From Roy’s Rolls to the red carpet: 14 soap stars who tried to crack America

He played the infamous villain on Hollyoaks but Brendan Brady soon turned into the good guy following his relationship with Ste Hay. However, in 2013 he left the Channel 4 show and went on to appear in Peaky Blinders, Gangs of London and one of the Guardians of the Galaxy films – as the head riot guard, but still.

Adele left the role of Kelly Windsor in Emmerdale in 2007 in an attempt to crack America. But, instead of setting Hollywood alight, in 2010 she was pictured working in a Ted Baker store in LA. She then returned to Emmerdale as Kelly in 2011 but left shortly after.

Everyone knows Nikki as mouthy hairdresser Candice from Coronation Street. After leaving the cobbles she tried her hand at success across the pond – to a lukewarm reception. She managed to land a role in horror film Boogeyman 3, but sadly for Nikki it went straight to DVD. Fast forward to 2012 and she joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Maxine Minniver.

She shot to fame in the UK as Sasha Valentine on the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, but since her exit in 2010 she's managed to find fame stateside. As well as an appearance in the Fast and Furious franchise, Nathalie Emmanuel, landed a role in Game of Thrones as interpreter Missandei. She also features in the second film in the Maze Runner trilogy, The Scorch Trials.

Another Valentine sibling to swap Hollyoaks for Hollywood was Ricky who played Calvin from 2006 until 2011. Unfortunately, he was shot dead on his wedding day by Theresa McQueen. He went on to star in The CW Network series The 100, playing Lincoln, and American Gods where he took on the role of Shadow Moon.

This is one actor who has well and truly swapped Walford for Hollywood. After his shock departure from EastEnders, in which he played Peter Beale aka Ian Beale's son, Ben Hardy landed a role in X-Men: Apocalypse – an actual main, speaking part. He's also appeared in Bohemian Rhapsody, Mary Shelley and Netflix's movie 6 Underground.

Another EastEnders alumni, Sam Strike quit his role as Johnny Carter in 2014 and went on to star in British drama film Bonded By Blood 2. He later made his Hollywood debut in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel Leatherface and has since played a serial rapist in the Netflix show Mindhunter. In 2022 it was announced that Sam had been cast in a starring role in the film adaption of The Boys in the Boat, which is being directed by George Clooney – you can't get much more Hollywood than that.

Rob Kazinsky played EastEnders favourite Sean Slater from 2006 until 2009, but got his big American break when he was cast in the hit vampire series True Blood, playing Macklyn Warlow. He then appeared in Pacific Rim, Warcraft and Captain Marvel. Rob returned to EastEnders for a brief stint in 2019 and two more one-off appearances in the soap that made him a household name; in the episode aired on 1 November 2021, and then via video call on 7 April 2022.

We loved Patsy as Bianca in EastEnders, but she left the soap in 2014 to pursue her American dream. While she's yet to be cast in any major roles, Patsy did manage to land a job in a Best Buy advert. Well everyone's got to start somewhere, haven't they? And despite being an actress turned DJ, it's Patsy's children that have made it big in the US. In January 2020 Patsy appeared as Butterfly on ITV's The Masked Singer and then Dancing on Ice in 2023.

She's well known for playing Stacey Slater in EastEnders but in 2010 Lacey Turner bowed out of the show after her onscreen character fled the country after killing Archie Mitchell. Ahh throwback. Following her departure from the show, Lacey played the part of a witch in ITV2's show Switch, but it wasn't long before she reprised her role as Stacey. In 2014 she headed back onto the square and finally confessed to the police that she killed Archie.

Coronation Street fans will remember where Michelle Keegan first started on TV and it was on the cobbles. The actress played Tina McIntyre and during her time on the show she hid her abortion from David Platt, she tried to keep Gary and Izzy's baby after she was their surrogate and she was left devastated after her dad faked his own death but ended up actually dying. It's safe to say that she went out with a bang, after all Rob Donovan pushed her off a balcony. After leaving the ITV show, Michelle went on to star in Tina and Bobby, Our Girl and Brassic – oh, and she also married TOWIE icon Mark Wright.

From 2010 to 2013 Rachel Shenton starred in Hollyoaks as Mitzeee Minniver. The feisty character left the show and moved to America upon discovering she's five months pregnant with Riley Costello's baby. After leaving the Oaks, Rachel went on to star in Switched at Birth and White Gold. However, it was in 2018 when she won an Oscar for her short movie The Silent Child, in which she wrote and starred in.

She's well known for playing Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders but after Frank Butcher ran her over outside the Queen Vic she died. Fast forward a few years and Martine McCutcheon played Natalie in Love Actually. You know, the movie that everyone goes crazy about around Christmas time. She's also appeared in Agatha Christie's Marple, Midsomer Murders and as a panelist on Loose Women.

Roxanne McKee first graced our screen as Louise Summer's in Hollyoaks. During her time in the village she cheated on Calvin Valentine with Warren Fox, had an abortion after not knowing who her baby daddy was and was murdered by her fiancée Warren Fox on their wedding night. After leaving the Channel 4 show, Roxanne went on appear in EastEnders: E20, Vendetta and Game of Thrones. In the popular HBO programme, she played Doreah; you know, the woman who betrayed Daenerys with Xaro and was left to die in the vault with him?