Cliff Parisi's life before Call the Midwife including prison stint and unrecognisable role

Cliff Parisi looks unrecognisable as hospital porter Daniel Bentley (Image: Carlton Television)

Call the Midwife has made a triumphant return to BBC One with its much-anticipated fourteenth series, featuring Cliff Parisi reprising his role as the beloved Fred Buckle. Fred, the show's cherished handyman and shopkeeper, has been a constant presence since the series first aired in 2012, always ready to lend a sympathetic ear.

Fred's character is married to councillor Violet Buckle (played by Annabelle Apsion), and he is a father to two daughters from a previous marriage, as well as their adopted son Reggie, portrayed by Daniel Laurie. Soap enthusiasts will also recognise Parisi as the affable Minty Peterson, who arrived on Albert Square back in 2002.

Despite being a fan favourite, Parisi was written out of EastEnders after an eight-year stint. However, two years after leaving Walford, he secured the role of the cheerful Fred Buckle in Call the Midwife.

The 64-year-old actor also won over audiences when he appeared on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here in 2019, and showcased his culinary prowess on Celebrity MasterChef in 2022.

In addition to EastEnders and Call the Midwife, Parisi has played a variety of roles in some of Britain's most popular TV shows over the years, including Casualty, Hollyoaks, Outnumbered, The Darling Buds of May, and London's Burning, reports the Mirror.

Cliff now stars in Call the Midwife (Image: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

His acting career began with the 1989 comedy film Queen of Hearts, where he played the Manager. Following this, he featured in A Bit of Fry and Laurie in 1990 and KYTV in 1990 and 1993.

In a shocking throwback, a picture of a young Parisi emerged, showing him looking vastly different from his current self. The snap, taken in 1996, features Parisi as Daniel Bentley, a hospital porter in the ITV series Bramwell, with dark hair, a beard, and a worried expression.

The historical medical drama, which aired from 1995 to 1998, revolves around Dr. Eleanor Bramwell, played by Jemma Redgrave, who runs a hospital for the impoverished in the East End. In the second season, a cholera outbreak hits, and Daniel Bentley succumbs to poisoning due to a medication error.

The star fell ill on the Call The Midwife set (Image: BBC / Neal Street Productions / Sally Mais)

However, Parisi's path to stardom was marred by a troubled past. As a teenager in North London, he found himself on the wrong side of the law and was imprisoned for a crime.

At 19, he was involved in a bank robbery, which he later described as 'a huge mistake' that he 'deeply regrets'. The experience served as a turning point, and Parisi has since built a successful acting career spanning decades.

Reflecting on his past, Parisi once shared with The Mirror: "At the age of 19, I went off the rails and got involved with a bank robbery and I was jailed for 18 months. During my incarceration, I spent my time learning how to read and write properly."

He explained: "After my release, I pursued my acting career with vigour and have been lucky enough to work professionally in acting for over 30 years. This has hung over me like a black cloud. It was a massive mistake that I made and I deeply regret it. I am relieved that it is now out and I hope that people will find it in their hearts to forgive me."

"No one regrets it more than I do. I also hope it inspires young men in jail not to give up hope. It is possible to get your life back on track again."

Cliff played Minty Peterson on EastEnders (Image: BBC)

Subsequently, Parisi shared his ordeal of suffering from hypothermia during challenging shoots for the thirteenth series of Call the Midwife, recalling the trials faced by the cast and crew.

The actors were caught in Storm Agnes' wrath while shooting seaside scenes for the popular series, as Parisi recounted to The Mirror: "Everything was going sideways. The wind was unbelievable, it was so cold."

"I was wearing a shirt with a hanky on my head. I managed to keep the hanky the whole time - but I got hypothermia in the end. They had to take me off set. I had to warm up, I couldn't go back on."

Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle in Call the Midwife (Image: BBC/Neal Street Productions/Olly Courtney)

Cliff, away from the public eye, tied the knot with his wife Tara Wyer in 2010. Tara, a BBC producer, has lent her talents to shows such as Nigella and The Weakest Link.

The couple have one son together, while Cliff has three other children from a previous relationship.