MAKING her first appearance in Albert Square in 2017, Lorraine Stanley has become an iconic face on BBC One.
But before starring in EastEnders, she was seen in a number of roles including in the crime thriller Legend opposite Tom Hardy.
What would Walford be without rowdy but warm-hearted family woman Karen Taylor?
The character settled into the Square for the first time in 2017 along with her two children, Bernie and Keanu.
Despite her appearing in EastEnders before giving Karen Taylor life, (notably appearing in the show’s Pat and Mo special in 2004), many viewers weren’t yet familiar with Lorraine’s acting chops.
However, Lorraine is an experienced actress on both the small and silver screens.
Read more EastEnders stories
Her TV credits include appearances in Call the Midwife, Holby City, Casualty, The Bill, and London’s Burning.
As mentioned above, Lorraine has also played in numerous films in the likes of London to Brighton, Made in Dagenham and Suffragette.
But perhaps one of her most surprising jobs was in 2015, when the soap star appeared in the biographical crime thriller Legend, in which A-list actor Tom Hardy played twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray, two of London’s most dreaded gangsters.
While she already looked drastically different in Call the Midwife as Pearl Winston, Lorraine, once again, was unrecognisable in the film while she traded Karen’s iconic messy top bun for the role of a barmaid at the Blind Beggar pub.
In September 2015, Lorraine took to Twitter to share a black and white photo of herself on the set of Legend.
She could be seen dressed in vintage clothing and showing off her platinum blonde locks as she posed in front of a retro car.
Years later, and more particularly in January, 2020, Lorraine showed off a snap from the set of Legend.
Back then, Lorraine was smiling whilst in character and right next to Tom Hardy aka thug Ronnie Kray.
Read More on The Celeb Report
Once again, Lorraine is seen wearing her blonde hair in a fancy up-do, dressed in a cardigan and looks worlds apart from Karen’s scruffy outfits.
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
