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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Susan Knox

EastEnders' Johnny Carter actor unrecognisable with tattoos eight years after quitting soap

Johnny Carter last appeared on EastEnders back in 2014 as Mick and Linda Carter's beloved son.

Since then, the actor who played the loveable teen on the show has went through a bit of a transformation and looks almost unrecognisable these days.

Sam Strike, who appeared on the BBC One soap for one-year from 2013 to 2014, looks worlds away from his Albert Square character these days.

Almost eight years since his departure, the 28-year-old actor has ditched his boyish looks for a more mature demeanour as he regularly updates his fans with selfies on Instagram.

One recent snap saw the former soap star show off his modelling skills as he posed in a black and white photo while puffing on a cigarette.

Sam Strike appeared on the BBC One soap for one-year from 2013 to 2014 (BBC/Jack Barnes)
Sam looks worlds away from his EastEnd character these days (samstrike1894/Instagram)

In another, Sam showed off the hard work he's been putting in in the gym as he flashed his flaunts his muscles in a striking snap.

The handsome star appears to have become somewhat of a fashion-lover as he regularly shares outfit snaps which show off his personal style.

During his time on EastEnders, Sam was involved in some of the most emotional storylines from the BBC One soap in recent years.

Viewers and critics alike praised the young actor's sensitive performance in scenes where his character Johnny came out as gay to his dad, who was played by actor Danny Dyer.

Sam left EastEnders 8 years ago (samstrike1894/Instagram)

Despite the fact he wowed audiences with his stellar performance, Sam decided to throw in the towel on EastEnders after just one year on the soap.

At the time, the Essex-born actor insisted that he felt as though his character Johnny didn’t have a real place in the show’s current storylines.

He explained: "When I was in talks about leaving, I spoke to the people that I'd been working with the most - including Dom, the executive producer, and the Carters.

Sam has landed roles on MIndhunter and drama series Silent Witness (samstrike1894/Instagram)

"I said to them that if there was anything they really wanted me to do we'd do that, as I didn't want to leave people high and dry.

"At that time I didn't feel that Johnny was totally necessary.

"But I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot. I have a whole new respect for soaps and the vast quantity of work they have to do."

The star appears to keep quite a low profile online (samstrike1894/Instagram)

Since quitting EastEnders, Sam has landed roles on MIndhunter and drama series Silent Witness.

The star appears to keep quite a low profile when it comes to sharing details of his personal life - but he does like to share snippets of his life on social media from time-to-time.

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