Himesh Patel spent nine years on Albert Square portraying Tamwar Masood before exiting EastEnders in 2016.
Now the actor is playing the lead role in Danny Boyle's new Beatles-themed movie Yesterday.
But Patel has admitted he was initially "terrified" to leave EastEnders, even though he knew it was "the right moment".
He told Marie Claire: "The amount of time I planned to stay kept changing because I was aware the transition could be hard.
"I was still enjoying my time there and growing as an actor. But then it felt like the right moment to take a leap of faith.
"It was a tough decision to walk away from what was my family, and a character who will always have such an important part of my life, but it had to be done.
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"There's only so far you can take yourself as an actor and a character in that show. I knew it was time to leave, and it was terrifying."
In Yesterday Patel plays Jack Malik, a singer-songwriter whose career is transformed after he's hit by a bus and wakes up in a world where only he remembers The Beatles.
Armed with his memory of classic Beatles' hits, Jack starts to become a global superstar by using their songs.
The film also features a cameo from Ed Sheeran, playing himself.
Yesterday is set for release in cinemas on June 28.
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