Adam Woodyatt
{{short description|English actor}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Adam Woodyatt
| image = Adam Woodyatt.jpg
| caption = Woodyatt in 2009
| birth_name = Adam Brinley Woodyatt
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1968|06|28}}
| birth_place = Walthamstow, London, England
| occupation = Actor
| known_for = Role of Ian Beale in EastEnders
| height_m = 1.75
| yearsactive = 1983–present
| spouse = {{Marriage|Beverley Sharp|1998|2022|reason=divorced}}
| children = 2
}}
Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role he has portrayed since the show's inception in 1985.{{cite web | url= https://www.whattowatch.com/eastenders-main/eastenders-news/eastenders-adam-woodyatt-as-long-as-im-still-enjoying-it-ill-stay-for-another-30-73442 | title= EastEnders' Adam Woodyatt: 'As long as I'm still enjoying it I'll stay for another 30 years' | work=What's on TV | first=Alison | last=Gardner | date=10 February 2015 | access-date=30 December 2021}}
Early life and education
Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in Walthamstow, and grew up in east London. He was educated at two independent schools: Forest School,{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1401571/Public-schoolboy-who-turned-to-terror.html|title=Public schoolboy who turned to terror – Telegraph|last=O'Neill|first=Sean|date=16 July 2002|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=9 April 2012}} on the edge of Epping Forest, in Walthamstow in north east London, where he shared classes with comedy writer Sharat Sardana and cricket captain Nasser Hussain; and the Sylvia Young Theatre School.{{Cite web |title= Sylvia Young Theatre School – Alumni |url= https://www.sylviayoungtheatreschool.co.uk/page/?title=Alumni&pid=74 |work= sylviayoungtheatreschool.co.uk |access-date= 4 April 2024 }} He also attended Llanidloes High School, Llanidloes, Wales.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/llanidloes/pages/fame.shtml |title=BBC – Mid Wales Llanidloes – Claims to Fame |work=BBC Online |access-date=9 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307225407/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/llanidloes/pages/fame.shtml |archive-date=7 March 2009 }}
Career
Aged 13, Woodyatt appeared on stage at the National Theatre in Tom Stoppard's play On the Razzle.{{cite web | url= https://www.whatsonstage.com/glasgow-theatre/news/adam-woodyatt-looking-good-dead-tour_52792.html | title= Adam Woodyatt to star in Looking Good Dead tour | work=What's On Stage | first=Alex | last=Wood | date=13 November 2020 | access-date=8 June 2021}} Following the completion of his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Woodyatt appeared in the BBC's children's drama series The Baker Street Boys and the ITV fantasy series The Witches and the Grinnygog, both airing in 1983. He then put his acting career on hiatus and worked as a butcher in Wales for a brief period, before joining the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders in the role of Ian Beale. Not expecting to stay much beyond the first year,{{cite web|author=Beth Neil |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/eastenders-25th-birthday-special-we-chat-794996 |title=EastEnders 25th birthday special: We chat to Ian Beale aka actor Adam Woodyatt about being the longest-serving cast member – 3am & Mirror Online |publisher=Mirror.co.uk |date=10 February 2010 |access-date=21 August 2013}} Woodyatt has become the longest-serving male cast member in EastEnders. In 2013, his longevity on the show was honoured at The British Soap Awards, where he received the Lifetime Achievement Award.{{Cite news|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/soaps/2013-05-18/british-soap-awards-2013-the-winners-in-full/|title=British Soap Awards 2013: the winners in full|work=Radio Times|access-date=5 February 2020}}
Woodyatt has also appeared as a guest personality on several BBC game shows and charity fundraisers, including A Question of Sport, Robot Wars (winning the show's Celebrity Special with the robot Pussycat) and Children in Need. In 2015, Woodyatt played the henchman of the Wicked Queen in a pantomime production of Snow White at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre. Speaking about joining the production, Woodyatt commented: "I absolutely love performing in front of an audience as it's so different to camera – I love the reaction of the audience. I am very much looking forward to spending the Christmas season at the Wyvern Theatre, which I know has a reputation for staging outstanding pantomimes."{{Cite news|url=https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/11878247.eastenders-adam-woodyatt-to-star-in-wyverns-christmas-panto/|title=EastEnders' Adam Woodyatt to star in Wyvern's Christmas panto|work=Swindon Advertiser|access-date=16 August 2020}}
