Karl Heaver

Karl Heaver (born 21st January 1982 in Wigan) appeared in Emmerdale in January 2018 as Olly a journalist working for the Hotten Courier.

On the advice of his high school drama teacher Karl auditioned for a place at Manchester Youth Theatre and spent his early teenage years with them performing at the Library Theatre in Threepenny Opera and at the Upper Camp Field Market Theatre in The History Of Tom Jones.

Having left school and becoming a dad at the age of sixteen he attended Wigan & Leigh College on their three-year Performing Arts Course, he also began singing professionally at the age of eighteen. For fifteen years he worked regularly as a background artist on shows such as; Brookside, Hollyoaks, Queer as Folk and Coronation Street. He attended Shockout Academy in Manchester between 2008 and 2010 taking evening classes in acting and dancing. He attended Stirling Academy in Bolton between 2010 and 2012 taking evening classes in acting where he studied for his LAMDA (London Academy Of Music & Dramatic Art) exams.

He began working professionally as an actor on TV in 2011 playing the role of Robert Napper in Crimes That Shook Britain: Rachael Nickell, as Jason Metcalf in The Battering Ram Robbery. In August and September 2017 he appeared in Coronation Street as Josh a barman at an establishment frequented by Michelle Connor. On stage, he was on tour in Romeo & Juliet and Of Mice & Men as well as numerous short films, theatre tours and commercials.

After attending a show at ALRA Wigan (Academy Of Live & Recorded Arts) in 2014 he decided to audition for a place on their full time MA Acting Course, graduating in December 2016 with a masters degree.