Nej Adamson

Last updated

Nej Adamson
Born
Nejdet Salih

(1958-12-23) 23 December 1958 (age 65)
Occupation Actor

Nej Adamson (born 23 December 1958), also credited as Nejdet Salih, is a British actor.

Contents

Career

Born in London, Adamson is of Turkish Cypriot descent. [1] He played Ali Osman in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders , a role he played from the series' inception in 1985 until 1989. During his time on the show his character battled with the loss of a child, gambling addiction, the breakdown of his marriage to Sue (Sandy Ratcliff) and her subsequent mental health problems. During EastEnders he was credited as Nejdet Salih, but after his departure in 1989, he changed his name to Nej Adamson.

Other television credits include Auf Wiedersehen, Pet , Doctor Who , Wall of Silence and in 2004 he appeared in the comedy sketch show Bo' Selecta! , where he played his EastEnders alias, Ali Osman, in a spoof sketch. He also featured in the 1992 film Carry On Columbus and in 2003 he played a short sailor in the Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and its sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006).

Adamson believes he has been typecast due to his role in EastEnders. On the show's 25th anniversary in 2010, he commented, "I have had to live with Ali for 25 years. I'm just trying to get on with my life. I don't give interviews. I am still acting but it is hard when to everyone I'm still Ali from the cafe." [2]

Personal life

During the 1980s, he dated Linda Davidson, his co-star on EastEnders who played Mary Smith. [3] Adamson married his drama school sweetheart, Susan Stevens, in 1989. The marriage ended in 1990 when Adamson briefly moved to Hollywood.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992 Carry On Columbus Fayid
2004Wall of SilenceMustafaTelevision film
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Short Sailor
2017 American Assassin Turkish Operative
2018Sleep WarmGrandpaShort film
2020HeckleStage Manager

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Turkish Site WorkerEpisode: "Home Thoughts from Abroad"
1984 The Brief SergeantEpisode: "Can Kill, No One to Kill"
Big Deal Taxi DriverEpisode: "Some You Win..."
1985 Doctor Who JuanEpisode: "The Two Doctors"
1985–1989 EastEnders Ali Osman Series regular; 363 episodes
1992 The Bill Nico TheodorakisEpisode: "A Nice Little Line in Plastic"
2004 Bo' Selecta! Ali OsmanEpisode: "The Bear Takes Over"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vicki Fowler</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Vicki Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Alice Johnson from 2003 to 2004. She is the daughter of Michelle Fowler and Den Watts. The character is born in the serial, conceived in a controversial storyline about teenage pregnancy. Exploiting a whodunnit angle, at the time of the first showing, viewers were not initially told who was the father, and press interest in the fledgling show escalated as journalists attempted to guess. The audience finally discovered his identity in October 1985 in episode 66. Written by series co-creator/script-editor Tony Holland and directed by co-creator/producer Julia Smith, it was considered a landmark episode in the show's history. Early suspects were Ian Beale and Kelvin Carpenter, but then four possible suspects are seen leaving the Square early in the episode: Tony Carpenter, Ali Osman, Andy O'Brien, and Den Watts. As Michelle waits by their rendezvous point, a car pulls up and the fluffy white legs of the soap landlord's poodle Roly leap out of a car to give it all away: Den Watts is the father of Michelle's baby. After this storyline the programme started to appear in newspaper cartoons as it moved more and more into the public mainstream. Vicki's character was written out in October 1995, after Susan Tully, who played Vicki's mother Michelle, decided to leave the soap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Osman</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Sue Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sandy Ratcliff. She is one of the serial's original characters, appearing in its first episode on 19 February 1985 and departing on-screen in May 1989. Created by Tony Holland and Julia Smith, Sue is portrayed as argumentative, insecure and tragic. A pivotal storyline in the character's narrative is the cot-death of her son, which was one of the show's first controversial plots. During her four years on-screen, the character contends with a phantom pregnancy, marital breakdown and finally insanity. Ratcliff left the role in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Osman</span> Soap opera character

Ali Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nejdet Salih. He was a member of the original EastEnders cast, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985. He remained with the show for nearly five years afterwards, making his last appearance on 10 October 1989. Ali was scripted as happy-go-lucky, which was in stark contrast to his highly strung wife, Sue. Central to his storylines were his penchant for gambling, his tempestuous marriage, and the loss of his son to cot death, which was one of the first controversial storylines covered by the soap. He was created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland, the creators of EastEnders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marge Green</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Marge Green is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Pat Coombs. from 9 May 1989 to 8 February 1990. Introduced in 1989, elderly Marge is scripted as comical and timid. The character was one of many to be axed in 1990 when Michael Ferguson took over the role as executive producer from her introducer Mike Gibbon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Ratcliff</span> English actress, model, and counsellor (1948–2019)