On 24 April 2015, the comedy singer Gavin Osborn released a song titled "Adam Woodyatt", with the lines "Imagine how it feels, being Ian Beale".{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZARkg3MUgS0|title=Adam Woodyatt|date=29 April 2020 |via=www.youtube.com}} In 2019, he appeared on Celebrity Masterchef.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07gqp1b/p07gqh4r |title=Series 14 Contestants |website=BBC |access-date=1 October 2019}}
In August 2020, it was announced Woodyatt would be taking an "extended break" from appearing in EastEnders.{{Cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/ian-beale-written-out-eastenders-18777149.amp|title=Ian Beale written out of EastEnders as Adam Woodyatt takes a break|work=WalesOnline|access-date=16 August 2020}} In 2022, he made a brief return for the funeral of Dot Cotton (June Brown).{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Lewis |date=12 December 2022 |title=Who was Ian Beale calling in EastEnders cameo twist? |work=Radio Times |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/eastenders/eastenders-ian-beale-phone-call-jane-theories/ |access-date=13 December 2022}} He returned on a permanent basis in August 2023, alongside the character's wife Cindy Beale who was supposedly killed off 25 years prior.{{cite web |title=EastEnders spoilers: Cindy Beale returns from the dead in massive shocking twist |url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/19/eastenders-spoilers-cindy-beale-returns-from-the-dead-with-ian-18815039 |website=Metro |access-date=19 May 2023 |date=19 May 2023}}
In November 2021, Woodyatt was announced as one of the two annual late entrants during the twenty-first series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, entering alongside Coronation Street actor Simon Gregson. He was eliminated on day 18 from Gwrych Castle (hosting its second season) in Wales on 10 December 2021, finishing in sixth place. {{Cite web|title=I'm a Celebrity star Adam Woodyatt spoke with EastEnders' Shane Richie ahead of joining the show|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a38344619/im-a-celebrity-adam-woodyatt-2021-series/|access-date=24 November 2021 |work=Digital Spy|date=24 November 2021|language=en}}
Woodyatt is also a photographer, a hobby he took up while performing On The Razzle at the National Theatre when he was 13 years old.{{Cite web|date=22 October 2021|title=Laurie Brett to reunite with Adam Woodyatt in Looking Good Dead|url=https://www.londontheatre1.com/theatre-news/laurie-brett-to-reunite-with-adam-woodyatt-in-looking-good-dead/|access-date=25 November 2021|website=LondonTheatre1|language=en-GB}}
In 2008, he won the Architectural Photographer of the Year Award of The Societies of Photographers with a picture he took at St Pancras, where he was filming EastEnders.{{Cite web |url=https://thesocieties.net/the-societies-photographer-of-the-year-2008/architectural-photographer-of-the-year-2008/ |title=Architectural The Societies Photographer of the Year 2008 |access-date=26 February 2010}}
Personal life
On 8 April 1998, Woodyatt married dancer Beverley Sharp in a private ceremony at Disney World, Florida.{{cite news |title=BBC – Somerset – EastEnders' Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) talks... |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/closer_to_you/2003/12/eastender.shtml |access-date=7 April 2020 |work=www.bbc.co.uk |date=18 December 2003}} The couple have two children. For many years, the family lived in Southam, Warwickshire, some 72 miles northwest of the BBC Elstree Studios in south Hertfordshire, where EastEnders is recorded. On 21 August 2020, it was revealed that Woodyatt had decided to separate from Sharp the previous year, after more than twenty years of marriage.{{Cite web|title=EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt separates from wife Beverley Sharp after 22 years|website=Daily Mirror|date=21 August 2020|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-eastenders-adam-woodyatt-wife-22559616}} Woodyatt is a supporter of Liverpool F.C.{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/NG152295060511-0902.htm |title=oldsite – Liverpool FC |publisher=Liverpoolfc.tv |access-date=21 August 2013}} and has been described by Digital Spy as a "huge sci-fi fanatic".{{cite web | url= https://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/10-things-about/a202466/ten-things-you-never-knew-about-adam-woodyatt/ | title= Ten Things You Never Knew About Adam Woodyatt | work=Digital Spy | first=Alex | last=Fletcher | date=10 February 2010 | access-date=8 June 2021}}
