With a - frankly, staggering - 30 years on the air, ‘Casualty’ has grown to become one of the UK’s longest-running TV series, racking up just short of 1000 episodes over the decades.
Of course, 1000 episodes means that the BBC medical drama has a revolving door approach to casting, which is almost constantly turning as the years roll on. The majority of ‘Casualty’ guest stars, unfortunately, are often never seen or heard from again.
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BBC
But sometimes, they can go from Saturday night TV to blockbuster fame in just a small number of years, with some of the biggest British stars in the world going on to global success, all the while knowing that ‘Casualty’ is lurking somewhere near the top of their IMDB page.
Among past ‘Casualty’ guest stars are Oscar winners, world famous superheroes and actors who would eventually fear as the leads in massive franchise’s - and here are just 14 of the show’s most surprising guest actors ever...
14 Surprising 'Casualty' Guest Stars
Daisy Ridley(01 of14)
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While most big stars' 'Casualty' appearances are buried a decade before their big break, there were just two short years between Daisy's 'Casualty' role and bursting onto the big screen as Rey in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (credit:BBC)
Orlando Bloom(02 of14)
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Years before 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' and 'Lord Of The Rings' made Orlando one of the biggest stars on the planet, his CV was compiled of 'Midsomer Murders' and this stint on 'Casualty'. (credit:BBC)
Long before the world of superheroes came knocking, Tom played a skydiver in an episode of 'Casualty' in 2007. 'Casualty' being 'Casualty', the skydive didn't go well. (credit:BBC)
David Walliams(05 of14)
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The eye-wear might make him look like a 'Little Britain' character, but this is actually one of David's more series TV appearances, in an episode of 'Casualty'. (credit:BBC)
Sue Perkins(06 of14)
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Proving she's not just good for innuendos about sticky buns and soggy bottoms, here's Sue flexing her acting muscles as a doctor in 'Casualty' back in 2002. (credit:BBC)
Martin Freeman(07 of14)
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'The Hobbit' and 'Sherlock' have made a worldwide star out of Martin Freeman, but here he is having a rather grisly encounter on the BBC medical drama. (credit:BBC)
Minnie Driver(08 of14)
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She's an award-winning actress thanks to films like 'Good Will Hunting' and TV work like 'The Riches' and 'About A Boy'. But here she is showing off her range in 'Casualty'. (credit:BBC)
Danny Dyer(09 of14)
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We can't imagine how concerned we'd be if our paramedic turned out to be Danny Dyer, but that's another matter... (credit:BBC)
Sadie Frost(10 of14)
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'Casualty' was one of Sadie's earliest roles, appearing in the show back in the late 1980s. Unfortunately, there are no photos of her on set, so here she is leaning oh-so-casually against a glass box with perfume in it. (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Nicholas Hoult(11 of14)
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D'aww
Even before 'About A Boy', 'Casualty' was Nick's first ever acting role, back when he was just seven years old. (credit:BBC)
McFly(12 of14)
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Surprise! McFly made a cameo appearance in the show as themselves in 2005, surprising an ill fan with a bunch of roses at her hospital bed. (credit:BBC)
Beverley Callard(13 of14)
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When you're known, as so many of the UK's long-standing soap stars are, for just one role, it can be hard to get work elsewhere, but fortunately Beverley was able to shake Liz McDonald off for one episode of 'Casualty' in 2000. (credit:Phillip Massey via Getty Images)