Alexandra Ratcliff was an English actress, model and counsellor. She made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she became known for being one of the original cast members of the BBC soap opera EastEnders in the 1980s. She portrayed the role of Sue Osman but left the role in 1989. In 2010, she revealed that she had retired from acting to train as a counsellor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Ludlow</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Donna Ludlow is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Matilda Ziegler. She appears between episodes 265 and 437 of EastEnders, originally appearing on screen from 27 August 1987 to 13 April 1989. Donna was scripted as a troubled individual, desperate for attention, but shunned by almost all who encountered her. In her storyline, after finding out she was conceived from rape and then rejected by her mother, Donna sets herself on a path of self-destruction. She turns to manipulation, blackmail and prostitution to fund her drug-habit, before choking to death on her own vomit in 1989.

Ishia Bennison is a British actress, best known for her television appearances, although she is also a veteran stage actress. Bennison is originally from Hull in Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haluk Bilginer</span> Turkish actor

Nihat Haluk Bilginer is a Turkish actor. For his role in Şahsiyet (2018), Bilginer won the Best Actor award at the 47th International Emmy Awards. His film Kış Uykusu won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains best known for his role as Mehmet Osman in the television soap opera EastEnders during the 1980s. He has also starred in Hollywood movies as a minor actor. He often plays villains and unsympathetic characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Davidson</span> Former British actress

Linda Davidson is a Canadian-British former actress and writer. She played the wayward punk Mary Smith in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. Mary was one of the serial's original characters; Davidson played her from March 1985 to May 1988 and again for two episodes in 2019 and 2022 respectively. Away from EastEnders, Davidson appeared in various television programmes and on stage. However, she stopped performing in the late 1990s. She went on to work in digital media for the BBC and Channel 4, and later joined Discovery Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Carpenter</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Tony Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Oscar James, from 28 February 1985 until 28 May 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mehmet Osman</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Mehmet Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Haluk Bilginer. Mehmet is portrayed as a charmer, rogue and a serial womaniser, and makes recurring appearances in EastEnders from 1985 to 1987, and then regularly until 1989.

The Karims are a fictional family that appear in the BBC soap opera EastEnders between July 1987 and June 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mo Butcher</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Mo Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edna Doré between 1988 and 1990. She is introduced as the matriarch figure of the Butcher family, Frank Butcher's elderly mother. She is portrayed as a battle-axe, tough and interfering. Her most notable storyline first aired in 1990, when the character is used to portray descent into Alzheimer's disease. Doré opted to leave the serial that same year; Mo was written out of the soap making her last appearance in November. Mo was killed off in 1992, but her death was off-screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roly</span> Fictional dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Roly is a fictional dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Roly is an apricot coloured standard poodle, who appears in the first episode of the programme on 19 February 1985 and remained in the show until 19 October 1993.

Julie Cooper (<i>EastEnders</i>) Fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Julie Cooper is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Louise Plowright from 1989 to 1990. The character was one of Mike Gibbon's introductions, but she was axed in 1990 at the start of Michael Ferguson's reign as executive producer. Julie is portrayed as a bubbly, big haired Salford girl, who has a hungry appetite for men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Short</span> Fictional character

Trevor Andrew Short is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Phil McDermott from 1 June 1989 to 1 March 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurie Bates</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Laurie Bates is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Gary Powell. Laurie was introduced by producer Mike Gibbon in September 1989 as a rival to the long-established character Pete Beale – he opens up a business in direct competition to him and then dates his estranged wife Kathy. Laurie Bates was one of many characters to be axed early in 1990, following the introduction of the serial's new executive-producer, Michael Ferguson. He makes his last appearance in March 1990, lasting roughly six months on-screen.

References

  1. "Sea monster devours bickering Cypriots". Cyprus Mail. 7 October 2006. Retrieved 30 January 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "EastEnders: We track down the soap stars who left Walford". Daily Mirror . 8 February 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  3. Kingsley, Hilary (1990). The EastEnders Handbook. BBC books. ISBN   9780563362920.