BBC Life on Mars cast now from TV stardom to construction business

Life connected Mars was 1 of the biggest British TV bid successful the past 2 decades, and its formed members person since achieved stardom successful tv and film.

The BBC bid centred astir Greater Manchester Police detective DCI Sam Tyler (John Simm), who wakes up aft a car clang successful 1977, inactive serving arsenic a policeman but nether wholly antithetic rules.

This peculiar sci-fi play combined elements of Lost, Doctor Who, and constabulary dramas, leaving viewers to ponder whether Sam Tyler had time-travelled, died, oregon was simply successful a coma.

The innovative series, conceived by Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharaoh, led to a spin-off titled Ashes to Ashes successful 2008. The spin-off ended aft 3 seasons successful 2010, leaving fans yearning for much adventures with Gene Hunt arsenic helium assisted radical successful limbo.

A 3rd show, Lazarus, named aft different David Bowie song, was successful improvement for respective years and was acceptable to reason the communicative of Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler. Unfortunately, bid creator Matthew Graham announced successful June 2023 that the task had efficaciously been cancelled, but fans were treated to a sneak peek of the opening occurrence astatine a unrecorded publication reading.

The Manchester Evening News reports astir of the formed members person gone connected to person palmy TV careers, portion 1 histrion near the manufacture to tally his ain operation company. Here's what the formed of Life connected Mars and Ashes to Ashes are doing now.

John Simm - DCI Sam Tyler

DCI Sam Tyler recovered himself inexplicably successful 1970s Manchester successful Life connected Mars, starring viewers to speculate whether helium time-travelled, was helium dead, oregon simply successful a coma?

Life connected Mars catapulted John Simm to stardom and acceptable the signifier for his consequent relation arsenic the villainous Master successful BBC's Doctor Who, wherever helium squared disconnected against David Tennant. Later, helium re-joined the Whovian beingness during Peter Capaldi's tenure.

His tv vocation didn't conscionable highest determination - Simm has been featured successful galore acclaimed TV bid including Mad Dogs, Strangers, Cold Storage, The Lakes, and State of Play. His metallic surface appearances see noteworthy films specified arsenic Human Traffic, Devilwood, and Skellig.

Simm presently leads arsenic DSU Roy Grace successful the deed ITV play Grace, which precocious aired its 3rd season.

On a idiosyncratic note, alongside Philip Glenister on'DNA Journey, Simm unearthed a household secret. He unexpectedly discovered that Ronald Simm wasnt his biologic father, but alternatively a antheral named Terry Smith, who had sadly passed connected yet shared a past successful the aforesaid moving mens clubs with Ronald.

Reflecting connected the discovery, Simm shared: "It's turned retired to beryllium specified a monolithic happening successful my beingness and each I was doing was a favour for Phil truthful helium didn't person to bash it connected his own. It's spun my world... everything I thought I knew wasn't real."

Philip Glenister - DCI Gene Hunt

Known for his brash attack to policing, Gene Hunt appeared successful some Life connected Mars and Ashes to Ashes. Following the 2 shows, viewers person been crying retired to spot much of the ‘Gene Genie’.

Gene Hunt is Philip Glenister's astir recognised role, but helium has besides featured successful galore different TV series. He reunited with co-star and adjacent person John Simm successful State of Play and Mad Dogs, and made appearances successful Big School, Prey, Belgravia and Living the Dream.

In 2019, Glenister took connected a presenting relation successful the 'true' transgression amusement What the Killer Did Next. More recently, helium appeared successful Steeltown Murders, Foundation and After the Flood.

Keeley Hawes - DCI Alex Drake

DCI Alex Drake recovered herself changeable successful 2008 by a antheral named Arthur Layton, lone to mysteriously aftermath up successful 1981. She partners with Gene Hunt portion besides investigating what transpired with Sam Tyler.

Keeley Hawes was already a household sanction successful TV and movie owed to her relation arsenic Zoe Reynolds successful the BBC bid Spooks, Wives and Daughters and Lucky Kim. Post Ashes to Ashes, she has starred successful respective different TV dramas including the deed BBC play Line of Duty arsenic the disgraced constabulary serviceman Lindsay Denton.

She aboriginal starred successful different play from the aforesaid writer (Jed Mercurio), Bodyguard, alongside histrion Richard Madden. A acquainted look connected British television, Keeley has besides featured successful Upstairs, Downstairs, The Missing, It's A Sin, The Durrells and Finding Alice, wherever she besides served arsenic an enforcement producer.

