AN EX-HOLLYOAKS star is barely recognisable in throwback snap after quitting the soap for Hollywood seven years ago – but can you tell who it is?
The actress quit her role as the troubled teenager Holly Cunningham in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks in 2019.
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The star is now living in America and starring in an upcoming horror movie.
She recently stunned soap fans after posting a throwback snap from her childhood, looking completely unrecognisable.
She beamed at the camera, wearing a bright red top and a bowl haircut.
The caption read: “Even from a very young age, I knew I was destined for hair commercials.”
Can you tell who she is?
It’s Amanda Clapham – who joined Hollyoaks back in 2013.
She was the fifth actress to play Holly Cunningham, the daughter of legendary temptress Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring).
She captivated millions with her standout performances, earning award nominations and becoming one of British film and television’s most recognisable faces.
Her storylines included a relationship with Jason Roscoe, an affair with his brother Robbie Roscoe, a drink-driving incident that killed Rachel Hardy and taking drugs.
The show also explored the issue of sexual assault when Holly was attacked by her boyfriend Nick Savage (Ben-Ryan Davies).
She chose to quit the Channel 4 soap in 2019, wanting “worldwide” new acting gigs.
She told Digital Spy: “I’m so excited about the future, but I’m going to miss Hollyoaks so much. I feel it’s my time – it’s time to go now.
“Holly’s been through so much in the past five years and it’s been an absolute pleasure to play her.”
She added: “I’m just looking forward to some new opportunities – whether that be America, UK, or worldwide. I’m an actress and I just want to act.”
Soap’s most harrowing teen storylines
We take a look at other harrowing teen soap storylines from soaps Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.
Belle Dingle’s schizophrenia in Emmerdale – Belle’s (Eden Taylor-Draper) traumatic journey in Emmerdale took a dark turn when, after accidentally killing her best friend Gemma at just 16, her mental health began to spiral.
The storyline, which saw Belle struggling with her grief and guilt, showcased her battle with hearing Gemma’s voice inside her head, leading to a dramatic decline in her well-being.
Hannah Ashworth’s anorexia in Hollyoaks – Viewers were horrified as they watched Hannah (Emma Rigby), a seemingly innocent teen, spiral into dangerous behavior, starving herself in an attempt to achieve what she thought was the ideal body.
As Hannah’s condition worsened, the storyline became more intense, culminating in her being hospitalised for two months as she fought for her life.
Bethany Platt’s grooming ordeal in Coronation Street – Vulnerable schoolgirl, played by Lucy Fallon, was at the centre of one of Corrie’s darkest storylines to date when she fell under the spell of her older boyfriend and sexual predator.
The controversial scenes saw Nathan groom and manipulate the 16-year-old before coercing her into sleeping with his friends, with one of them raping her.
Whitney Dean’s abuse from Tony in EastEnders – Since the age of 12, she had been in a twisted relationship with her stepmum Bianca’s boyfriend, Tony King. The predator had groomed young Whit (Shona McGarty), making her believe she was in love and planning to run away with him.
On her 16th birthday, the traumatised teen finally revealed the years of abuse to Bianca. Tony was swiftly sent to prison sentenced for 13 years.
Since leaving the show, Amanda has flown back and forth between the UK and the US for acting roles.
She has appeared in Next Door, Casualty, Billy Smith, Voices and Our Kid.
Even though she is now based in Los Angeles, she returned to the UK in July to host the National Film Awards this year in London.
She is also a brand ambassador for hair repair brand OGX Beauty.
Meanwhile, soap fans were left shocked after a Hollyoaks extra revealed how much she got paid for just one scene.
Courtney Cash, who is from the UK, briefly appeared in the popular soap back in June, for less than 30 seconds.
She acknowledged that the scene took hours to film and she only had to say 12 words.
Courtney made her Hollyoaks debut as a paramedic, whereby she was called by Clare Devine, played by Gemma Bissix, to check on her sister Grace Black, played by Tamara Wall.
During the scene, Courtney burst in to find Grace on the floor, as she said: “Can you hear me, Grace? Grace?”
Moments later, Courtney said: “She’s alive. She needs hospital now.”
Posting on social media, the brunette beauty has opened up about being an extra and revealed the real reason why she wouldn’t say any more than 13 words.
When asked how much she got paid to have a “couple of lines” in the Hollyoaks feature, she said: “So basically, it all depends on how many words you say in a soap – I think the maximum for Hollyoaks is 13 words before you become cast, and if you become cast, you get paid a lot more.
“They wanted to avoid that, so I was capped at 13 words.”
As a result, Courtney was paid a standard day rate, plus a buyout fee, as she continued: “All in all, I got paid about £350 to £400 for that one single scene, [for] one filming day.”
Courtney claimed that being paid as an extra in soaps is “very different to other TV shows,” hence why she was “so limited” with her script.
She confirmed: “I would have got paid more if I just had that one extra word.”
Courtney also acknowledged that her agent put her forward for the extra role and she had to film an audition tape before she was selected.
As well as this, she shared that her scene was the “last scene of the day” and took two to three hours to film.
Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday at 7pm on E4.
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