Roland's best friends are Zammo McGuire, Jonah Jones and Kevin Baylon and his friends are Fay Lucas, Janet St. Clair, Annette Firman, Jimmy Flynn, Belinda Zowkowski, Julie Marchant, Diane Cooney, Jackie Wright, Banksy Banks, Julian Fairbrother and Cheryl Webb. Erkan Mustafa - Roland 'Roly' Browning. When I left Grange Hill it was only really Ricky who I kept in touch with, and Amma Asante (Cheryl) for about 12 or 15 years. GRANGE Hill Roland 'Roly' Browning actor Erkan Mustafa looks very different 39 years after his debut on the popular teen show. I said to Simone, without Janet, Roland wouldnt have been anybody. Do you have a story for The Sun Showbiz team? Todd Carty said he was 'deeply saddened' by the sudden death of his Grange Hill co-star. Without her character, Roland would not have been so popular. There weren't many black actors about on TV at that time. We dont even really talk about Grange Hill ; its just where we grew up really. He came up trumps; it was so well written. The now 52-year-old starred in the series for five years from 1982 until 1987. Theres a girl called Tracey who used to be in Grange Hill, who I tracked down and we met up in a pub in Islington, only to bump into Mark Burdiss (Stewpot)! There was also a point where he had scenes with Mr Baxter and the character got lost, but ended up becoming a hero. It even covered racism, drugs, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, mental illness and so much more. 10. At the end of the day, if they didnt enjoy it; fair enough, but Grange Hill set you on a path. Lee had always had an interest in boxing and continued to develop his skill to a high level but unfortunately a car accident in the early 1990s left him unable to pursue the sport. Its ranging from George Armstrong (Alan) to people from much later, that I didnt even know on Grange Hill. Thats why me and Lee do our own Roland and Zammo thing; we do music shows (mainly because my friend is the booker) but also a couple of charity nights. Thanks very much to Erkan Mustafa for taking part in this interview. After sixyears as Zammo, Lee left Grange Hill with critical acclaim for his portrayal of Zammo. In reality, only 3 years later, we had the whole beginning of the ecstasy movement. 'At first Mrs McClusky was written as a '"twin set and pearls" role but I was quite young at the time and didn't want to play it like that. . The star who played Roland 'Roly' Browning in Grange Hill looks unrecognisable 29 years after his television debut. Grange Hill 1978 - 2008 - Precious stands up to Gripper 44,025 views Aug 31, 2013 Grange Hill - Series 6 Episode 7 .more .more 238 Dislike Share Save Jon Lamacraft 1.58K subscribers 100. The optical illusion will leave you stumped as it's asking people to spot the ghost hiding inside the room. My character had to see a child psychologist; there were scenes with just me and Mr Baxter. Other parts include "Enormous Orphan" in Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988) and "Otto" in Chef! 'Finally got hitched!' It gave me some good memories and some bad memories. Theyd shout out strange obscenities, but thats part and parcel of being an actor and playing a character. To me, we were just acting. I find it bizarre that some people dont look back on their time at Grange Hill fondly. But Gripper's attention to Roland was slightly taken away as Gripper focused on carrying out a hate campaign against non-white pupils at the school. He also runs a locksmith business in Wallington, Surrey. 'I was told by lots of people she was a great fillip to young women teachers who started applying for headships.'. Email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220 . She previously told the BBCthat she was determined to make the role more modern because she was only 35 when she took on the role. Ive written an episode about it. Im alright with it as long as people arent rude. Its quite strange that that was the first episode we ever filmed and it was also, as actors, one of the most fun. Thats why it is never going to be rerun, because there is huge costs involved for any broadcaster. How did you get on with the adults on set? You should beat him up, the other half people would just come up and abuse me, thinking it was fun. In 2016, Mahmood was foundguilty of plotting to pervert the course of justice and following the case, it was suggested thatup to 72 defendants in criminal cases in which he played a role could apply for convictions to be quashed. . I was always a completely different personality to Roland. It was one of the longest-running programmes on British TV, finally ending in 2008. Now I know I get more pleasure from writing than acting. The series was created by Phil Redmon, who was also behind Channel 4's Brookside and Hollyoaks. Ann Wilson was one of Grange Hill's original female pupils and wasted no time in getting herself voted onto the school council. There was always animosity between stage schools at one point and I think at the time there was arguments about You only get invited because your mums a chaperone or You only get invited because . No way. At one point in the show I was 13 stone and he was getting bullied by someone who was much smaller, so at the end of the day he should have fought back. The whole concept was a 40 minute show of celebrities, who grew up watching Grange Hill, talking about their favourite characters and being interviewed by their favourite characters. He later appeared in Blackadder's Christmas Carol in 1988, and in Lenny Henry's sitcom Chef! Hes living in France and he owns a restaurant. Its because they think they are better than Grange Hill. To me, it made no difference working with a fellow child or an adult. Taking to Twitter, he said: 'Deeply saddened by the news of a dear friend Terry Sue-Patt passing away. But after his departure from the square, he played away from type portraying the villainous PC Gabriel Kent in The Bill. Grange Hill cast reunite 43 years on to discuss the importance of teaching kids about drugs in a pre-internet world and meeting First Lady Grange Hill reunion! We were really excited. as the character 'Otto' in 1993. I cant tolerate rudeness in people. You can do it.. