Adam Woodyatt

Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders. He is the show's longest-serving actor, and the only one to have appeared continuously since its inception in February 1985. Alongside Letitia Dean and Gillian Taylforth, who play Sharon Watts and Kathy Beale respectively, Woodyatt is one of only three members of the original cast currently in EastEnders. He is a recipient of 5 British Soap Awards including one for Best Actor as well as a recipient of 1 TRIC Award. 2Early life A native of Walthamstow, Woodyatt was raised in the East End of London, where EastEnders is set. 2Education Woodyatt was educated at two independent schools: at Forest School, 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, followed by the Sylvia Young Theatre School, at the time based in Marylebone in west London. He also attended Llanidloes High School, Llanidloes in Wales. 2Life and career Following the completion of his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Woodyatt took a small part in children's drama The Baker Street Boys. He then put his acting career on hiatus and worked as a butcher in Wales for a brief period, before joining the cast of the then fledgling soap opera EastEnders. Not expecting to stay much beyond the first year, Woodyatt has gone on to be the longest serving cast member in EastEnders; he is the only character from the first episode to appear in the soap without officially leavin