WITH his big yellow trilby hat, thick-rimmed glasses and cocky face, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell who this former The Bill star is.
Behind the glasses and a huge winter coat stands none other than the actor Jeff Stewart who played the much-loved PC Reg Hollis.
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Did you recognize this as Jeff Stewart from The Bill? Credit: BackGrid
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The actor is loved for his role as PC Reg Hollis in The BillCredit: Rex
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Jeff looked dapper as he strolled around LondonCredit: BackGrid
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The star looked almost unrecognizable when spotted Credit: BackGrid
The actor, now 69, was spotted looking dapper as he strolled around London.
Over the past few years, the TV star – who was known on The Bill for his fresh face and short back and sides – previously sported a huge bushy beard and big curly hair.
But Jeff shaved off his beard and opted for a trendy look while walking around the capital.
He was seen wearing a stylish long coat to keep warm in the cold air.
Jeff was one of the longest-running actors on The Bill, appearing from 1984 to 2008.
He appeared alongside Graham Cole’s PC Tony Stamp and Mark Wingett’s DC Jim Carver.
After leaving the show, Jeff starred in 2009’s Dead Man Running, 2010’s Tomorrow, and 2011’s Under Jakob’s Ladder – where he managed to win himself a Best Actor award at the Manhattan Film Festival.
Speaking about his exit from the drama, he previously said: “I didn’t go to counsellors, I was seen to be fine and I never worried about how it would affect my career.
“I thought, ‘I have a choice, you can either stagnate or flourish.’
The Bill was shown on ITV in 1983 but was axed in 2010, after a staggering 26 series.
The TV legend looks unrecognizable with a big bushy beard 14 years after his famous role
The series, set in the fictional Sun Hill in London, became Britain’s longest-running police procedural drama.
She helped launch the careers of Keira Knightley, David Tennant, James McAvoy, Sean Bean and David Walliams.
Last year marked 40 years since the debut episode of The Bill.
To celebrate this, actor Mark Wingett – who played Jim Carver – opened up about what it was like to be part of the show.
The star played the intern-turned-DC for 21 years, during which time Bill only won a handful of awards.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, he admitted that he feels he deserves much more given his longevity on screen.
He said: “Other shows have won awards, not that I’m bitter about it because I think the awards are funny anyway, but The Bill has kind of been overlooked.
“The show didn’t get the recognition it probably deserved.”
He wondered if snobbery was at play and said, “Maybe, I think he fell between two chairs.
“It was never really understood as a real drama and it was never understood as a soap opera until towards the end of the series, so it was in a separate category.”
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The TV star continued acting after leaving The BillCredit: BackGrid
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The actor used to have a big bushy beardCredit: BackGrid
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In The Bill (back, left) with Eric Richard’s Bob Cryer, Trudi Goodwin’s June Ackland, Peter Ellis as Charles Brownlow and Mark Wingett’s Jim Carver
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Source: HIS Education