Call the Midwife has been a Sunday night staple on our TV screens for over a decade. The BBC period drama, which follows the nurses and midwives of Nonnatus House in the deprived Poplar district of London's east End, has made stars of Helen George, Laura Main and many more since debuting back in 2012, while also featuring acting icons such as Jenny Agutter and Judy Parfitt.
While we're used to seeing the cast donning nursing uniforms and nuns' habits, they all looked very different in their early acting roles. Here, HELLO! takes a look back at the stars at the beginning of their careers…
© ITV/ShutterstockStephen McGann - Dr Turner
While he's known and loved for playing Dr Turner in the popular period drama, one of Stephen's early TV roles was playing Dylan Jones in the ITV drama, Stay Lucky – and his guitar-playing character looks worlds away from Poplar's most-trusted GP!
Stephen also appeared in the comedy series Help! in his early career, as well as Bergerac, Brookside and Strauss Dynasty. Before starring in Call the Midwife, the Liverpool-born star was known for playing Sean Reynolds in Emmerdale.
© Alastair Muir/ShutterstockLaura Main - Shelagh Turner
Like many actors, Laura began her acting career on the stage and appeared in musicals such as Annie and The Sound of Music from a very young age. In 2002, she starred as Juliet in Dominic Hill's production of Romeo and Juliet at the Regent Park Open Air Theatre – see Laura in action in the photo above.
From there, more acting jobs followed and in 2004, the Scottish star was cast in her first major TV role as DC Alison Bain in the ITV crime drama, Murder City. She went on to appear in Holby City and Doctors before landing the role of Shelagh in Call the Midwife.
© Photo: Channel 4Helen George
While she's known for playing nurse Trixie Franklin, one of Helen's earliest TV roles was as a teacher in the Channel 4 soap, Hollyoaks. The actress appeared in three episodes as Miss Jones before going on to land roles in Hotel Babylon, Doctors, and eventually Call the Midwife.
© Glasshouse Images/ShutterstockJenny Agutter
Jenny famously starred in two adaptations of The Railway Children in 1968 and 1970, but her first ever on-screen role came in 1964 when she played Asua in the adventure film, East of Sudan – see Jenny on-set in the photo above.
Since then, the Somerset-born star has held a wide range of roles in major TV and film productions, including An American Werewolf in London, Spooks and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
© ITV/ShutterstockGeorgie Glen
Georgie has been a familiar face on our screen for decades and while she's become a regular fixture in our winter TV schedule since playing Miss Higgins in Call the Midwife, fans may also recognise her as Sgt Jennifer Noakes in the police drama, Heartbeat.
The Scottish actress boasts an impressive list of acting credits, having appeared in the 2003 film Calendar Girls with the likes of Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, as well as in Nighty Night, Doctors, Waterloo Road, The Larkins and much more.
© ITV/ShutterstockCliff Parisi
Long before starring as Fred Buckle in Call the Midwife, Cliff landed his first major small-screen role in the 1990s drama, Chancer, in which he played Lunchbox. From there, a slew of TV gigs followed, including in Bramwell and A Prince Among Men, before the actor won his most notable role as Minty in the BBC soap, EastEnders.
© GettyJudy Parfitt
Judy truly is an acting icon. She began her career on stage in the 1950s before going on to land roles on both the big and small screen, including in the BBC's adaptation of David Copperfield and Tony Richardson's 1969 film, Hamlet. The photo above shows Judy on stage in London's West End as Mary Queen of Scots in the Robert Bolt play Vivat! Vivat Regina!, starring opposite Margaret Tyzack as Elizabeth I.
