Nabil Elouhabi shot to fame 20 years ago after starring as “Gary” in Only Fools and Horses and later EastEnders.
So TV fans were stunned to see the actor popping up in an episode of Vera over the weekend.
During Sunday night’s instalment of the popular ITV detective show, Vera was called to investigate the death of primary school teacher Lizzy Swan.
But viewers were left distracted after spotting ex-Only Fools and Horses actor Nabil on screen.
And two decades on from his starring turn in the BBC comedy alongside David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, the 46-year-old looked remarkably similar.
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Only Fools fans will remember the funny episode shown over Christmas 2002 in which Nabil played Rashid Mamoon, an illegal immigrant found in the back of Denzil’s van.
As he can’t speak any English, Del Boy comes up with the nickname Gary for him.
It hilariously becomes the only thing Rashid can say as he shouts it at random throughout the episode.
But although he has popped up again recently on Vera, Nabil has had regular work as an actor since his appearance on Only Fools 20 years ago.
In 2003, he landed the part of Tariq Larousi on EastEnders, a role he played for two years.
Nabil has also starred in Casualty, Holby City and played Mr. Mustapha in gangster drama Top Boy from 2011 to 2013.
He also has a string of film credits to his name including Ali G Indahouse, Rise of the Footsoldier: Part II, The Sum of All Fears and Infinite.
Most of his work is on TV and he recently starred in Our Girl alongside Michelle Keegan, in ITV crime drama The Tower and appeared in Jimmy McGovern’s three-part prison drama series Time on BBC 1.
Fans will next see Nabil on screen this weekend as he plays character Hassan Rahim in upcoming ITV thriller Trigger Point, which airs at 9pm on Sunday January 23.
The new six part crime drama follows Vicky McClure’s character Lana Washington, a bomb disposal expert put to the test when a terror gang threaten London.
The series from writer Daniel Brierley and Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio also stars actor Adrian Lester.
Speaking about the new series, producer Jed said: “I think the audience will realise this is a very different piece of work and it’s great if people come to it because they love Vicky in Line of Duty.”
He joked he didn’t miss Vicky’s Line of Duty co-stars Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston, saying: “Vicky’s a natural leader, the real talent in that group. For once she wasn’t being held back, she just really blossomed.”
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