A resurfaced clip from 1994 shows Russell Brand being arrested in an episode of ITV's The Bill, a role that now carries a heavier weight after the 51-year-old was convicted of serious sexual offences.
Last Thursday, a jury at Southwark Crown Court found Brand guilty of one rape and three sexual assaults, and he was remanded in custody until Monday, when a judge told him he faces a "significant custodial term".
Breakthrough Role in 'Land Of The Blind'
In the 1994 episode titled 'Land Of The Blind', Brand played a cocky young thief named Billy Case who was accused of assault. The role was one of his first breakthrough parts as an actor.
A decade ago, Brand was still proud of the part, posting a GIF clip from the episode on his then Twitter account with the caption: "Me in The Bill. Aged 18!"
From Fiction to Reality
In the episode, Billy Case is arrested and, by the end, stands in the dock before a judge. Thirty-two years later, Brand lived out that experience for real when on trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Brand faces a lengthy prison term after being convicted of four serious sexual offences. He was found not guilty of two other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. The jury deliberated for eight-and-a-half hours.
The 51-year-old was refused bail last Thursday and will spend the weekend in custody before returning to the same court on Monday for sentencing.
Further Allegations and Ongoing Investigation
It can now be reported that Brand is also facing further rape allegations made by two women and has already been questioned by officers in relation to the complaints. The Metropolitan Police said its investigation "remains ongoing".
During the trial, Brand faced allegations from six women spanning the decade between 1999 and 2009, when he rose to fame as one of Britain's most high-profile entertainers. The women came to court to reveal how Brand used his immense fame to force them into sexual activity.
Brand, who told his wife Laura Brand "I love you" after entering the dock, displayed no emotion as the jury delivered its verdicts. Afterwards he mouthed "I'm good, I'm good" to his defence counsel as he left the dock. His walk was steadily paced, and he continued to show little emotion.
The Bill ran for 26 years from 1984 until 2010 and was broadcast in more than 55 countries, providing breakthrough roles for a host of now big-hitting Hollywood stars, such as Keira Knightley, who played a young child thief named Sheena Rose in 1995 before starring in Pirates of the Caribbean and Atonement. James McAvoy appeared as a troubled youth in a 1997 episode ("Rent") before moving on to films like X-Men and Atonement; David Tennant guest-starred as Steven Clemens in a 1995 episode before achieving global stardom in Doctor Who; Sean Bean played an armed robber in an early 1984 episode ("Long Odds") before starring in The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and GoldenEye; while Idris Elba appeared in early background/guest roles as a drug criminal and delivery driver before breaking out in The Wire, Luther, and major Hollywood blockbusters. The weekly drama followed the lives of policemen and women working at the fictional Sun Hill Police Station in East London.
