterloo Road, Casualty and Law & Order: UK. In 2015, she joined the cast of Emmerdale, playing Carly Hope. Atkinson is also well known for her glamour modelling work, having appeared in the likes of Nuts, Zoo Weekly, FHM and Maxim. She has also appeared in the reality shows Soapstar Superstar and I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Quote: 'I grew up in the north, I've watched Emmerdale for years and my mum is a huge fan, so when I got the call saying I'd got the part I was really surprised and happy.'

Trivia: Atkinson is a big fitness fan.

Julia Hills (Actor) .. Cathy Prest

Imogen Roberts (Actor) .. Meg Prest

Lawry Lewin (Actor) .. Des Wilmot

Benedict Smith (Actor) .. Liam Wilmot

Adam Mercer (Actor) .. Nick `Meatball" Langton

Edward Toll (Actor) .. Marek Kalinski

Jill Robertson (Director)

Tom Needham (Writer)

Nikki Wilson (Series producer)

Johnathan Young (Executive producer)

Casualty: My Aim Is True

11:50 am - 12:50 pm, Friday, July 31 on U&Drama +1 (60)

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My Aim Is True
Episode 14

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