When Richard Linnell left Hollyoaks in 2019, he expressed the desire to pursue other projects. And given his character’s popularity in the daytime drama, fans anticipated an adventurous career from the Londoner. As Alfie Nightingale, Linnell gained mainstream recognition, marking the breakthrough of a career that had spanned over half a decade. An alum of The Arts Educational School, Tring Park, the English actor began performing on stage in 2007. This was when he played Kurt in London Palladium’s production of Sound of Music.
He transitioned from the stage to the screen that same year when he appeared in Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old? Richard Linnell’s proper screen acting debut came in 2009 as Tom’s Son in BBC’s The Legend of Dick & Dom. He appeared in another BBC production that year. This time, he played Francis in the “Mrs. Beeton” episode of Magic Grandad. Linnell also portrayed Anthony Weaver in two episodes of Georgia Pritchett’s Life of Riley (2011) before he was billed to play Alfie Nightingale in Hollyoaks.
Reminiscing Richard Linnell’s Portrayal Of Alfie Nightingale In Hollyoaks
The English actor first appeared as Alfie Nightingale in October 2015 and quickly became a fan favorite. The introduction of his character came with big storylines and memorable moments that stirred the hearts of viewers. These include the school explosion, Alfie’s struggle with Schizoaffective, and the cancer storyline with Kassius Nelson’s Jade Albright. Alfie’s relationship with Jade as they battle Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the highlight of Richard Linnell’s time on the Phil Redmond soap opera.
Having overcome the disease as a child, Alfie learns to his dismay that Jade is battling the same condition. He resolves to support her through it but soon finds out his cancer has returned. The duo supports each other as they receive treatment but Jade eventually succumbs to the disease, dying in Alfie’s arms. The storyline earned the pair two British Soap Awards for Best On-Screen Partnership and Scene of the Year in 2017.
Why He Left The Show In January 2019
Kassius Nelson exited the show in February 2017, but Richard Linnell continued playing Alfie until January 2019. He departed the show when his character left Hollyoaks for America, right after confronting his father Mac Nightingale (David Easter) for being a murderer and serial abuser. Richard Linnell decided to leave the show after three years, expressing the desire to pursue other roles.
In an interview with Digital Spy, the actor disclosed he had predetermined to stay on the show for three years. “When I came into the show, I always thought that I would stay for about three years. I also felt that I’d been very lucky, as I was given two very big storylines back-to-back,” he said. Linnell also stated that he wanted to leave on a high note. “I felt that it’d be good to go out on a high, so I went and spoke to the producers and we worked out a happy ending for Alfie.”
What Has Richard Linnell Been Up To Since His Departure From Hollyoaks?
In the aforementioned interview with Digital Spy, the Hollyoaks actor divulged that he started making YouTube videos after leaving the soap. “I’ve already made a vlog about my last week at Hollyoaks,” he told the publication. Linnell has abandoned this project; his channel has only three videos from 2019. The actor also said he’d “love to do more theatre, more television, and explore more challenging roles.” However, he hasn’t been seen in any stage production since then and has only featured in two television shows.
In 2020, he played Sam in two episodes of Amazon Prime’s Pan Tau and then Young Philo Farnsworth in the “Titans of Television” episode of The Machines That Built America. This was in 2021. While he hasn’t been seen in any television production since then, he has appeared in Piggies (2021), an acclaimed short film directed by Elliot Wood. He’s also slated to appear in two upcoming Wood short films.
In all, Richard Linnell is still active but none of his projects measure up to the popularity of Hollyoaks. The actor took advanced courses at The Actors Class — Mary Doherty’s acting school — in 2023. This is, perhaps, an attempt to rejuvenate his career. In November 2023, he took to Instagram to thank Doherty for showing him his potential and giving him “the tools and the path to get there.” Check out what happened to Dylan Patton, the Will Horton actor from Days of Our Lives.
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