Where are the cast of ITV's Heartbeat now? From personal tragedies to new roles in other soaps, it's been over a decade since the beloved drama series first graced our screens. Set in the swinging 60s, Heartbeat captured the lives of a group of coppers in a fictional North Riding of Yorkshire town. The weekly show quickly became a fan favourite, regularly pulling in millions of viewers.
However, after an impressive 18-year run, the show was sadly axed in 2010. Despite no new episodes being produced for over a decade, Heartbeat remains one of ITV's most cherished dramas, with fans still tuning into repeats on ITV3.
The series was filmed in the picturesque North York Moors National Park and the quaint village of Goathland. Heartbeat served as a launchpad for many acting careers, with several cast members going on to star in other popular soaps, films, and theatre productions. Let's take a trip down memory lane and see what the cast of Heartbeat have been up to since the show ended.
This rundown isn't exhaustive, but feel free to share your favourite Heartbeat character in the comments section below.
Nick Berry
Nick Berry first rose to prominence playing Simon Wicks in EastEnders from 1985 to 1990. In Heartbeat, he took on the lead role of PC Nick Rowan for the show's initial six years. After his departure in 1998, Nick landed roles in BBC's Harbour Lights and crime drama In Deep. He made a brief return to EastEnders in 2012 for a special episode following the death of his on-screen mum, Pat Evans.
Nick Berry, who also had a hit pop song in 1986 with "Every Loser Wins", has since hung up his acting boots. The 61 year old is happily married to former Levis model Rachel Robertson and they have two sons together.
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Niamh Cusack
Niamh Cusack portrayed Dr Kate Rowan for three years from 1992 until her character tragically died from leukaemia, leaving her onscreen husband, PC Nick Rowan, a widower. Since her departure from the show in 1995, Niamh has continued to grace both stage and screen.
She's been seen in "Always and Everyone", "New Tricks", "Silent Witness" and "The Virtues". Her recent roles include appearances in "Brassic", "The Tower" and "Death in Paradise".
Hailing from the renowned Cusack acting dynasty, Niamh's siblings include Sinead Cusack, who is married to Jeremy Irons. Off-screen, she's wedded to fellow actor Finbar Lynch and they share a son.
Tricia Penrose
Tricia Penrose didn't make her appearance in the show until series two, but she played Gina Ward, the show's longest-running character. Initially set to appear on Heartbeat for just 12 months, the Liverpool actress ended up staying for an impressive 18 years, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Tricia reprised her role as Gina in two episodes of the Heartbeat spin-off "The Royal" in 2003. She later appeared in popular shows such as "Brookside", "The Royal", " Coronation Street " and " Emmerdale ".
Tricia has also dipped her toes into reality TV, appearing on shows like "Celebrity Masterchef" and the 2013 series of "Celebrity Big Brother ". These days, she's found behind the mic as a radio presenter.
Jason Durr
Jason Durr, who portrayed PC Mike Bradley from 1997 to 2003, initially ruffled feathers when his character arrived from London but eventually settled into village life. Post Heartbeat, he took on various roles in TV shows like The Wrong Side of the Rainbow, Mysterious Island and Summer Solstice.
In 2016, he joined Casualty as David Hide, a role he reprised in Holby City. He shares three children with his wife, TV presenter and gardener Kate Charman.
Currently, he's treading the boards as Colonel Mustard in the new play Cluedo 2.
Bill Maynard
Bill Maynard was the loveable rogue Claude Jeremiah Greengrass from the show's inception until 2000. His departure was reportedly due to health concerns.
Bill later appeared in the Heartbeat spin-off The Royal as Greengrass and featured in The Moorside in 2017. Sadly, he passed away in 2018 at the age of 89.
He is fondly remembered for his roles in Carry On films.
Mark Jordan
Mark Jordan, who played PC Phil Bellamy from 1992 to 1997, went on to portray Daz Spencer in Emmerdale from 2014 to 2019. He was previously married to Happy Valley star Siobhan Finneran, with whom he has two children.
He is now happily wedded to Emmerdale star Laura Norton, with whom he has two more children.
In his career, he has also starred in Casualty, Coronation Street, Doctors and Rocket's Island. After work on stage, in November last year, The Mirror reported how he was set to make a TV comeback as Ray Wood in ITV drama series The Long Shadow.