=Charity=
Inspired by his father's death from cancer aged 58, Woodyatt has helped raise money for various cancer research initiatives, and broke his collarbone in June 2003 whilst training for a charity bicycle ride.[http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2003/06/16/story102852.asp] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041211022656/http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2003/06/16/story102852.asp|date=11 December 2004}}
Woodyatt was also involved in launching an Aid for Haiti event at Coventry's Ricoh Arena in February 2010, with many of his actor colleagues posing for photographs, signing autographs, and providing items for an auction, which raised £30,000. Woodyatt is also a supporter of Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance{{Cite web|url=https://theairambulanceservice.org.uk/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523150552/http://www.wnaa.co.uk/index.asp?page=Adam%20Woodyatt|title=The Air Ambulance Service|archivedate=23 May 2007|website=The Air Ambulance Service}} and an Ambassador for the Children's Air Ambulance.{{Cite web | url=https://www.childrensairambulance.org.uk/about/our-people/?category=ambassadors | title=Our People}}
In January 2019, it was announced that he would be running the London Marathon with some of his EastEnders co-stars for a Dementia campaign in honour of former Eastenders actress Barbara Windsor.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46794236 |title=EastEnders stars to run marathon for Dame Barbara Windsor |date=8 January 2019 |work=BBC News |access-date=8 January 2019}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role |
|---|
| 1990
| Happy Birthday, Coronation Street! | rowspan="7" | Himself |
| 1998
| Reasonably Scary Monsters |
| 1999
| An Audience with Tom Jones |
| 2000 |
| rowspan="2" | 2001
| An Audience with Des O'Connor |
| Wendy Richard: A Life on the Box |
| 2002
|Test the Nation: The National IQ Test 2002 |
| rowspan="2" |2003
|EastEnders: Slaters in Detention |
| Test the Nation: The National Relationship Test
| rowspan="7" |Himself |
| 2004
|How Soaps Changed the World |
| 2007
|EastEnders Feuds: The Beales vs. The Mitchells |
| 2008
|Happy Birthday Brucie! |
| rowspan="2" |2009
|The British Soap Awards 2009: After Party |
| Donny & Marie: Las Vegas Live |
| rowspan="2" |2010
|Coronation Street: The Big 50 |
| EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford
| rowspan="4" |Ian Beale |
| 2011
|EastEnders: Greatest Exits |
| 2012
|The Walford Apprentice |
| 2014 |
| rowspan="2" |2015
|EastEnders: Backstage with Zoe Ball & Joe Swash |Himself |
| Neighbours 30th Anniversary Tribute: Ramsay Square
| rowspan="2" |Ian Beale |
| 2016
|Bobby Beale: The Story So Far |
| 2017
|June Brown at 90: A Walford Legend | rowspan="2" |Himself |
| 2018
|The Best of EastEnders |
| rowspan="2" |2022
| |
| Queens for the Night
|Himself |
=Television=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="2" | 1983
| Shiner | 8 episodes |
| The Witches and the Grinnygog
| Dave Firkettle | 6 episodes |
| 1985–present
| Regular role |
| 1987
| rowspan="6" |Himself | Episode: "Celebrity First Class 1987" |
| 1988–1989, 1992
| 3 episodes |
| 1990–1991
|2 episodes |
| 1991
|Episode: "Series 11, episode 5" |
| 1992, 1994
|2 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |1993
|The Main Event |Episode: "Series 1, episode 4" |
| Dimensions in Time
|Charity crossover between Doctor Who and EastEnders |
| rowspan="2" |1994
| rowspan="9" |Himself |2 episodes |
| Live & Kicking
|Episode: "Series 2, episode 11" |
| 1995
|The James Whale Show |Episode: "Series 1, episode 35" |
| 1995–1996
|2 episodes |
| 1998
|Computers Don't Bute: The Beginner's Guide |Episode: "Series 2, episode 1" |
| 1998, 2000, 2003
|4 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |1999