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The long-running series was created by Phil Redmon, who also created Channel 4's. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. Michelle moved to Dundee in the early 1990s to bring up her family, where she works alongside her husband running their family glazing business. I do a hell of a lot of writing, and so I did this 45 minute reunion story. I was acting. As a result, in what must be the strangest TV/political encounter of all, a number of the Grange Hill cast found themselves invited to the White House in 1986. The star, like Roly, wears glasses and rocks a shaved head and stubbly facial hair. The star, 54, took to Twitter on Saturday to share the happy news with his fans as he shared a beaming snap emerging from a church with his Actress Gwyneth Powell, known to viewers as headmistress Mrs. McClusky in BBC series, has died aged 76. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. Grange Hill was a children's television show that began in 1978 on BBC1 and ran all the way up until 2008. Playing the popular rebel won her the part of Michelle Fowler in EastEnders which she played for a decade. I never thought all those years ago that we would even be friends. Oh yes. She left the series in 1985 and continued to act, appearing in TV series such as Spender and Only Fools and Horses. Lee was disgusted with the plans and didn't sign up for the new series. The hit teen show, which ran between 1978 and 2008, focused on life in a. Lee Macdonald and I get on really well now. The tenth series of the British television drama series Grange Hill began broadcasting on 6 January 1987 before ending on 27 March 1987 on BBC One. Headmistress Bridget McClusky, played by Gwyneth Powell, was one of the longest standing characters in the show appearing on screen between 1981 and 1991. Janet was such a helpful character; even though she got on Rolands nerves, I think he loved it really. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. But the actor has also found success on other shows. He went to see his mother before then running off and into the path of a car, resulting in Roland being injured and spending some time in hospital. You can ask as much as you like about Roland and Janet. The storylines focused on hard-hitting issues for its time - including teenage pregnancy to alcoholism and drug addictions. Set at a comprehensive school in a fictional north London suburb, Grange Hill was one of the longest running and most influential shows in British TV history. Erkan, who starred in the show from 1982 until 1987, said: "I was just a normal child attending school. I said to Lee we could be doing alright out of this! It would get a good response, but its just a case of getting the Grange Hill fans to know about it. She doesnt know what shes missing!! The very first episode we ever filmed was the Chessington Zoo episode. Susan Tully landed her Grange Hill role in 1981, aged 13. Erkan Mustafa speaks exclusively to Grange Hill Gold about playing one of Grange Hills most iconic characters, and the legacy of Roland Browning . She was very welcoming, she was warm. Its still on my laptop. A few years ago, Channel 4 reunited some of the cast for Bring Back Grange Hill. I cant stand listening to Careless Whisper. Apprentice pair facing the sack after romping at show's 17m mansion, Brand new Disney show fails to premiere leaving fans furious, Love Island's Olivia Hawkins breaks silence as she returns to the UK, EastEnders Natalie Cassidy shares rare picture of her lookalike daughter Joanie, 6, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. But the BBC turned it down and I feel theyve let the public down. In reality, myself and Roland are two completely different people. We keep saying we are going to meet up; we will do some time this month. The show followed the lives of a school based in North London, and dealt with hard-hitting storylines following themes of drugs, racism, crime, mental health, and death. Erkan Mustafa rose to fame when he was cast as Roly all those years ago. . She noticed a small dimple on her breast while on holiday in Rome in May 2015. Actor and writer Erkan Mustafa starred in the BBC1 series, Grange Hill, for six years from 1982 to 1987. Word of mouth is not enough! We ask about each others lives. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. They smothered him and basically spoilt him. Its one of the things you just deal with. Erkan was also instrumental in bringing the cast back together for a 2009 reunion at Sound nightclub in London's Leicester Square. Grange Hill is for everyone." Now, 44 years since the bell first rang in February 1978, it's heading back to our screens.