He left his role in Emmerdale in 2014.
Now, a decade later, Luke Roskell is back in full force and a world away from his troubled teen character, Shawn Spencer.
The 27-year-old actor first appeared on the ITV soap opera in 2011 as Ali and Dan Spencer’s son, Amelia’s brother, and was described at the time as a “mischievous brat” who “had the potential to cause trouble”.
He starred as Sean for three years, appearing in over 260 episodes and playing a role in several dramatic storylines, including an unforgettable love triangle with Belle Dingle and Gemma Andrews that quickly became tumultuous and ultimately deadly.
After Gemma became pregnant with his child, Bell inadvertently murdered her and was sentenced to prison.
Luke ultimately left the soap opera in 2014, while Sean left when he decided to join the military, making his final appearance in December 2014.
Speaking about his decision to leave, Luke said: “I’ve had three fantastic years in Emmerdale so I’ll really miss everyone when they’re gone. I wanted to explore other opportunities and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Ten years later, the former soap opera star has undergone a rugged transformation, trading in his shaved head for a longer hairstyle and looking nothing like his teenage years.
Luke regularly shares snippets of his life on social media, showing off his love of travelling the world and hanging out with friends at the pub.
He is also a keen sportsman, playing football and keeping his muscles in shape in the boxing ring.
Meanwhile, the star has been enjoying music festivals like last year’s Glastonbury, while maintaining friendships with former co-stars including actor Max Beesley and Emmerdale’s Laura Norton.
Luke’s first role after leaving the soap opera was on stage, playing the lead role of Carl Jackson in Britannia Waves the Rules.
Since then, he has built a successful career in television, playing Dan in several episodes of the BBC series The A Word.
Luke then turned her talents to period dramas, landing the lead role as Pepper Shallow in Jamestown, which focused on early English settlers in America from 2017 to 2019.
He also had a regular role as Lee Withers in the fifth season of the popular time-travel series Outlander, opposite Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan.
More recently, he has taken on darker roles, including playing Constable Greg Clitheroe in last year’s film “The Long Shadow,” which told the story of the hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, known as the Yorkshire Ripper.
And earlier this year, Luke played Paul in Paramount+’s original crime drama Sexy Beast, a prequel to the acclaimed 2000 film starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane.