Emmerdale Bear star Joshua Richards' life from Hollywood fame to real age

Bear Wolf, played by Joshua Richards, made his debut in Emmerdale back in 2019 as Paddy Kirk's long-lost father. The former wrestler quickly won over viewers with his kind heart.

However, the beloved character has been noticeably absent from the village after he was last seen three months ago, driving away in his hire car.

Recent episodes have hinted that Bear isn't as safe in Ireland as his son, Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), initially thought. An anxious Paddy is yet to learn that his father has fallen victim to modern slavery.

On Monday (November 10), Emmerdale aired a special episode dedicated to the missing Bear Wolf, revealing his whereabouts for the past 100 days.

Over recent months, Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) and his adoptive mother Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) have been exploiting teenagers April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) and Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle), reports the Daily Star.

The pair have been manipulated into paying off an endless debt after losing a stash of drugs, with April also being pulled into the grim world of sexual exploitation.

Monday's distressing episode began to reveal the true extent of Ray and Celia's wickedness, as the ITV soap bravely tackles the significant issue of modern slavery.

Discussing the forthcoming storyline, Joshua revealed his initial reaction to the modern slavery plot, explaining: "Well, I found it a bit disconcerting really. I found it a bit frightening and also what experience do I have to bring to the table.

"So it was a bit discombobulating at first because I thought it could be interesting because of course Bear has been experiencing this kind of depression and confusion."

Ne added: "So maybe it's a great thing to find him so vulnerable, a big, strong man being vulnerable and being exploited.

"As an actor, you just think lovely, lovely, jubbly, jubbly and rub my hands together and then pull my sleeves up to get stuck in."

Whilst Bear has now made himself at home in the village, little is revealed about his history apart from his romantic liaison with Paddy's mother during the 1960s.

The character is believed to have been born in 1945, putting him at 80 years old.

Yet behind the scenes, Joshua is understood to be approximately 65 years old, according to Emmerdale Insider.

Twelve months prior to Joshua securing his Emmerdale role, his mother, Jean, tragically died at 80 years of age. Given her passion for soap operas, her passing left Joshua heartbroken that she never witnessed his television debut.

He revealed to The Mirror: "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. 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'."

Despite Emmerdale being his first soap opera role, Joshua Richards is no stranger to the acting world, having started his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and then moving on to a variety of Hollywood productions.

Before his stint in Emmerdale, Joshua shared the screen with Brad Pitt in the 2004 blockbuster Troy and starred alongside Hugh Grant in Amazon Prime's A Very English Scandal.

However, it's his role in the much-loved 1990s series Heartbeat that has caused quite a stir among fans. In 1999, Joshua played DI Haggarty in the ITV show for several months.

Joshua's extensive filmography also includes appearances in a range of other television shows and films, such as Downton Abbey, King Arthur: Excalibur Rising, The Adventures of Robin Hood, A Viking Saga: The Darkest Day, and Panic Button.

Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX