He rose to fame after playing Simon Wicks in EastEnders and Sergeant Nick Rowan in Heartbeat in the ’80s and’ 90s.
And Nick Berry watched the worlds far away from the characters that made him famous as he enjoyed a walk with his wife Rachel in Epping Forest, Essex on Saturday.
The 57-year-old former actor was almost unrecognizable in his TV days as he sported a white beard while carrying his pet dog in his arms.
Outside: Nick Berry watched the worlds far away from the characters who made him famous as he enjoyed a walk in Epping Forest on Saturday
Nick went for a casual look for the outing, sporting a khaki jacket and black top while enjoying some fresh air during the walk.
The TV star, who last appeared on screen in 2012 at the funeral of his onscreen EastEnders’ mother Pat Butcher, also wore blue jeans and brown boots.
Nick and Rachel married in 1994, the actor having decided to leave the profession in order to be a stay-at-home dad to their two sons Louis and Finley.
After rising to fame as Simon Wicks in EastEnders in 1985, Nick left in 1990 and decamped to the Yorkshire Dales for a six-year stint as Heartbeat’s Sergeant Nick Rowan, before taking on the role of Harbor Master. Mike Nicholls in Harbor Lights.
Occasionally: The 57-year-old former actor was almost unrecognizable in his TV days as he sported a white beard while carrying his pet dog in his arms (pictured right in EastEnders in the 1980s)
Couple: Nick, who was joined by his wife Rachel, sported a khaki jacket and black top as he took in some fresh air on the walk
Casual: The TV star, who last appeared on screen in 2012, also wore blue jeans and brown boots
Family: Nick and Rachel married in 1994 after the actor decided to quit the profession in order to be a stay-at-home dad to their two sons Louis and Finley
He achieved mad status with hordes of screaming fans besieging the BBC studios where the soap opera was filmed.
There was even a brief pop career: In 1986, Nick released a single, Every Loser Wins, which became the UK’s second best-selling album that year.
Except for the filming of the crime drama In Deep as Police Detective Liam Ketman alongside Stephen Tompkinson, which ran from 2001 to 2003, Nick disappeared from view, turning his back on acting to become a stay-at-home father to his two sons Louis, now 25 years old. and Finley, 22.
At one point, EastEnders executives reportedly offered him a £ 2million contract with gold handcuffs when he resigned in the late 1980s.
Role: After rising to fame as Simon Wicks in EastEnders in 1985, Berry left in 1990 (pictured right in 1985)
Career: He then left the camp for the Yorkshire Dales for a six-year stint as Sergeant Nick Rowan of Heartbeat.
Fame: After Heartbeat, Nick took on the role of harbor master Mike Nicholls in Harbor Lights
In Demand: He achieved insane status with hordes of screaming fans besieging the BBC studios where the soap opera was filmed
Success: There was even a brief career in pop: In 1986, Nick released a single, Every Loser Wins, which became the UK’s second best-selling album that year (pictured right in Heartbeat )
He is said to have amassed around £ 5million from his time in the spotlight – enough to fund a backpacking house in Epping, Essex, and a beach house in Hove.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2011 about his decision to step away from the spotlight, he said: ‘I chose to be a stay-at-home dad and loved it.
“ I always said when boys were teenagers I could go back, but the more you don’t do something the harder it is to do it, and I didn’t really miss it.
“Although I never say never, I am really happy the way I am. The work was great. We drive you everywhere, we feed you every five minutes and we tell you what to do and where to go.
Offer: At one point, EastEnders executives reportedly offered him a £ 2million contract with gold handcuffs when he resigned in the late 1980s.
Fortune: He is said to have amassed around £ 5million from his time in the spotlight – enough to fund a hiking house in Epping, Essex, and a beach house in Hove
“ What I struggled with was that the boys were very young and I felt like I was filming all the time.
“I had been blessed with these little people and yet I wasn’t really there. I realized I wanted to be home.
Despite his spectacular screen success, Nick, who was born in east London, has said he is not a natural actor.
“I have never been so comfortable in the spotlight. Some of the egos you can live without. A lot of actors take themselves so seriously, but overall you get paid to show off.
Decision: Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2011 about his decision to step away from the spotlight, he said: ‘I chose to be a stay-at-home dad and I loved it’