The Responder series 2 continues on BBC One this week, with Mark Womack proving once again that he does a very good villain – but who is his famous former wife?
Emmerdale fans will already know that he played crooked DI Mark Malone in the ITV soap. He featured in major scenes before he was killed off. His then-wife Samantha Womack – nee Janus – teased him relentlessly over the role.
Now, the actor is playing drug thug Barry in police drama The Responder. And that’s not the only change. He’s also no longer with his wife Sam.
So what happened between the pair, why did they continue to live together after split, and who are they both dating now? Here’s everything you need to know.
Who plays Barry in The Responder?
Mark Womack portrays hammer-wielding menace Barry in the cast of The Responder.
In series 1 in 2022, Barry was one of drug dealer Carl’s henchmen, and had more of the brawn than the brains. However, in series 2 in 2024, Barry is leading the illegal drug ring.
Safe to say he’s not a decent fella. In the latest series of the Martin Freeman drama, well-meaning first response officer Chris Carson continues to struggle with his mental health amid his extremely difficult job.
Chris – once an Inspector, but now demoted – is trying to get better and go straight. But, when Barnes tricks him into doing a dodgy car stop, he is drawn into a drug war between two of Liverpool’s top dealers…
Who played the policeman DI Malone in Emmerdale?
Soap fans will most definitely recognise actor Mark from his significant part in Emmerdale. The actor played dodgy DI Malone in the ITV soap in 2020.
DI Malone was a villain on the show, and featured in some major scenes before he was killed off. He held Dawn Taylor against her will, and attempted to kill her with heroin as revenge against her father Will, which led to a deadly showdown.
When former flame Harriet Finch tried to hit him over the head, he tried to kill her too, only for Dawn to shoot him multiple times in self-defence, killing him.
Harriet, Will and Dawn tried to cover up the crime before burying the body in the graveyard, and moving the body to Home Farm estate. Ultimately, the trio got away with it. Kim Tate found out and had the body ‘disposed of’ to prove to Will she was on his side.
In an interview with Digital Spy around that time, Mark revealed that he very nearly played a different character. Mark auditioned for Emmerdale twice before landing his role as the dodgy copper. One of the auditions was for the role of the late Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough).
Who is Liverpool actor Mark Womack? What else has he been in?
Mark has played a multitude of gritty roles in his career, including DC Mark Callaghan in Liverpool 1, DI Pete Hammond in Merseybeat, and David Callard in Murphy’s Law.
He’s been on our screens ever since 1988, when he first appeared in the series Piece of Cake as ‘Moke’ Miller. Mark went on to play Eddie in legal drama Kinsey, Archie in Hearts and Minds opposite Christopher Ecclestone, and Chris Merchant in Wing and a Prayer.
In 1998, he played Joe Cameron in the Neil Morrissey comedy The Vanishing Man. That same year, he started playing DC Mark Callaghan in the gritty police drama Liverpool 1. He appeared alongside his future wife Samantha Janus.
He subsequently portrayed Jason Pratt in Playing the Field, DI Pete Hammond in Merseybeat, and David Callard in the James Nesbitt drama Murphy’s Law. Other notable roles include Jack in the 2006 drama Sorted, Eamonn Docherty in The Runaway, and DCI Craig Costello in Good Cop. Good Cop also starred his fellow co-star in The Responder, Warren Brown.
Mark’s also played Tom Hancock in Silent Witness, Insp. Hopwood in Babylon, and Keith McKenzie in Tin Star. His film roles include playing Joe in Between Two Worlds, Tony Fitz in One Night in Istanbul, and Eddie Ainsworth in Willy Russell’s Dancin’ Thru the Dark.
Who is the wife of Mark Womack?
Mark Womack has been married and divorced two times. His first marriage was to Mary Therese McGoldrick. They married in 1995, and divorced two years later in 1997.
They had one son together before their divorce.
He subsequently married EastEnders actress Samantha Janus. Of course, soap fans will know her best for playing Ronnie Mitchell in the BBC soap.
Mark and Sam married in 2009, after meeting on the set of Liverpool 1 in 1998. When they met, Samantha was married to her first husband Junfan Mantovani. Samantha Janus became Samantha Womack, and the pair had two children together.
However, in August 2020, Samantha announced that she and Mark had separated in 2018. She also made the shocking revelation that they were still living together in their Bedfordshire home with their children, 19-year-old Benjamin and 15-year-old Lili Rose (at the time).
Speaking to the publication, Samantha said: “Our family home is big enough and we’re co-existing happily. There’s no rush to change things. But now feels like the right time to be honest and admit we’re no longer together.
Despite the two splitting romantically, Samantha insisted she still “loved Mark deeply” and wanted him to be happy.
She added: “It would be naive to say that moving on has been easy for us both. It’s not an easy route, but we’ve always been honest with each other about everything. I want to be best friends with anyone Mark dates because I love him deeply and want him to be happy.”
Mark Womack wife: Who is Samantha Janus dating now?
While Mark Womack is thought to be single, Samantha is currently dating former Corrie star Oliver Farnworth. Soap fans will recognise the Halifax-born actor from his three year stint on the ITV soap.
Oliver played Andy Carver on the cobbles between 2014 and 2017 – and was memorably held captive by Pat Phelan.
Samantha and Oliver starred together in a touring theatre production of The Girl on the Train in 2019. At the time, a source told The Sun: “Samantha’s chemistry with Oliver was clear to see on stage and they remained close after the production. They couldn’t be happier and have loved dating away from the public eye. They’re totally smitten with each other.”
Samantha is 51 and Oliver is thought to be 41, having been born in 1982. So there is a 10 year age gap.
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How old is Mark Womack? Where is he from?
Mark Edward Womack was born on January 09, 1961, in Liverpool.
He is currently 63 years of age.
The actor attended high school in Childwall, Liverpool, and later attended RADA, London.
Is Mark Womack in the Cadbury’s ad?
Eagle-eyed TV viewers may well have recognised Mark Womack from his appearance in a Cadbury chocolate ad last year.
The ad shows a rather frosty petrol station employee serving a man, who pays for his petrol and buys a bar of chocolate from the counter. However, as he walks away, he leaves the chocolate.
When she calls after him, it becomes clear that the male character, played by Mark, is actually the cashier’s dad. He fully intended to leave the chocolate bar for his daughter to enjoy.
Perhaps it was a ‘sorry’ for an argument, or simply an ‘I love you’. Realising the gesture, the daughter speaks over the tannoy: “I love you dad.”
Awwww.
See Mark Womack in The Responder on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One. Series 1 and 2 are currently on BBC iPlayer.
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