After finding their feet in soapland - many stars decide they want bigger roles and try to crack Hollywood. We often see the announcement being made that an actor is leaving a soap for "exciting new opportunities" or to "have more diverse roles".
Many try to break into America and some manage to become huge names - with the likes of Margot Robbie, Chris Hemsworth and Anna Friel all starting out on soaps. In recent years, we've seen EastEnders lads Rob Kaplinsky, Himesh Patel and Ben Hardy get blockbuster movie roles.
While Hollyoaks is flying the flag in Hollywood with Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel, heartthrob Ricky Whittle and Oscar winner Rachel Shenton. But for every success story there are dozens who fail to make it and return to the UK with their tail between their legs.
Michelle Keegan
Having made her name as Tina McIntyre on Coronation Street, Michelle Keegan left the role in 2014 after six years.
She got a number of big roles in the UK, appearing in BBC dramas Our Girl and Ordinary Lies, and currently stars in Sky One comedy Brassic.
In 2018, Michelle revealed that she was pursuing the possibility of working in LA as he husband, former TOWIE star Mark Wright, was working as a presenter across the Pond.
Speaking to Now magazine, she said: "I've been spending some time in Los Angeles with Mark and it's so nice to have some time together.
"My US agent is in LA too, so I've had a few meetings set up over there."
Mark also suggested that Michelle was looking to get roles in the States as Hollywood is "every actress's dream".
He told the Telegraph: "We’ll see what happens. I think if you’re an actress you want to come to Hollywood, right?"
A few months later, Michelle spoke about spending a lot of time in America but confessed she would never want to up sticks and relocate for good.
Speaking on The One Show', the actress said: "I'd love to work in America but I couldn't see myself living out there full time. I'm a home bird. It won't be permanent. Definitely not."
It seems that any plans to get acting roles in LA did not materialise - and now hubby Mark has moved back to Essex.
Unfortunately for Michelle, there's no chance of her returning to Weatherfield as poor Tina was brutally killed off.
Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon became a household name thanks to EastEnders, with 22 million viewers tuning in to see her final Albert Square scenes.
The actress decided to leave the role of Tiffany in 1998 behind to embark on a pop career and try to make it big in the US.
She got a starring role in Love Actually as Hugh Grant's love interest and things looked very promising when she linked up with a leading Hollywood talent agency.
"I've been to LA and they said I'm England's answer to Jennifer Lopez," she triumphantly declared.
However, just two months after jetting out to the US with great fanfare, she returned home because it didn't work out as she had hoped and she missed the UK>
"It was not what I expected," she said in 2004. "People were shallow. They pretend that they are interested in you and then they forget you. It didn't work out for me and I'm so glad I'm back.
"Apart from going to auditions, the only other thing to do there is go to the beach. I missed the shops and the people back home in England."
In 2017, Martine opened up on the horrible experience, admitting she didn't have friends in LA and felt out of place.
"It was horrific. I felt really upset: I had this dream of Hollywood and what it would be like, I believed in it, I thought it would fix everything," she told the Independent.
"But when I got there and felt the desperation in the room, I just went home and cried. I was heartbroken, I looked at everything in a very different light after that."
Jamie Lomas
Hollyoaks hunk Jamie Lomas, famous for playing villain Warren Fox, had two bites at the cherry.
Jamie, who also played Jake Stone in EastEnders, jetted across the pond in 2012 to try and launch a career stateside - but returned just a year later.
Even though he didn't manage to get anything off the ground at the time, he was adamant he would not stop working towards his dream until he landed a role in a popular movie franchise.
Speaking to HELLO! magazine in 2016, he explained: "Los Angeles is a massive draw for me. Acting is something that drives me and I won't stop until I achieve my goals. Hollywood might not be every actor's dream, but it certainly is mine."
America wasn't a total waste of time for the I'm A Celebrity star as he did learn how to de-stress.
He said: "I've learnt a lot about myself going over to LA and being there alone. I am very spiritual and learnt about chanting and meditation. Meditation does completely change you. It helped relieve me of a lot of stress and angst and made me calmer.
"I used to be stressed all the time and that doesn't get you anywhere in life. Everyone has got a story and everybody is going through their own turmoil and challenges.
"I feel that over the past few years I have a better way of thinking and have started to become a better person."
Jamie made a full-time return to Hollyoaks in January 2020 and is still involved in the soap's most explosive storylines.
Michelle Ryan
Michelle Ryan will always be remembered for her famous Zoe Slater line of: "You ain't my muvvaaaaa!"
She quit EastEnders in 2005 and there were high hopes for her Hollywood career when she bagged the lead role in US TV show Bionic Woman in 2007.
Michelle beat thousands of hopefuls to land the part, but sadly the series was cancelled after just nine episodes.
In 2012, she said: "I had ticked so many boxes. You go off and do the big production, and then you go 'Oh that's it. I've done it now. Where do I go from here?'"
