Many of the UK’s most loved and respected actors have spent part of their careers in one of Britain’s many soap dramas like BBC’s EastEnders. Some famous faces have appeared in Albert Square over the years that have since become stars of film, stage and screen, though their roles in the British soap opera have long since been forgotten.

For Ilford-born British-American actor Sean Maguire, who now lives in LA, his appearance on the soap was far less memorable than his on-screen appearances overseas in hit US series Once Upon A Time and more recently the American fantasy series The Magicians. For fans of EastEnders you may be able to remember him if you cast your mind back to the early 1990s.

Maguire played the role of Aidan Brosnan, who was in a relationship with Nicola Stapleton’s character Mandy Slater and his character dealt with storylines of homelessness, drug-abuse and suicidal thoughts. Fans of UK soaps may also recognise Sean from his role as Tegs in the long-running school drama Grange Hill.

READ MORE: EastEnders actress Cheryl Fergison starts new career 10 years after she left the soap

Many actors dream of one day being able to break into the glitz and glamour of America’s film and TV industry and for London-born Sean this dream became a reality. Long gone are his days of turning up to set in Albert Square as around 20 years ago he moved to the United States to continue his career in acting.

Before his move he managed to squeeze in some roles in other iconic British shows such as Holby City and Dangerfield. He also starred as a child in Monty Python’s 1983 comedy classic The Life Of Brian as one of many children who made up the chorus in the “Every Sperm is Sacred” musical number.

Sean’s career in America has seen him star in a number of American sitcoms in the 2000s such as Off Centre, The Class and Eve. He landed the role of Robin Hood in ABC’s Once Upon A Time which saw him star alongside the likes of Robert Carlyle and Belfast’s Jamie Dornan.

Only a handful of other EastEnders former cast members have traded the streets of Albert Square for the Hollywood hills, and most notably, perhaps, is Ben Hardy who played Peter Beale in 2013. The blond-haired son of Ian Beale went on to star in blockbuster franchise X-Men in which he played Archangel in Apocalypse.

Ben also starred in the critically acclaimed Bohemian Rhapsody film as Roger Taylor, the drummer from iconic UK band Queen. Robert Kazinsky, who played Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, has also seen success with roles in Captain Marvel, True Blood and Pacific Rim.

Sean and his wife became naturalised citizens of America in 2020 and he and his family look set to stay in the States following his successful acting career, for him the gamble to move Stateside certainly paid off. Now 45, it’s likely audiences in the US and the UK will be seeing much more of Sean in the future.

Is your weekly dose of drama from Albert Square simply not enough? Do you find yourself scrolling through the social media pages of cast members, trying to guess what might happen next? Are you as well acquainted with the ‘Enders as you are your own family?

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