How soap stars are cashing in on streaming giants – from ex-Corrie star worth £7m to Emmerdale beauty who hit big
EX-CORRIE actress Michelle Keegan is raking in more than £4,000 a day, after leaving the cobbles for the heady heights of Netflix.
She scored the lead role in crime thriller Fool Me Once, starring with Joanna Lumley which racked up almost 85 million views in just 35 days and helped bump up her bank balance to a whopping £3.6million.
But Michelle’s not the only Brit star who is raking it in after swapping soaps for streaming platforms.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede says: “Gone are the days when you had to be in a Hollywood blockbuster to become a huge star.
“With better opportunities, more money and the guarantee you’ll be watched by tens of millions, Netflix is the perfect platform for soap stars to send their fame into the stratosphere.”
From Corrie to Hollyoaks, Nick reveals the talented soap stars who jumped ship and the millions they are estimated to have made.
Lucien Laviscount
From Corrie to Emily In Paris
WORTH: £7m
YOU’LL know him best as sarcastic charmer Alfie in Netflix hit Emily In Paris, but global star Lucien, 32, has modest TV roots.
He first found fame on iconic kids’ show Grange Hill, before playing swimmer Ben Richardson in Corrie.
He then landed a part as frat boy Earl Grey in US comedy Scream Queens, before scoring big in Emily, which was seen by 58 million house-holds in its first month on Netflix.
Nick says: “From dating Kerry Katona to being Shakira’s squeeze, he’s one of the fashion scene’s most popular stars, with two million followers on social media.”
Mimi Keene
From EastEnders to Sex Education
WORTH: £1.3m
BEFORE turning heads as high school “It Girl” Ruby in Sex Education, Mimi was best known as troubled teen, Cindy Williams, on EastEnders.
Mimi, 25, quit the soap in 2015 and four years later became a global star with the release of Netflix’s much talked about school drama and even featured in in Forbes’ 30 Under 30.
Nick says: “Over 40 million watched Sex Education, a far cry from EastEnders’ average of four million. Mimi is a favourite with teens.
“She’ll be huge in the new Agatha Christie show, Towards Zero, and Amazon Prime movie After Everything. There’s no stopping her.”
Sam Strike
From EastEnders to The Sandman
WORTH: £1m
SINCE shooting to fame as Linda Carter’s troubled gay son Johnny in EastEnders in 2013, Sam’s shown his talent on episodes of Silent Witness, Timeless and more recently, Netflix series Mindhunter, Nightflyers and fantasy drama The Sandman.
The 30-year-old also scored a role in George Clooney film The Boys In The Boat, with Callum Turner.
Nick says: “Sam’s a bigger star than he would’ve been if he’d continued in EastEnders, and he’s appearing in series with huge fan bases and are international hits.
“Watch this space, he’ll be getting more and more parts due to his Netflix stardom.”
Nathalie Emmanuel
From Hollyoaks to Hollywood
WORTH: £3m
THANKS to her stint as Sasha Valentine in Hollyoaks from 2006-2010, doors opened in Tinseltown.
Nathalie, 35, has since starred in movies Maze Runner, Fast & Furious and The Invitation, smash-hit TV series Game Of Thrones and lent her voice to Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance.
Nick says: “Nathalie is a hot actress thanks to her role as Missandei in Game Of Thrones, but with the Netflix release of The Invitation, she’s gained a whole new audience.
“Then there’s her voice work on Dark Crystal, so she’s fast becoming a streaming-giant legend.”
Ben Hardy
From EastEnders to Love At First Sight
WORTH: £3m
AS Albert Square heartthrob, Peter Beale, Ben, 33, thrilled fans by regularly whipping his top off.
He left EastEnders in 2015, and Hollywood soon came knocking.
He flashed his abs again as Angel in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and starred in last year’s Netflix movie Love At First Sight with White Lotus star Haley Lu Richardson.
Nick says: “Ben’s leading man status has been cemented by Love At First Sight and Ryan Reynolds’ film 6 Underground, which had 86 million views.
” He’s used his fortune to move from Bournemouth to London and lives a celeb lifestyle.”
Suranne Jones
From Corrie to The Choice
WORTH: £4m
THE actress first shot to fame on Corrie in 2000 as gobby Karen McDonald.
Since then, she’s starred in the BBC’s award-winning Doctor Foster plus its submarine-set thriller Vigil and HBO hit Gentleman Jack.
Suranne, 45, soon to take the lead in Netflix’s The Choice, as a newly elected Prime Minister who fights for survival against kidnappers and a fierce French rival.
Nick says: “Suranne is a national treasure. She’s starred in some of the biggest UK TV shows and has a massive fanbase, but The Choice will catapult her to international fame. This is huge for Suranne.”
Jenna Coleman
From Emmerdale to The Serpent
WORTH: £6m
THE Blackpool lass made her debut as Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale in 2005, aged 19.
After four years, she moved on to Beeb big-hitters Waterloo Road and Doctor Who, and ITV period drama Victoria, as the young queen.
But it was the BBC and Netflix co-production The Serpent, in 2021, that she found an international audience.
It led to a role in streaming giant The Sandman in 2022, and Jenna, 38, is now expecting her first child with director Jamie Childs.
Nick says: “She’s a leading lady for many channels. But she’s now got a huge global fanbase because of The Sandman’s cult following.”