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Characters of Holby City
Holby City is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty. It is set in the same hospital as Casualty, Holby General, in the fictional city of Holby, and features occasional crossovers of characters and plots with both Casualty (in episodes broadcast as Casualty@Holby City) and the show's 2007 police procedural spin-off HolbyBlue.
Holby City follows the professional and personal lives of surgeons, nurses, other medical and ancillary staff and patients at Holby General. It features an ensemble cast of regular characters, and began with 11 main characters in its first series, all of whom have since left the show. New main characters have been both written in and out of the series since. In addition, Holby City features guest stars each week, as well as recurring guests that take part in story arcs that span a portion of a series. Occasionally, the recurring guest storylines will span multiple series. Many actors in the series have made prior, minor appearances as both patients and staff members in both Holby City and Casualty – in some instances crediting these former appearances for their later casting as main characters in Holby City.
In casting the first series of Holby City, Young selected actors who were already established names in the acting industry, primarily from a soap opera background. He cast Michael French as Nick Jordan, George Irving as Anton Meyer, Angela Griffin as Jasmine Hopkins, Lisa Faulkner as Victoria Merrick and Nicola Stephenson as Julie Bradford. Young explained: "Soap actors are the best actors. There's been so much snobbery before. The whole thing about typecasting was probably invented by actors who couldn't get other work. From day one I knew I wanted to put on screen people that viewers want to watch. There's no downside to that." This propensity for hiring established actors continued as the soap progressed, with later roles being awarded to comedian Adrian Edmondson, Patsy Kensit and veteran actor Robert Powell. When Jane Asher was cast in the recurring role of Lady Byrne in 2007, Inside Soap magazine asked series producer Diane Kyle whether the production team intentionally sought out "well-known-names", or whether roles simply went to the actor best-suited for the part. Kyle responded: "It's lovely when we have a new member of the cast come in and bring an audience with them. But we want the best actors, and the star names we cast are always the best – which is why we go for them."
Many cast members who play main characters have made previous appearances in Holby City and Casualty in minor roles. Amanda Mealing, who plays cardiothoracic consultant Connie Beauchamp, appeared as the mother of a paediatric patient in the show's fourth series. Luke Roberts, who plays registrar Joseph Byrne, appeared as the son of a medical professor in Holby City's seventh series, Rosie Marcel, who plays registrar Jac Naylor appeared in both Holby City and Casualty as a patient on three occasions. Stella Gonet, who plays CEO Jayne Grayson, had a minor role as an anaesthetist in Casualty, while Hari Dhillon, who plays general surgical consultant Michael Spence, previously appeared as a recurring anaesthetist in Holby City. In some instances, actors have stated that it was their guest appearances which led to their casting in more permanent roles. Roberts believes that his single scene in series seven was enough for him to be called in for the part of Joseph, explaining: "I hear it got the attention of the producers. Amanda Mealing put a good word in for me that day as well." Conversely, Dhillon dismissed his minor role as Dr Sunil Gupta as a part he took immediately after leaving drama school, unable to even recall the year of his appearance.
Jeremy Sheffield plays Alex Adams, a cardiothoracic registrar and a protege of Anton Meyer. He appears from series three, episode one until series five, episode 45. A romance with SHO Sam Kennedy almost ends his career, when Sam gets him drunk in an attempt to lure him into spending the night with her. Unaware he is over the speed limit, Alex causes the death of a young boy due to drink driving. He escapes a jail sentence, but departs for America when Meyer accepts a position overseas. He later returns and has a brief romance with Jess Griffin, as a result of which she becomes pregnant, but opts for an abortion. Alex goes on to develop Parkinson's disease, affecting his ability to work. He comes close to attempting suicide, but is talked out of it by Diane Lloyd, after which he leaves Holby for good.
Rebecca Grant plays nurse Daisha Anderson, who first appears in the episode "Twelve Hour Nightmare", series ten, episode 24. Daisha is described by the BBC as "a forthright and assertive Filipina with a highly tuned sense of right and wrong. She doesn't understand hierarchy or tact but is straightforward and honest and has a natural antenna when it comes to flirting." Holby City was Grant's first television role. She explained of her introductory storyline: "Some characters get a huge introduction, but mine has a 'flow' to it." Daisha's first appearance in Holby City explains that, although the character has been working at Holby City Hospital for some time in order to financially support her family in the Philippines, she has previously only worked on the Orthopedic ward – not one of the four wards the show focuses on. Daisha forms a close friendship with nursing consultant Mark Williams (Robert Powell). She flirts with Mark in order to win a transfer to Darwin ward, and moves in with him after breaking up with her boyfriend and being assaulted by her landlord, coming to rely on him yet further upon discovering herself to be pregnant. Mark also aids Daisha in becoming ambassador of the Byrne Foundation for cardiothoracic care, and promotes her to Sister of Keller ward, leading some to question the true nature of their relationship.
Paul Shane plays Stan Ashleigh, a porter who appears in Holby City from series three, episode one to series six, episode two.
Thusitha Jayasundera plays Tash Bandara, a general surgical registrar of Indian heritage who appears from series two, episode five until series four, episode 37. Tash had a relationship with SHO Kirstie Collins prior to her arrival at Holby. She clashes with nurse practitioner Jasmine Hopkins, disparaging her position in the hospital. When Tash's father visits the hospital, she discovers he has Alzheimer's disease. She tells him she is a lesbian, and he refuses to accept her identity. When Tash's ex-girlfriend arrives, terminally ill from complications arising from AIDS, Tash decides to join her on a world tour, and departs from Holby.
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Characters of Holby City
Holby City is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty. It is set in the same hospital as Casualty, Holby General, in the fictional city of Holby, and features occasional crossovers of characters and plots with both Casualty (in episodes broadcast as Casualty@Holby City) and the show's 2007 police procedural spin-off HolbyBlue.
Holby City follows the professional and personal lives of surgeons, nurses, other medical and ancillary staff and patients at Holby General. It features an ensemble cast of regular characters, and began with 11 main characters in its first series, all of whom have since left the show. New main characters have been both written in and out of the series since. In addition, Holby City features guest stars each week, as well as recurring guests that take part in story arcs that span a portion of a series. Occasionally, the recurring guest storylines will span multiple series. Many actors in the series have made prior, minor appearances as both patients and staff members in both Holby City and Casualty – in some instances crediting these former appearances for their later casting as main characters in Holby City.
In casting the first series of Holby City, Young selected actors who were already established names in the acting industry, primarily from a soap opera background. He cast Michael French as Nick Jordan, George Irving as Anton Meyer, Angela Griffin as Jasmine Hopkins, Lisa Faulkner as Victoria Merrick and Nicola Stephenson as Julie Bradford. Young explained: "Soap actors are the best actors. There's been so much snobbery before. The whole thing about typecasting was probably invented by actors who couldn't get other work. From day one I knew I wanted to put on screen people that viewers want to watch. There's no downside to that." This propensity for hiring established actors continued as the soap progressed, with later roles being awarded to comedian Adrian Edmondson, Patsy Kensit and veteran actor Robert Powell. When Jane Asher was cast in the recurring role of Lady Byrne in 2007, Inside Soap magazine asked series producer Diane Kyle whether the production team intentionally sought out "well-known-names", or whether roles simply went to the actor best-suited for the part. Kyle responded: "It's lovely when we have a new member of the cast come in and bring an audience with them. But we want the best actors, and the star names we cast are always the best – which is why we go for them."
Many cast members who play main characters have made previous appearances in Holby City and Casualty in minor roles. Amanda Mealing, who plays cardiothoracic consultant Connie Beauchamp, appeared as the mother of a paediatric patient in the show's fourth series. Luke Roberts, who plays registrar Joseph Byrne, appeared as the son of a medical professor in Holby City's seventh series, Rosie Marcel, who plays registrar Jac Naylor appeared in both Holby City and Casualty as a patient on three occasions. Stella Gonet, who plays CEO Jayne Grayson, had a minor role as an anaesthetist in Casualty, while Hari Dhillon, who plays general surgical consultant Michael Spence, previously appeared as a recurring anaesthetist in Holby City. In some instances, actors have stated that it was their guest appearances which led to their casting in more permanent roles. Roberts believes that his single scene in series seven was enough for him to be called in for the part of Joseph, explaining: "I hear it got the attention of the producers. Amanda Mealing put a good word in for me that day as well." Conversely, Dhillon dismissed his minor role as Dr Sunil Gupta as a part he took immediately after leaving drama school, unable to even recall the year of his appearance.
Jeremy Sheffield plays Alex Adams, a cardiothoracic registrar and a protege of Anton Meyer. He appears from series three, episode one until series five, episode 45. A romance with SHO Sam Kennedy almost ends his career, when Sam gets him drunk in an attempt to lure him into spending the night with her. Unaware he is over the speed limit, Alex causes the death of a young boy due to drink driving. He escapes a jail sentence, but departs for America when Meyer accepts a position overseas. He later returns and has a brief romance with Jess Griffin, as a result of which she becomes pregnant, but opts for an abortion. Alex goes on to develop Parkinson's disease, affecting his ability to work. He comes close to attempting suicide, but is talked out of it by Diane Lloyd, after which he leaves Holby for good.
Rebecca Grant plays nurse Daisha Anderson, who first appears in the episode "Twelve Hour Nightmare", series ten, episode 24. Daisha is described by the BBC as "a forthright and assertive Filipina with a highly tuned sense of right and wrong. She doesn't understand hierarchy or tact but is straightforward and honest and has a natural antenna when it comes to flirting." Holby City was Grant's first television role. She explained of her introductory storyline: "Some characters get a huge introduction, but mine has a 'flow' to it." Daisha's first appearance in Holby City explains that, although the character has been working at Holby City Hospital for some time in order to financially support her family in the Philippines, she has previously only worked on the Orthopedic ward – not one of the four wards the show focuses on. Daisha forms a close friendship with nursing consultant Mark Williams (Robert Powell). She flirts with Mark in order to win a transfer to Darwin ward, and moves in with him after breaking up with her boyfriend and being assaulted by her landlord, coming to rely on him yet further upon discovering herself to be pregnant. Mark also aids Daisha in becoming ambassador of the Byrne Foundation for cardiothoracic care, and promotes her to Sister of Keller ward, leading some to question the true nature of their relationship.
Paul Shane plays Stan Ashleigh, a porter who appears in Holby City from series three, episode one to series six, episode two.
Thusitha Jayasundera plays Tash Bandara, a general surgical registrar of Indian heritage who appears from series two, episode five until series four, episode 37. Tash had a relationship with SHO Kirstie Collins prior to her arrival at Holby. She clashes with nurse practitioner Jasmine Hopkins, disparaging her position in the hospital. When Tash's father visits the hospital, she discovers he has Alzheimer's disease. She tells him she is a lesbian, and he refuses to accept her identity. When Tash's ex-girlfriend arrives, terminally ill from complications arising from AIDS, Tash decides to join her on a world tour, and departs from Holby.