EMMERDALE star Susan Cookson admitted she was ready to give up acting to become a nurse after caring for her husband The Inbetweeners actor Malcolm Scates.
After the tragedy of her husband's death in 2016, the 58-year-old actress was inspired to quit acting and become a nurse and help others.
However, her plans changed after she received a phone call offering her a role as nurse Wendy Posner in Emmerdale.
Speaking to The Mirror, Susan revealed: "I was at a bit of a crossroads in my life through one thing and another and I decided that I wanted a more regular job.
"I started to think about changing careers and going into nursing. My husband, who is sadly no longer with us, had been very poorly and I’d nursed him.
Bernice Blackstock suffers new blow in Emmerdale as she struggles with illness
"And I’d played a lot of doctors and nurses over the years, so it was a career I knew a bit about.
"I was in my car, about 10 minutes away from this meeting, when my phone went. It was Emmerdale producer Jane Hudson. I worked with her many moons ago on Casualty, but I’d not spoken to her for years."
Susan's husband Malcolm was also an actor and he appeared in Shameless, Holby City, Waterloo Road, The Bill and Doctors.
He also had minor roles in the 2010 films The Wolfman and The Inbetweeners Movie.
Before playing Wendy in the ITV soap, Susan was best known for playing Maggie Coldwell in Casualty.
Meanwhile on Emmerdale, Wendy has recently found love with Bob Hope.
But fans know that Wendy is playing a dangerous game as she recently begun a torrid affair with Dr Liam Cavanagh.
Susan has played Wendy for the past four years and has now signed a contract for another year.
She has also made two appearances in Coronation Street over the years as Callum Logan’s mum Marion who went to war with the Platts.
She also starred three episodes of Hollyoaks in 2017 portraying a lawyer involved in Amy Barnes' murder trial.
Emmerdale's Priya Sharma star Fiona Wade poses for sultry NYE bathroom shot
Susan now lives in Sheffield and is mother to sons Ruari, 27, and Dan, 21.