Hawes precocious graced the surface arsenic Amanda Thirsk, Prince Andrew's erstwhile backstage secretary, successful the Netflix movie Scoop. She presently resides successful London with her 3 children and her hubby and Succession prima Matthew MacFadyen.

Liz White - WPC Annie Cartwright

Liz White portrayed WPC Annie Cartwright, Sam Tyler's emotion involvement successful Life connected Mars. Her relation successful the amusement importantly boosted her career, propelling her from insignificant roles successful smaller BBC dramas to large credits.

White has since landed starring roles successful Line of Duty, Ackley Bridge, the award-winning movie Pride, and astir notably, the 2012 fearfulness movie The Woman successful Black, wherever she played the rubric character. She has besides featured successful ITV play Unforgotten, Doctor Who, The Paradise, Call the Midwife, Unforgotten and Grantchester.

Dean Andrews - DC Ray Carling

Dean Andrews played the straight-talking detective Ray Carling successful some Life connected Mars and Ashes to Ashes, serving arsenic Hunt's right-hand antheral and holding a grudge against DI Tyler. After his stint arsenic DC Carling, Dean secured roles successful Channel 4 play No Angels and BBC's Waterloo Road.

In 2011, helium starred successful United, the BBC Two movie astir the Munich Air catastrophe earlier taking connected a relation successful the BBC play Last Tango successful Halifax. Since 2019, helium has been portraying Will Taylor successful Emmerdale.

Marshall Lancaster - DC Chris Skelton

DC Skelton, portrayed by Marshall Lancaster successful some Life connected Mars and Ashes to Ashes, was a quality that viewers rapidly warmed up to. Described arsenic "cheeky but likeable" by Gene Hunt, helium was progressive successful respective large storylines.

After his acting career, which included roles successful Casualty and Doctor Who, Lancaster stepped distant from the manufacture to commencement his ain operation company, Marshall Lancaster Plastering, successful 2013.

Daniel Mays - DCI Jim Keats

Daniel Mays played DCI Jim Keats, who was sent to analyse Gene Hunt and his team's activities with the volition of dismantling the unit. However, it was aboriginal revealed that Jim Keats was a malevolent tone aiming to resistance the squad to hell.

Mays has since had a palmy TV career, landing important roles successful Line of Duty, Good Omens, Des, Temple, Porters, Code 404 and Magpie Murders. He's besides appeared successful assorted films including Bank Job, 1917, Rogue One and Fisherman's Friends, and is acceptable to look successful The Thursday Murder Club.

Montserrat Lombard - DC Sharon ‘Shaz’ Granger

Montserrat Lombard played DC Sharon 'Shaz' Granger, introduced arsenic a emotion involvement for DC Chris Skelton. Her portrayal of 'Shaz' successful Ashes to Ashes, with a look and benignant based connected Joanne Catherall of The Human League successful 1981, impressed audiences.

Lombard appeared successful each 3 bid of Ashes to Ashes and went connected to unafraid respective different roles, notably appearing successful BBC David Mitchell drama Upstart Crow betwixt 2016-2018.

Tony Marshall - Nelson

Tony Marshall, known for his relation arsenic pub landlord Nelson successful Life connected Mars, was 1 of the fewer regulars not portraying a constabulary officer. He besides made a cameo successful the thrilling finale of Ashes to Ashes.

Post his stint connected the show, Tony bagged a relation successful the enduring aesculapian play Casualty, wherever helium played Noel Garcia. Sadly, his quality met a tragic extremity successful 2020 aft contracting coronavirus successful a distressing episode.

His different roles during this play person been minor, with credits for Hollyoaks and an occurrence of Still Open All Hours.

Noreen Kershaw - WPC Phyliss Dobbs

Noreen Kershaw, who portrayed WPC Phyliss Dobbs successful Life connected Mars, transitioned to directing station her last acting gig.

Kershaw has since directed episodes of Coronation Street, Shameless, Emmerdale and Heartbeat.

Recently, she took up the task of directing the long-standing BBC play Call the Midwife.

This year, Kershaw revealed to Hello mag that she would beryllium directing a marque caller five-part mini bid connected Channel Five titled Compulsion, starring Leanne Best of Cold Feet.