Career: Lawson's first big success was in West End musical Pal Joey. He also appeared in such memorable TV productions as The Merchant of Venice, Rock Follies and The Man in the Iron Mask. He had a small role in the original Star Wars trilogy, was in the acclaimed Local Hero in 1983, and took the lead in sitcom The Kit Curran Radio Show. He has rarely been out of work since, whether it's on stage, film or TV. Among his other projects are The Ambassador, Bob Martin, Hornblower, Holby City, Bleak House, Robin Hood, Enid, Just William, Marchlands and New Tricks. He's also a director and has worked with his nephew on the theatre production Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs, and short film Solid Geometry.

Career: Lyndhurst made his TV debut in an adaptation of Heidi in 1974. He followed this with roles in The Prince and the Pauper, and The Tomorrow People. In 1978, Lyndhurst began his transition into more grown-up roles by playing Ronnie Barker's son in Porridge spin-off Going Straight, and classic sitcom Butterflies, but it was Only Fools And Horses that made him a household name when it began in 1981. Since then, he's also starred in The Two of Us, The Piglet Files, David Copperfield, Gulliver's Travels, Goodnight Sweetheart, After You've Gone and Only Fools prequel Rock & Chips. He is now a regular in New Tricks.

Career: Outhwaite took small parts in various West End productions and also appeared on TV in The Bill and Men Behaving Badly. Her big break came in 1997, when dramatist Alan Ayckbourn spotted her in the chorus of a musical and offered her the lead role in his play Absent Friends. She then played the part of Melanie Healy in EastEnders for three years. Since leaving Walford, she has starred in the dramas Red Cap and Final Demand, and won rave reviews for her performance as a single mum in the improvised drama Out of Control. Other work includes an appearance in Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me, Doctor Who and Marple. She has also appeared on the stage in revivals of Boeing Boeing and Sweet Charity, and is the lead actress in New Tricks.

Career: At 16, Waterman returned to Britain and concentrated on stage work until an acclaimed performance in 1968's Up the Junction led to more film roles. Low-budget movies (such as Scars of Dracula) and TV shows (including Colditz) followed until, in 1974, he co-starred with John Thaw in Regan, the pilot episode of iconic series The Sweeney, which became a major TV hit. A 10-year stint in comedy drama Minder followed. Other projects include TV shows On the Up, Stay Lucky, and Circles of Deceit. He's also worked on the stage, most notably in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, and My Fair Lady. As Gerry Standing, in BBC drama New Tricks, he has introduced himself to a new generation of fans.

Career: Thompson appeared in a number of films during the 1990s, including Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Emma (1996) and Dancing at Lughnasa (1998). She also made a number of TV appearances in the 1990s and 2000s, including in Jonathan Creek, Persuasion, Midsomer Murders and Doc Martin. From 2006 to 2007 she played Stella Crawford in EastEnders. More recently, she has appeared in such films as Eat Pray Love (2010), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010) and That Day We Sang (2014), as well as such TV series as Lightfields, Detectorists and Jericho. Aside from TV and film, Thompson has had a successful stage career that has seen her nominated for Olivier Awards on several occasions, and even winning one when she portrayed The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods from 1998 to 1999. In 2014, Thompson won Celebrity Masterchef and released a recipe book, My Family Kitchen, the year after.

Career: After leaving Brookside in 1993, Stephenson went on to star in a number of popular TV shows, including The Bill, Casualty, Holby City, Clocking Off, Christmas Lights, Northern Lights, City Lights, The Chase, All at Sea, and Waterloo Road. More recently, she starred in ITV drama Safe House.