Actor Joe Absolom is a familiar face to millions. The star of stage and screen is best known for playing plumber-turned-restaurateur Al Large in the iconic ITV’s Cornish-based drama, Doc Martin, which ran from 2004 to 2022, and now he has joined the Emmerdale cast as trouble-making Ray, an old contact of Mackenzie Boyd.
After starting his career as the cheeky-faced kid in a string of TV adverts, Joe’s big break came in 1997 when he was offered the role of Matthew Rose in EastEnders. His character hit the headlines when he was wrongly imprisoned for murder and fans across the country campaigned for Matthew’s release.
