Soap star Zachary Sutcliffe has surprised fans after revealing he’s still working as a builder despite landing high-profile acting roles on both the BBC and Channel 4.
The 24-year-old, best known for playing troubled teen Bobby Costello in Hollyoaks, took to social media this week to share a video of himself getting his hands dirty on a construction site.
In the clip, the Waterloo Road actor could be seen in work boots and dusty overalls, hauling buckets of water as he helped “renovate a driveway”.
He joked in the caption: “Is that him from Waterloo Road? Meanwhile, I’m outside renovating your driveway. New episodes every Tuesday on BBC One.”
Fans flooded the comments with praise, calling him “down-to-earth” and “refreshingly real” for continuing to graft between acting jobs.
Sutcliffe joined Waterloo Road last year as newcomer Schuey Weever, marking his first major BBC role. He previously found fame on Hollyoaks, where his character Bobby became one of the soap’s most notorious young villains.
Bobby’s storyline was one of the show’s darkest in recent years, culminating in the character killing his grandfather Silas Blissett and stepfather Sylver McQueen before meeting his own shocking end at the hands of serial killer Jez Blake earlier this year. His funeral saw on-screen mum Mercedes McQueen, played by Jennifer Metcalfe, break down as the McQueen family bid a final farewell.
Despite his character’s grim fate, Sutcliffe’s career has gone from strength to strength. Alongside Waterloo Road, his acting credits include Grimsby, No Offence, Casualty, Doctors and The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die.
The actor’s candid post also shines a light on the reality faced by many working performers, who often juggle side jobs between roles to stay afloat in an unpredictable industry.
He’s not the only soap star leaning on a side hustle to pay the bills. Former EastEnders actress Clair Norris, who played Bernie Taylor in the long-running BBC One show, has been selling her wardrobe online, with some items going for as little as £3.
Norris has listed dozens of second-hand pieces on resale app Vinted, including jumpers, blouses and dresses, most priced between £3 and £10.