Derek Fowlds
Derek played Sgt Oscar Blaketon for the duration of the show, 18 years. For the first seven series of Heartbeat, he was a sergeant before a heart attack forced him to retire and take on other jobs, including becoming the owner of the Aidensfield Arms pub.
After the series came to an end, Derek had roles in other TV shows like Casualty and Doctors. Despite effectively retiring from acting after the show ended, he did write his autobiography, A Part Worth Playing in 2015.
Earlier in his career, he was known for his role as Bernard Woolley in Yes Minister, a part he played for four years. Derek died at the age of 82 in January 2020.
William Simons
Welsh-born William played PC Alfred Ventress also for the whole length of the show. His character quickly became popular with viewers with Ventress appearing in the show after the PC retired from the force.
Post Heartbeat, the Welsh-born actor gained a role in Casualty, as well as The Bill, The Royal, Coronation Street, and Emmerdale. William sadly died in 2019 at the age of 78.
David Lonsdale
David Lonsdale, hailing from Southport, is best known for his role as David Stockwell in Heartbeat, which he played from 1996 until the show's conclusion in 2010. While many fans remember Greengrass as the source of comic relief, others will recall David Stockwell as the village's amusing fool.
Post-Heartbeat, Lonsdale has made appearances in Casualty, Emmerdale and Vera, and has also featured in films such as The Real Full Monty and Downton Abbey.
The actor, who has been married for over three decades and is a father to three children, has more recently starred in The Bay, Anne and The Suspect.
Clare Wille - Rachel Dawson
Clare Wille portrayed local DS Rachel Dawson, who was romantically involved with PC Joe Mason, for four years. She first joined the cast of Heartbeat in 2006 and remained until its finale in 2010.
The Cheshire-born actress later landed a recurring role as Trish Davidson in Coronation Street in 2012. Since her stint on Corrie, she has starred in Victoria, W1A, Vera and Silent Witness.
Peter Benson - Bernie Scripps
She has also had guest roles in TV shows Defending the Guilty and Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators. More recently, she joined the cast of Doctors as Davinia Hargrove.
Peter Benson is remembered for his portrayal of Bernie Scripps in Heartbeat between 1995 and 2010. Bernie was the drama's funeral director and also ran a garage in Aidensfield.
After wrapping up Heartbeat, he went on to have brief appearances in Casualty in 2011 and 2013. You might also recognise him from other shows like A Touch of Frost, The Bill, and Coronation Street, where he took on the recurring role of Mr Murdoch.
Peter passed away in September 2018, aged 75.
Nikki Sanderson - Dawn Bellamy
Nikki Sanderson, who starred as the popular character Dawn Bellamy between 2008 and 2009, is another notable name in the list. Her character, sent to stay with Gina at the village pub to escape bad company in Manchester, fast became a fan-favourite.
Nikki started her soap career early as she appeared in Coronation Street as Candice when she was just 13 years old and later joined Hollyoaks as Maxine Minnver. She's inhabited the character since 2012 and has won several awards for her impressive performance.
Besides these roles, she's made appearances in Holby City and Casualty.
Joe McFadden - Joe Mason
Joining the Heartbeat cast from 2007-2010 as PC Joe Mason was actor Joe McFadden. Post-Heartbeat, he featured in Casualty and then became a beloved character, Raffaello "Raf" di Lucca, in Holby City.
Not one to shy away from the spotlight, in 2017, Joe wowed viewers through his partnership with Katya Jones on Strictly Come Dancing, clinching the glitterball trophy. His riotous performance in theatre includes the UK tour of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and more recently, The Rocky Horror Show.
Geoffrey Hughes - Vernon Scripps
Geoffrey Hughes, the Liverpool actor known for his role as Vernon Scripps in Heartbeat, was also recognised by millions as Twiggy from The Royle Family and Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances. However, he first gained fame in the 1970s and 1980s as Eddie Yeats, the binman in Coronation Street.
Earlier in his career, he lent his voice to Paul McCartney in the animated film Yellow Submarine. Sadly, he passed away in 2012 at the age of 68 after a battle with prostate cancer.