Thompson said: “The time has come to hang Charlie’s scrubs after the finest 37 years.
“Charlie Fairhead was inspired by a real nurse – Pete Salt. I, along with the writers and producers, have tried to give Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism, and sound judgment that we all see and love in Pete, and I want to thank Pete and everyone else who supported me during that time. have inspired. to bring this character to life.”
‘Iconic Character’
Casualty executive producer Jon Sen said: “After such a long and dramatic career on the NHS, there was hardly anything Charlie hadn’t seen.
“So it was a wonderful surprise to me when Derek arrived with a brilliant idea for Charlie’s exit as part of an upcoming storyline that was too good to pass up.
“We will all miss Derek immensely. In nearly four decades, Derek has created an iconic character woven into British TV history.
“We will miss his craftsmanship, his humor and his presence on screen. We’re also going to miss a friend, so in the next few months we’re going to have a ball filming Charlie’s final chapter.
Casualty is made by BBC Studios, which spun off as a commercial entity at the end of 2017.
The BBC is not required to disclose star salaries paid through BBC Studios as the money does not come directly from the licensing fee, so it is unknown whether Thompson has retained his place as the highest paid actor.
