Emmerdale's Biff Fowler

	Unlike his real-life wife Tonicha Jeronimo, who played his screen wife Linda, Stuart Wade decided on acting as a career after doing other jobs, although his enjoyment of performing in front of audiences meant that he had acted in amateur theatre for many years before landing the role of Biff Fowler in Emmerdale.
His older brother, actor Danny Coll, inspired him to tread the boards himself 'I saw him in amateur plays when I was still at junior school,' recalls Stuart, who was born and brought up in Halifax, West Yorkshire- 'Then he turned professional. I always wanted to be an actor but didn't realise it until I was 16. I wasn't looking for a career in it as soon as I left school, though. I was a bit non-committal then. I got jobs selling cars and in a photography shop, before ending up as a welder and machine operator in an engineering company. I stayed three years and hated it It was an unhealthy job with long hours.'
However, while working there, Stuart found an outlet for his love of acting by performing in amateur productions with the Actor's Workshop Youth Theatre, in Halifax. He played the roles of Mozart in Amadeus, Giovanni in 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Billy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman - with Pie in the Sky television star Joe Duttine - the title role in Hamlet and leading parts in the musicals Lock Up Your Daughters, Roberta and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Eventually, acting won and Stuart decided to turn professional. He was accepted for a course at Mountview Theatre School, in London, and started in January 1994 - only to leave three weeks into the three-year course after successfully auditioning for the role of Biff in Emmerdale. 'Getting into television is one of those things that actors see " a big break,' says Stuart. 'A director I had worked with in Halifax was asked by Emmerdai's casting director if he had anyone suitable for the part and I was put up.'
Dolores Sharp	Biff was a biker, still at school and a friend of doctor's son Luke McAllister. Biff bedded Dolores Sharp, a friend of Luke's sister, Jessica, before falling for Jessica herself and taking her virginity. The youngsters were dubbed Emmerdale's 'brat pack'. However, Luke's parents, Bernard and teacher Angharad, left the village in the storyline and Luke was to die later in a tragic car crash after being jilted at the altar by Tina Dingle. Jessica left, too, and Biff fell for Linda Glover. By that time, he and actress Tonicha Jeronimo - who played Linda - were already going out together in real life.Jessica McAlliste
'Biff was a bit of a bad boy at first,' says Stuart. 'It was quite easy to slot into the character because I had a passion for motorbikes. But, although I'd been a biker myself, I had sold my bike so that I could go to college.'
Stuart has seen Biff mellow since the wild antics of his early days. 'The one thing he wanted was security,' says Stuart, 'because his mum and dad had split up and he was living in a council house and didn't have any friends until Luke. He was searching for that something to cling to. Then, his friend died and his girlfriend left. Suddenly, Linda came along. Linda was the strength behind Biff. She was the one who gave him the confidence to do what he wants and was there to support him when he felt down. But I didn't believe for one second the story that he and Linda didn't sleep together untill they married, given the nature of what his character used to be!"
At Steve Marchant and Kim Tate's engagement party, in October 1997, Alex Oakwell chatted up Linda Fowler, took her for a late-night car ride and crashed. He fled the scene of the accident, leaving Linda there to die. Later Biff and Kathy Glover started dating and planned to marry, but Biff felt that Kathy had feelings for school teacher Graham Clark.
On August 5th 1999, Biff and Kathy get through their first set of vows, but then Graham Clark shows up. Biff notices how often Kathy is looking for him during the service, and decides he can't marry her as he needs total commitment. He also decides to leave the village. His best mate Marlon is sad to see him go.

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