|EastEnders: Fighting Fit |5 episodes |
| The Other Half
|Episode: "Celebrity Special" |
| 2000
|Episode: "Celebrity Robot Wars" |
| 2000–2001
|2 episodes |
| 2000–2001, 2010
| rowspan="4" |Himself |3 episodes |
| rowspan="4" |2001
|Episode: "Series 22, episode 15" |
| Celebrity Ready, Steady, Cook
|Episode: "6 May 2001" |
| A Question of TV
|2 episodes |
| Big Impression
|Episode: "Christmas Special 2001" |
| 2002
| rowspan="3" |Himself |Episode: "Series 2, episode 4" |
| 2002, 2008–2009
|5 episodes |
| 2003
|Episode: "Series 32, episode 29" |
| rowspan="3" |2003, 2011, 2023
| rowspan="3" |Children in Need |2 episodes |
| Freddie Mercury
| rowspan="2" |Episode: "2011" |
| Bet Lynch |
| 2003–2004
| rowspan="6" |Himself |2 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |2004
|Episode: "2004 Episode 3" |
| They Think It's All Over
|Episode: "Series 18, episode 1" |
| rowspan="2" |2005
|Episode: "Series 5, episode 15" |
| Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
|Episode: "Series 2, episode 25" |
| 2005, 2014
|2 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |2006
|Episode: "Series 2, episode 1" |
| School's Out
|Himself | rowspan="2" |Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| rowspan="3" |2007
| rowspan="2" |Would I Lie to You? |
| rowspan="7" |Himself
|Episode: "Series 10, episode 8" |
| Doctor Who Confidential
|Episode: "Meet Martha Jones" |
| 2007, 2009, 2013–2016
|6 episodes |
| 2008
|Episode: "Series 4, episode 18" |
| 2009
|The 4th TV Now Awards |Episode: "2009" |
| 2010, 2015, 2023–2024
|4 episodes |
| rowspan="3" |2010
| rowspan="2" |EastEnders: The Greatest Cliffhangers |Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| Ian Beale
|Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| Dancing on Ice
| rowspan="2" |Himself |Episode: "Series 5, episode 2" |
| 2010, 2023
| rowspan="2" |2 episodes |
| 2010 |
| 2011
|Himself |Episode: "Series 1, episode 5" |
| rowspan="3" |2015
|Episode: "Series 5, episode 2" |
| EastEnders: Back to Ours
| rowspan="3" |Himself |Episode: "Adam Woodyatt & Laurie Brett" |
| The Graham Norton Show
|Episode: "EastEnders Special" |
| 2016
|Episode: "2016" |
| rowspan="2" |2016, 2020
| rowspan="2" |The One Show |Episode: "Peggy Mitchell Special" |
| rowspan="6" |Himself
|Episode: "17 February 2020" |
| rowspan="2" |2017
|Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| Saturday Morning with James Martin
|Episode: "At Christmas – Adam Woodyatt & Paul Rankin" |
| 2017–2018
| rowspan="2" |2 episodes |
| 2017, 2023 |
| 2018
|Episode: "Series 23, episode 30" |
| rowspan="2" |2018, 2021
| rowspan="2" |This Morning |Episode: "Series 30, episode 237" |
| rowspan="3" |Himself
|2 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |2019
|Episode: "16 January 2019" |
| Celebrity Masterchef
|Episode: "Series 14, episode 10" |
| rowspan="4" |2020
| rowspan="2" |EastEnders: Secrets from the Square | rowspan="3" |2 episodes |
| Himself |
| The Noughties
| rowspan="2" |Ian Beale |
| What We Were Watching
|Episode: "Christmas 1995" |
| 2021
|I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! |Himself |Regular role, 16 episodes |
| 2024
|Ian Beale |1 episode |
| rowspan=2|2025
|rowspan=2|Himself |1 episode; Eastenders special |
| EastEnders: 40 Years on the Square
| Interviewed guest |
=Theatre=
- Aladdin
- Mother Goose
- Cinderella
- Oliver
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Looking Good Dead (2021–2022)
- My Fair Lady (2022–2023)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20210411104735/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba3ea536b Adam Woodyatt] at the British Film Institute{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert – if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Adam Woodyatt
|list =
{{British Soap Award for Best Actor}}
{{British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement}}
}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodyatt, Adam}}
Category:Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Category:British Soap Award for Best Actor winners
Category:British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement winners
Category:English male soap opera actors
Category:English male stage actors
Category:Male actors from London
Category:People educated at Forest School, Walthamstow
Category:People educated at Llanidloes High School
Category:Actors from the London Borough of Waltham Forest