AN unrecognisable Coronation Street star has revealed he has returned to acting after quitting fame to run a pub.
Two decades ago he played a cobbles heartthrob and has now branched out to become a pub landlord.
The star in question is Rupert Hill, who found fame in the early noughties.
As Coronation Street’s hunky Jamie Baldwin, he set pulses racing when he arrived on the famous cobbles in 2004.
But Jamie later switched the Rovers Return for a pub of his own, becoming a landlord in 2024.
Despite his new hospitality business, Rupert has now returned to acting, kicking his career back off with a new film that came out on Youtube in November.
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Rupert teamed up with fellow Corrie star Julie Hesmondhalgh – best known for playing Hayley Cropper – for Operation Magpie, which he starred and co-directed.
More recently he’s been treading the boards at his local theatre, starring in a Christmas play called Tinsel alongside fellow actor Rosina Carbone.
The show has been running at The Edge theatre in Chorlton, Manchester and is billed as a “joyous celebration of creativity and talent” featuring a performance by The Edge’s own community choir “The Sing”.
This isn’t the only acting job that Rupert has lined-up as the star will also be appearing in Fire Raisers in March next year.
The “darkly comic and absurd” production will explore the “dangers of turning a blind eye to growing threats and the consequences of inaction”.
Rupert will be performing as part of the We Merry Dancers Theatre Company, with the play on at the Hope Mill Theatre, also in Manchester.
PUB LANDLORD
The actor now looks almost unrecognisable after the former soap star ditched his brown trademark indie haircut for a salt and pepper style.
Rupert has since become a pub landlord and owns two bars in Manchester.
He opened his second venue last year, which he announced on Instagram to his followers: “Taking over #lloyds in Chorlton with @jbfotografick . Opening this Thursday with a big refurb scheduled for September.
“Going to create a beautiful drinking venue with an incredible live music and events space! More details coming soon.”
His second pub renovation follows on from his previous success with his bar The Parlour.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News about the venture, he said: “‘From day one, we’ve found this shared passion for taking weary and underperforming pubs with bags of potential and breathing new life into them, bringing them back into the community, creating places that people love to be in. It’s always felt like a worthwhile endeavour.”
FINDING FAME
Rupert shot to fame on Coronation Street as Jamie Baldwin back in 2004.
Although he originally hails from Southampton, during his time on the ITV soap he loved Manchester so much he set up home in the Northern city after quitting the soap in 2008.
Rupert is also married to fellow Corrie star Jenny Platt, who played his on-screen love interest Violet Wilson.
During his time on The Street his character Jamie, who was the son of Bradley Walsh‘s Danny Baldwin, broke hearts left right and centre.
One storyline even saw him have an affair with his step-mum Frankie, played by Deborah Stephenson.
Away from Corrie, the star has also appeared in Hollyoaks and Midsummer Murders.
Also, before finding fame, he appeared in an episode of EastEnders as Robbie Jackson’s half-brother Kevin Bolton.
