Derek Thompson is ready to go away medical drama Casualty after 37 years of taking part in Charlie Fairhead.

The 75-year-old featured within the first-ever episode in September 1986 and has remained devoted to the BBC present ever since.

Thompson, who's the longest-serving forged member, stated: "The time has come for me to hang up Charlie's scrubs after the most wonderful 37 years."

The actor shall be filming till autumn and his last scenes shall be on TV screens subsequent yr within the "culmination of a gripping exit storyline which will see the character front and centre of the action", in accordance with the BBC.

He starred in practically 900 episodes as Charlie, a personality impressed by an actual nurse, Pete Salt.

Thompson stated: "Together with the writers and producers, I have tried to bring to Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism and sound judgement that we all see and love in Pete.

"And I need to say due to Pete and everybody else over that point who has impressed me in bringing this character to life."

Charlie turned the "lynchpin of the hospital's emergency department", the BBC stated.

The character was "central" to the present and key to "countless major storylines which explored challenging and thought-provoking subjects", the company added.

Charlie was shot within the chest by a schizophrenic man in an early episode, run over by an ambulance on his marriage ceremony day, suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest throughout a gang siege and noticed the top of his relationship with fellow nurse Duffy, performed by Cathy Shipton.

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'Woven into material of British TV historical past'

Jon Sen, government producer of Casualty for BBC Studios, stated: "Derek and I would often joke that, after such a long and dramatic career in the NHS, there was almost nothing that Charlie hadn't seen.

"So it was a tremendous shock to me when Derek arrived with a superb concept for Charlie's exit as a part of an upcoming storyline, which was too good to go up. We will all miss Derek enormously.

"Over nearly four decades, Derek has crafted an iconic character who is woven into the fabric of British TV history."

The actor earned probably the most within the scripted TV (drama and comedy) class in 2017 - between £350,000-£399,999, in accordance with the BBC's annual report.

He additionally starred in one other medical drama, Holby City, and police spin-off Holby Blue.

The BBC stated particulars of Thompson's last Casualty storyline shall be revealed "in due course".

Content Source: information.sky.com