Ever since Emmerdale favourite Bear Wolf arrived on our screens back in 2019 as Paddy Kirk’s long lost father, the former wrestler with a heart of gold has cemented his place in the hearts of viewers across the country.
Whether it was rebuilding his relationship with his estranged son Paddy, or forming a close knit friendship group with Marlon Dingle, Mary Goskirk and even Mandy Dingle, Bear truly delighted audiences with his seamless transition into village life.
In the show, Bear’s past continues to remain enigmatic, however fans were able to learn his age happened to be 78 after it was revealed his birthday fell in 1945.
However, despite the age of his character, actor Joshua Richards couldn’t be further from his aging alter-ego, with the soap star quite a few years younger than his on-screen counterpart.
Although an exact age for Joshua is currently unknown, according to his Voice Boutique page, which highlights his voice acting work, he can do voice-over work for anyone that needs him to sound as though he’s in his 60s.
This means it’s safe to presume that the actor is either in his 60s or possible early 70s.
Here’s everything you need to know about Joshua’s life off screen…
Early Life
Joshua Richards, was born in Tenby and educated a the Greenhill School, before he embarked on a professional career in acting at the Welsh College of Music and Drama, according to Famous Welsh.
A keen performer from a young age, Josh was well known for his wonderful imagination and wicked sense of humour, two things that often shine through in his performances on screen.
Hollywood Career
While Emmerdale may be Joshua’s first role in a soap opera, it is far from his first acting credit – with the talented actor having actually started out in the Royal Shakespeare Company before progressing on to a number of Hollywood roles.
At the height of his fame, Joshua starred opposite Brad Pitt in 2004’s Troy and alongside Hugh Grant in the Amazon Prime series A Very English Scandal.
Family tragedy
One year before he joined Emmerdale, Joshua was sadly rocked by the death of his mum Jean, who was a long term fan of the soap.
The star revealed how his mum had sadly died at the age of 80, and would have been delighted to see him in her favourite soap.
Speaking at the time, Joshua said: “My mum Jean was an ardent fan. We watched it when it was Emmerdale Farm and she would have been over the moon that I was doing it, but we lost her last year.”
He then continued: “It’s really sad that she couldn’t be around to watch me in it. She didn’t know I got the part. I just thought: ‘If only my mum was here to see this!’”
Adjusting to soap stardom
After having already rubbed shoulders with some Hollywood A-listers in his career, it’s safe to say that Joshua didn’t have any trouble adjusting to life in the spotlight after joining Emmerdale.
Reflecting on the experience, Joshua admitted that “it’s not as daunting as he thought it would be” and that “everyone is so friendly.”
The star then continued: “The learning curve is quicker. I’m used to doing large roles in the theatre where you have a long time to learn it. With this, you throw out your short term memory. It’s a new habit to get into.”
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