When asked if she feels she has unfinished business in Hollywood, she said: "Erm, well, I think, I think… do I think there's unfinished business? Possibly. I think that's a really interesting question you've asked. And if I'm going to be honest, I think… possibly."
Michelle came back to the UK and appeared in Doctor Who, Merlin and Death in Paradise as well as British movies Cockneys Versus Zombies.
Adele Silva
Adele Silva decided to quit Emmerdale in 2007 and left the role of Kelly Windsor in a bid to crack America.
But after leaving Britain for the dizzy heights of Hollywood, her dreams of stardom took a downward spiral and she was pictured cleaning windows while working in a Ted Baker store in LA.
"I never, ever said I was going to crack Hollywood," she insisted during a 2011 interview. "I was taking time out, travelling and living in New York and Los Angeles.
"I knew the manager and as I love clothes, I thought it would be a nice way to meet people because it's hard to make friends in a place like LA. It can be isolating. I did a draama course for the same reason."
She said she wasn't working in the shop because she was strapped for cash, adding: "At the time I thought 'Hold on a second! I'm renting a car, an apartment, I'm paying utilities - how do you think working in a shop one day a week is going to finance that?
"I'd been putting money aside for ages for a travel fund - that's how I managed to survive for 18 months. I've worked since I was eight and I just wanted to go travelling and be free. I didn't have any work lined up for a bit, I had no ties and when I got my visa I booked a ticket. I saw it as a big adventure."
Adele returned to Emmerdale as Kelly in 2011 but left shortly after - and has since appeared in a guest stint on Hollyoaks.
Nikki Sanderson
After six years of playing gobby hairdresser Candice Stone on Corrie, Nikki Sanderson had her sights on Hollywood.
She had previously said: "I would love to go there one day but for now I love being on Corrie."
Nikki landed a role in film Boogeyman 3 in 2008, but sadly for Nikki it went straight to DVD and got a lukewarm reception.
Unable to become a big movie star, Nikki flew back to these shores and joined the cast of Heartbeat.
Since 2012 she has played Maxine Minniver on Hollyoaks and doesn't look to be leaving any time soon.
Michael Greco
Michael Greco was the longest-standing member of EastEnders' Di Marco family before his character Beppe left in 2002.
The Sunday Mirror reported he was sacked from the show after voicing his displeasure with his character's storylines and alleged jealousy of other actor's scripts
Michael appeared in Celebrity Love Island in 20065 and ITV's Soapstar Superstar the following year, but wanted to make it big in the US.
The 51-year-old actor reportedly lined up meetings with executives in Los Angeles, but admitted: "When I left I kind of lost my way. And I just left acting to became a professional poker player."
He appeared in the 2005 Poker Million, World Speed Poker Open and Monte Carlo Millions and his total live tournament winnings exceed $1,114,297 (£993,680).
Michael didn't get any roles in the States but has been back on our screens in Casualty in 2017.
In 2007 he starred in panto at Poole's Lighthouse Theatre
Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer rose to fame as loud-mouthed EastEnders icon Bianca Jackson and was at the centre of some of the soap's most explosive storylines.
A staggering 22 million viewers tuning in to watch Bianca's wedding to Ricky Butcher- but quit Albert Square for the first time in 1999 after six years.
Patsy explained she was leaving EastEnders to spend more time with her family and concentrate on new projects, such as a cameo appearance as herself in Kathy Burke's sitcome, Gimme Gimme Gimme which mocked her role as Bianca.
As well as having her second child a year after her exit, she starred in animal series Battersea Dogs Home and detective drama McCready and Daughter as well as being a guest host on GMTV.
However, Patsy never managed to shed the influence of her overbearing EastEnders character.
Just three years after walking away from Walford, Patsy was reunited with on-screen partner Sid Owen for a special two-part special EastEnders: Ricky and Bianca.
Patsy did not make a permanent return to EastEnders - and it seemed like she never would when she publicly criticised the soap back in 2005.
The actress branded the storyline 'ridiculous and unbelievable' during an interview with The Telegraph and vowed she would never return.
But she made a drastic U-turn in October 2007 when it was announced she was returning as a full-time character the following year.
After another six years in Albert Square, Patsy decided to swap Walford for Tinseltown by quitting EastEnders for good to move to Hollywood.
The actress wanted to take her family to Los Angeles for a "once in a lifetime opportunity", with a friend adding: "Not only is Patsy excited about future work in Hollywood, she is making the move for the sake of the whole family. It is a lifestyle choice for them.
"She has lots of exciting offers lined up and feels the time is right to say goodbye. Her children are at the age where they can be moved across to the States relatively easily. And it has always been her big ambition to crack Hollywood."
While she didn't get any Hollywood film roles, Patsy has built a career as a DJ in LA.
Despite living across the pond, Patsy did return for a brief stint in the autumn of 2019 to reunite with on-screen daughter Tiffany Butcher, played by Strictly star Maisie Smith.
She had been due to reprise her role again and was back in the UK for filming, but her appearance was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Do you have a story to share? Email webfeatures@trinitymirror.com
