Hollyoaks’ original actor looks unrecognisable 28 years after soap exit and being replaced
HOLLYOAKS' original Darren Osborne actor looks unrecognisable 28 years on from exiting and being replaced. Ashley Taylor Dawson may be synonymous with Darren, but he did not originate the role.
That honour goes to Adam Booth, who debuted in November 1996 and left in 1997.
Darren’s original tenure ended by going to America after dad Jack’s cheating tore apart his family.
In the decades since leaving Hollyoaks behind, Adam has continued his acting career.
He has made appearances in The Bay, Coronation Street, Doctors and The Keith Lemon Sketch Show.
Adam has also worked extensively on stage, namely in pantomimes such as Cinderella, Peter Pan and Aladdin.
According to the actor’s Instagram, he received a gong for Best Comic at The Pantomime Awards 2023.
Sharing a photo of the prize, he captioned: “Wow! What an incredible night!
“So unbelievably proud, grateful and honoured to win ‘Best Comic’ at The Pantomime Awards 2023.
“Congratulations to all the nominees, winners, performers and presenters tonight.
He concluded: “It was a really amazing night!”
While Adam left Hollyoaks in 1997, replacement Ashley was not cast as Darren until 1999.
From there, Ashley then portrayed the role until 2001 when he left to focus on his music career.
The character Darren returned in 2003, as played by Ashley and has remained ever since.
Initially depicted as a “bad boy”, the character has matured and evolved over the years.
Some of Darren’s most notable storylines include a battle with gambling addiction.
He also previously helped dad Jack fake his death in an insurance scam.
Darren has been married to three women – Hannah Ashworth, Nancy Hayton and Mandy Richardson respectively.
Darren has grown and matured from his “bad boy” image
