BBC EastEnders’ Ali Osman star is unrecognisable after co-star’s tragic death
Ali Osman was a firm favourite in Walford when he was part of the original cast of EastEnders, with his character being involved in a number of gripping storylines
Actors Sandy Ratcliff and Nejdet Salih pictured on the set of EastEnders in 1991(Image: Getty Images)
Die-hard EastEnders fans will never forget Ali Osman. Nejdet Adamson, a member of the original cast of the much-loved British soap, played the character and became a household name in Walford some 40 years ago before he jetted off to chase his Hollywood dreams. During his time on Albert Square, Ali was embroiled in intense storylines involving marital breakdowns, the grief of losing a child, and a troubling gambling addiction.
He also ran the café, then-known as Al’s Café, alongside his wife Sue, played by actress Sandy Ratcliff – and later started a taxi firm, OzCabs, alongside his brother Mehmet, running it from a corner table in the café. Sadly, Sandy – who was also an original cast member – died alone in sheltered housing from an accidental overdose, back in 2019. She was 70 years old.
EastEnders’ cast gathered together in the Queen Vic in 1985(Image: BBC)
After leaving EastEnders, 66 year old Nejdet made a dramatic career switch from Walford to Hollywood, landing a role as a short sailor in the blockbuster hits Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and its sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006).
Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl pulled in a whopping 654.3 million USD, while its sequel, Dead Man’s Chest, amassed a global total of $1.066 billion. Post-EastEnders, he bagged a role in Carry On Columbus as Fayid, sharing the spotlight with comedy icon Rik Mayall.
Nej hasn’t shied away from discussing his personal struggles
But he hasn’t been shy about discussing his professional struggles, confessing on the soap’s 25th anniversary in 2010: “I have had to live with Ali for 25 years. I’m just trying to get on with my life.” Maintaining a low profile, he added: “I don’t give interviews. I am still acting but it is hard when everyone I’m still Ali from the café,” reports OK!.
Nej also popped up in two episodes of TV comedy drama Auf Wiedersehen Pet, and has had parts in Doctor Who and Wall of Silence (2004). While juggling the life of a small-time actor, Nejdet even briefly moved to Hollywood in 1990.
Sue and Ali ran the café(Image: BBC)
However, Tinseltown wasn’t all it was cracked up to be for the actor. His marriage to drama school love, Susan Stevens, ended in 1990, just a year after they tied the knot.
Before his marriage to Stevens, Nejdet had a fleeting romance with his EastEnders co-star Linda Davidson, who played Mary Smith. He remains active in showbiz, having starred in crime drama Sleep Warm a few years ago, and recently featuring in horror flick Heckle.
Nej returned to our screens looking very different on Good Morning Britain back in 2015 alongside EastEnders co-stars, Peter Dean, Tom Watt and Linda Davidson(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)