Every Call the Midwife fan will completely adore happy-go-lucky handyman Fred Buckle who floats around Nonnatus House undertaking odds jobs, and sometimes providing a kind ear.
He’s also been stuck in the middle of some very sad storylines including the passing of Sister Evangelina.
Played by EastEnders actor Cliff Parisi, Fred often takes part in get-rich schemes to earn some extra cash but they never quite work out as planned.
TV star Parisi, 61, has played the role of kindhearted Fred since the very first series of the BBC period drama launched in 2012.
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Fred Buckle (CLIFF PARISI) and Reggie Jackson (DANIEL LAURIE) during the Call the Midwife special 2020
(Image: BBC / Nealstreet Productions / Laura Radford)
However, the actor shot to fame when he arrived in EastEnders as Minty Peterson back in March 2002.
The car mechanic was the side-kick of Gary Hobbs (Ricky Groves) and the love of doomed Heather Trott’s (Cheryl Fergison) life.
However, living in Walford wasn’t meant to be for Minty who left the famous square in 2010 to never be seen again.
Parisi has also played a long list of other roles on some of British TV’s most popular shows including Casualty, Outnumbered, Hollyoaks, Outnumbered, The Darling Buds of May, and London’s Burning – to name a few.
And who can forget when the nation fell in love with the star when he took part in I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here in 2019.
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But Parisi’s rise to fame wasn’t smooth sailing.
As a teenager, he was living in North London when he found himself in trouble with the law and banged up for committing a crime.
At the age of 19-years-old, he was jailed for a bank robbery in what the adored TV star called ‘a massive mistake’ that he ‘deeply regrets’.
The father-of-four turned his life around and has built a successful acting career spanning decades.
Speaking about his past, Parisi once opened-up to The Mirror : “At the age of 19, I went off the rails and got involved with a bank robbery and I was jailed for 18 months”, he explained.
(Image: BBC)
“During my incarceration, I spent my time learning how to read and write properly.
“And after my release, I pursued my acting career with vigor and have been lucky enough to work professionally in acting for over 30 years.
“This has hung over me like a black cloud. It was a massive mistake that I made and I deeply regret it.
“I am relieved that it is now out and I hope that people will find it in their hearts to forgive me.
“No one regrets it more than I do. I also hope it inspires young men in jail not to give up hope. It is possible to get your life back on track again.”
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According to IMDB, Parisi’s first television credit was on the series Cabaret at Jongleurs where he featured in three episodes in 1988.
He then played a part on Screenplay (1988), Queen of Hears (1989), and A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1990) before playing the reoccurring part as Lunchbox on the series Chancer in 1990.
Parisi is expected to star in series 11 of Call the Midwife.
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