Nigel Harman is amongst the stars competing in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing and it's safe to say he has started with a bang.
Partnered with Katya Jones, the dancing duo took to the ballroom floor on Saturday night (September 23) and floored the judges and the audience with a Nirvana-sound tracked paso doble. The "dance of the night" blew the judges away and the couple were awarded 32 points for the performance.
READ MORE: Strictly's Katya Jones says 'not in dance world' as Nigel Harman makes faux pas
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It appears the pressure is no match for Nigel, hardly surprising due to his lengthy acting career which has spanned more than three decades. Here, Daily Star has looked back at Nigel's incredible career which began all the way back in 1984.
Early career
At the age of eight, Nigel had a manager and made his first on-screen appearance in BBC drama Tenko. This was followed by roles in BBC2 comedy sketch series Alas Smith and Jones (1986) and The Honey Siege (1987). The 50-year-old then turned his attention to the theatre, perfuming in productions like Privates on Parade, Summer Holiday and Mamma Mia!
During his early career, Nigel had to take on part time jobs to support himself, working at Pizza Hut as well as a driver for Sainsbury's. It was while working at the supermarket chain that Nigel discovered he had landed the role of Dennis Rickman in EastEnders.
EastEnders tragedy
Nigel made his first appearance as Dennis in 2003 and was introduced as the son of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham). He played a central role in several major storylines, including his romance with adopted sister Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), killing his gangland boss Jack Dalton and becoming embroiled in the feud between Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and crime lord Johnny Allen (Billy Murray)
At the end of 2005, Dennis met a tragic end when he was fatally stabbed by Danny Moon (Jake Maskall) on the orders of Johnny and died in wife Sharon's arms in the square.
Downton Abbey fame
Following his soap fame, Nigel found himself landing roles in films. In 2006, he played the leading role of Nathan Hyde in drama thriller The Outsiders, opposite Succession star Brian Cox and EastEnders' Colin Salmon. That same year, he made a brief appearance in Hollywood blockbuster Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Nigel also made a number of TV appearances after departing EastEnders, starring in Channel 4 series Comedy Showcase and City of Vice in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the actor replaced Max Beesley as the lead in BBC drama Hotel Babylon.
Nigel hit screens once again in 2013, appearing in the fourth season of ITV's Downton Abbey as a valet named Alex Green. From 2013 until the series concluded in 2017, Nigel starred as Bradley Dawson in Mount Pleasant.
Earlier this year, it was announced the TV star had joined the cast of Casualty and Nigel made his debut as Dr Max Christie in February 2023. Less than a year after landing the part, Nigel announced he had quit the BBC drama.
X Factor stint
The same year Nigel appeared in Downton Abbey, it was announced he would be playing the role of Simon Cowell in the West End musical I Can't Sing! The X Factor. The musical comedy was written by Harry Hill and made its debut in March 2014 at the London Palladium.
The music mogul, 63, spoke about Nigel's casting ahead of the production and was clearly happy with the choice. He previously said: "The hardest thing was – how do you find someone who’s good-looking, talented and can look like me?’ he said. ‘And then we found Nigel!
"They completely ripped in to me – and they make fun of X Factor in a very positive way, it’s not a puff piece." Despite the positive reviews, the musical ended just over six weeks later due to low ticket sales and reportedly lost £4 million.
Other theatre work
Nigel is certainly no stranger to the West End stage, having previously appeared in a number of productions throughout his career. In 2005, Nigel performed as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, opening alongside Sarah Lancashire. The following year, he appeared as Kerry Max Cooke in The Exonerated and starred in Harold Pinter play The Caretaker.
In 2009, Nigel acted in the stage production Three Days of Rain alongside James McAvoy. Kicking off from May 2011, the former soap star played Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical and the role won him the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical
The following year, he starred alongside Rob Brydon in A Chorus of Disapproval and in 2016, turned his hand to directing, later taking the reins of the musical Big Fish, starring Kelsey Grammer in 2017. His most recent theatre role came in 2022 as lead Robert Langdon in the stage adaptation tour of The Da Vinci Code.
Career change
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Last year, it was revealed the actor embarked on a surprising career change and is now a meditation expert who offers people advice on how to stay mindful. The star believes in making mindfulness "simple and accessible for all" and states that meditation can help someone live a "more relaxed and fulfilled life." The TV icon refers to himself as The Meditating Actor on his website which offers coaching, workshops and other forms of guidance surrounding meditation.
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