Paul Opacic

Paul Opacic (born 1966 in Halifax, Yorkshire) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Carl Costello in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. He played Steve Marchant on another popular soap opera Emmerdale.

After racking up several minor television credits in the early 1990s, including comedies Only Fools and Horses and Birds of a Feather, it was in 1997 that Opacic got his big break when he was cast in Emmerdale as Steve Marchant, a new love interest for Kim Tate. Opacic enjoyed several high-profile storylines in his time on the show, before his character was axed by producer Kieran Roberts in 1999.

Opacic's successful stint in Emmerdale led to later appearances in Heartbeat, Doctors and Peak Practice before he joined ITV prison drama Bad Girls in 2001 at the beginning of its third series playing officer Mark Waddle. Opacic quit the series the following year and last appeared at the end of the fourth series. In the ensuing years he appeared in several minor roles, such as Cold Feet, The Bill and Totally Frank.

In 2006, he joined the cast of the new BBC drama The Chase in a supporting role and remained with the show until it was cancelled in 2007. Further television credits include The Royal, Holby City and most recently Waterloo Road, in which he portrayed the neglectful father of one of the school pupils Finn Sharkey.

In early 2010, it was stated that Lucy Allan had quit the position of executive producer of Hollyoaks and that Paul Marquess had taken over the role. It was soon announced that Marquess planned to give Hollyoaks a "shake up", changing the productions team and beginning a cast cull by axing established characters. He cast Opacic in a new central family in the soap opera, also stating he would play the role of Carl Costello. an ex-footballer and the new landlord of the show's fictional pub. He made his first appearance on the show on 19 July 2010.

In October 2012 Paul starred as "Bob" in the production Rita, Sue and Bob Too at The Theatre Royal in St. Helens.

Opacic departed Hollyoaks in 2011 but returned in 2012 for the funeral of his on-screen son Riley Costello and again in 2013 to coincide with the exit of his on-screen former lover, Mitzeee Minniver Rachel Shenton