Gillian Taylforth – Kathy Beale from EastEnders

Portrayed by the lovely Gillian Taylforth, the character of Kathy Beale has been an EastEnders standard since 1985. While Taylforth left for a period of five years in 2000, she ended up making a 2015 comeback to the series and hasn’t left since.

Unlike many other recurring soap actresses, though, Taylforth has diligently explored her options and appeared in several other productions, including Footballers’ Wives, The Bill, Jane Hall, Hollyoaks, and Casualty. She’s currently working on the unreleased drama movie Coming Up, which explores the history of the booming British rave culture during the ’90s.