Paul Opacic

Paul Opacic is most well known as “That bloke off the telly”, having been a regular in programmes such as Emmerdale, Peak Practice, Bad Girls and most recently, Hollyoaks. As a motivational speaker, his story of the highs and lows as an actor, the determination to bounce back and to “give something back” strikes a chord with audiences young and old, from youth organisations and students bodies, to charities and businesses alike.

Paul Opacic harboured an early ambition to be a footballer, an ambition that was to remain unfulfilled due to the fact he was “rubbish”. Not to be deterred from a career as a performer of some sort, he decided he wanted to be an actor (as you do) and with the support of The Workshop Youth Theatre in Halifax, he managed to win himself a place at the prestigious Drama Centre London. Three long years later he graduated, eventually securing his first professional engagement with the English Shakespeare Company, and has continued to perform in numerous theatre productions since. In 2001 he won the Best Actor award at the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards for his performance in’ The Mysterious Mr. Love’. Not that he talks about it…..much.

He continues to work regularly in theatre, having recently completed a hugely successful tour of Barry Reed’s ‘The Verdict’, a stage adaptation of the famous Sydney Lumet/ Paul Newman film.

However, it is his work in television for which Paul has become such a familiar face. His first television appearance came in Only Fools and Horses, followed by a stream of appearances in numerous television productions including ‘The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles’, ‘Vincent’ , ‘Lovejoy’, ‘Heartbeat’, ‘Cold Feet’, ‘Holby City’ and SO many others including, but not forgetting, a Comic Relief appearance in ‘Blind Date and Mr. Bean’. Ahem.

That dizzy height aside, he is more well known for his regular roles in ‘Emmerdale’, ‘ Bad Girls’, Kay Mellor’s ‘The Chase’, ‘ Peak Practice’ and most recently in ‘Hollyoaks’ as Carl Costello, who recently met a grisly end. Or did he…..?

His profile as an actor has opened up a variety of opportunities, from a stint as a roving reporter with OK! TV, to presenting and collaborating on corporate videos and promotions for the likes of Volkswagen, Amstel, DHL, Standard Life, Nissan, Heineken, CaixaBank, Peugeot and many others. Not to mention an appearance in the Super Bowl 2000 fronting a commercial for Microstrategy.

His journey from humble, working class beginnings ( ”we didn’t live in a hole in the road but my Dad used to dig them”) to becoming an accomplished actor has not been an easy one but has given him the opportunity to share his experiences and empower others to embrace opportunities and fulfil their true potential.

He remains a proud trustee of The Workshop and is still rubbish at football.