EastEnders star Jake Wood looks completely unrecognisable in Only Fools and Horses role

Jake Wood has left fans baffled, and he looks virtually unrecognisable in his old credits.

Jake Wood

Jake Wood has left EastEnders fans in shock after old footage emerged (Image: Getty)

Eagle-eyed soap opera fans have have been left stunned after spotting a famous EastEnders actor looking completely different in a forgotten role - with one punter simply saying “baffled” alongside a picture on X/Twitter.

EastEnders star Jake Wood looks completely unrecognisable in picture of him playing a character in Only Fools and Horses.

The Max Branning actor looks very young, with a full head of ginger hair and a few natural youthful blemishes as he played Rodney Trotter’s assistant in the episode titled Jolly Boys’ Outing, MyLondon reports.

The episode was a 1989 Christmas special, meaning Wood was just 17-years old in the episode.

In the episode, the Peckham gang venture to Margate on a road trip, but the coach unfortunately explodes.

A young Jake Wood in Only Fools and Horses

A young Jake Wood in Only Fools and Horses rocked the world of some (Image: BBC/MyLondon)

Lucy Antill found the picture amazing, saying: “As if Max Branning was in Only Fools and Horses! Haha!”, while Luke Philips wrote: “Major LOL at a young Max Branning in Only Fools and Horses #gingerninja”.

51-year-old Wood spent 15 years on EastEnders and became a firm fan favourite.

His character had an explosive exit from the soap opera, as well as a tough ride in which he was framed for attempted murder, wrongly convicted of Lucy Beale’s murder and had numerous marriages and extramarital affairs.

Jake Wood with actor friends

Jake Wood is an established actor with many different roles (Image: Getty)
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The self-confessed Arsenal fan also played a number of other roles earlier in his career, much to the amazement of EastEnders fans.

Among his credits include appearances in science-fiction show Red Dwarf, doctor drama Casualty, London’s Burning and police series The Bill.

The actor was born in Westminster to an English father and French mother and trained for his career at the Anna Scher Drama School in Islington, North London.

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