Nick Pickard

Nicholas Pickard (born 27 May 1975) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member and in 2017, won the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement. Early life Nicholas Pickard was born on 27 May 1975 in Surrey. He studied at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and Corona Theatre School worked extensively in the theatre before joining Hollyoaks. His young brother, John, was also educated at the earlier school; John went on to join Hollyoaks in 2005, 10 years after Pickard did. When Pickard joined Hollyoaks, he relocated to Liverpool, where the programme is filmed. Career In his acting debut, Pickard played Mio, the lead role in Mio in the Land of Faraway (1987), starring alongside a young Christian Bale, where he was credited as Nicholas Pickard. In 1993, Pickard played a minor role in EastEnders, appearing as a young homeless boy. In addition, Pickard has appeared in other television programmes, including Us Girls and If You Were Me. He appeared in music videos for "Over My Shoulder" (for Mike + The Mechanics) and "Almost Unreal" (for Roxette). He landed the role of Tony Hutchinson in Hollyoaks in 1995, becoming a member of the original cast. He remains in the role to date, and has since become the longest-serving cast member, having played the part since the inaugural episode. Over the years, Pickard has been nominated for a number of awards independently and some nominations with colleagues. In 2017, Pickard won the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement in honour of his achievement of playing the role for 22 years.