EastEnders Mary ‘The Punk' Smith looks unrecognisable 40 years after joining BBC soap

Scottish Sun

7 hours ago

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THE actress behind EastEnders' Mary 'The Punk' Smith has revealed a huge new image transformation.
The BBC screen star looks completely unrecognisable from her time on Albert Square in a snap that marks four decades since she stepped foot in Walford.
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The actress behind the EastEnders character Mary 'The Punk' Smith looks completely different after a career change
Credit: BBC Press Release
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Played by Linda Davidson, she was one of the soap's original characters
Credit: BBC
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She has a fresh blonde haircut and has ditched the thick black eyeliner
Credit: Rex Features
Mary, played by 61-year-old Linda Davidson, was one of 26 EastEnders characters when the soap launched in 1985.
Her single mum character first appeared in episodes three, with viewers getting to know her controversial ways over the following three years.
Yet her time on the long running series came to a close in 1988.
Linda then stunned fans as Mary and fellow EastEnders OG character George 'Lofty' Harrison reunited for an image with Dot Cotton, played by the late June Brown.
It teased their comeback for a storyline in 2018 that saw another of the soap's original characters, Dr Harold Legg, get killed off
The pair were also seen together in 2015 at celebrations for the 30th anniversary of EastEnders.
Yet away from the soap set, Canadian born Linda looks completely different.
She has traded in her character's dark, wild locks and backcombed style for a neat blonde pixie cut.
Gone are the leather jackets and pale-faced make-up with heavy eyeliner combinations, with smart suits and red lippie her current uniform.
Linda gave up acting - after stints on Casualty and an appearance on the Lorraine show - to work in web design and now runs a social media agency.
EastEnders' Mary the Punk and Lofty to return to Albert Square in 2019 after 30 years away
She often gives keynote speeches in media and has previously addressed the issue of social mobility in a speech at the House of Commons.
SOAP STAR
A soap source previously told The Sun how well-regarded her character was.
They told us: "Lofty and Mary The Punk are two of the most memorable characters of the original set of stars.
Speaking of her own time on the soap, Linda previously said: "EastEnders was my first proper family.
"It gave me stability and a fantastic foundation from which to build an incredible life."
Mary was seen as one of EastEnders' most controversial characters at its launch — a former punk rock groupie and drug user whose wild lifestyle put her baby at risk.
Barely able to write, she couldn't look after her child without her neighbours' help and earned her living as a prostitute.
She returned to Walford for two separate stints, in 2019 and 2022.
Off screen, Linda previously dated co-star Nejdet Salih, who played cafe owner and minicab driver Ali Osman.
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She has returned for two soap stints since her 1988 exit
Credit: BBC Pictures' Digital Picture
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She was last in Walford back in 2022 for Dot Cotton's funeral
Credit: PA