Hollyoaks icon returns to screens as he lands huge US TV role 17 years after quitting soap
Former soap star turned Hollywood actor Guy Burnet is now a world away from his time starring in Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks legend Guy Burnet has landed a huge new role 17 years after his soap exit as is set to star in a hugely successful Paramount+ series.
The 41-year-old, who played Craig Dean on the Channel 4 show from 2002 to 2008, has reportedly joined the cast of US series Landman as it launches its second season.
The first season premiered last November, with the finale airing in January 2025. The drama was officially renewed for a second season back in March.
The new 11-part series is set around the world of oil rigs in Texas and is touted to be a modern-day story about fortune seekers. It is based on the Boomtown podcast.
Guy played the role of Craig in Hoolyoaks between 2002 and 2008(Image: Channel 4)
The first season of the American based series was a huge success for Paramount, garnerning a huge 35 million global streaming viewers since its debut in November 2024, in addition to being the number one Paramount+ original ever on the service, according to the streamer.
Billy Bob Thornton also scored a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a drama series for his role in the show, reports USA Today.
In recurring guest roles, Guy Burnet will play Charlie Newsom, a charming oil and gas engineer opposite Miriam Silverman as Greta Stidham, an intimidating university admissions counsellor.
They will star alongside Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Andy Garcia, Sam Elliott and Ali Larter among others.
Billy Bob Thornton plays Tommy Norris in Landman(Image: Paramount)
Since waving goodbye to Hollyoaks, Burnet has starred in Netflix’s Fubar opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning Oppenheimer.
He also appeared alongside Samuel L. Jackson in The Beast and with Jeff Daniels in Reykjavík.
Burnet’s other past work includes Dead for a Dollar (alongside Christoph Waltz and Willem Dafoe) as well as Pitch Perfect, Mortdecai, and roles in The Feed, Electric Dreams, Counterpart, Ray Donovan and The Affair.
Who was Guy Burnett in Hollyoaks?
Burnet arrived on the Chester based soap in 2002 as fresh faced Craig Dean and his character was involved in several gripping storylines, including struggling with his sexuality.
Craig eventually got engaged to John-Paul McQueen (James Sutton), and they became one of the soap’s most beloved couples.
However, loves young dream was cut short when Craig left for Trinity College, Dublin, after his affair with John Paul was dramatically exposed at Craig and Sarah’s (Loui Batley) engagement party.
Craig Dean and John Paul McQueen were at the centre of an award winning storyline in Hollyoaks (Image: Lime Pictures )
Burnet left his soap role in August 2008 before making a brief comeback the same year.
Speaking about his decision to quit Hollyoaks, Burnet confirmed he wanted to take the opportunity to experience other things while he was still young.
The actor told Digital Spy in 2007: “Initially, the thing that threw me over the edge to say ‘right, I am going to leave Hollyoaks’ was when I was sat at home thinking ‘I’d love to go to Tokyo; I’d love to go and live in Mexico; I want to go and live in Costa Rica; I want to go and do these things now while I’m young and can still do them’.”
Guy Burnet’s career has gone from strength to strength since leaving Hollyoaks in 2008(Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
He added: “I learned so much at Hollyoaks. I loved the place and it was the most difficult decision almost purely based on the people, your best friends who work there – like Nick Pickard [Tony Hutchinson], Jimmy McKenna [Jack Osborne] and Carly Stenson [Steph Dean] – they’re my family.
“They’re people that before I even made my decision to leave, I went to and spoke to them about it. I remember having a conversation with Nick Pickard and saying ‘I love it here, it’s great but I feel that I want to move on but the thing that makes me want to stay the most is you guys’. He said to me ‘go, don’t let that hold you back’.”
