Stephen Harold Halliwell (19 March 1946 – 15 December 2023) was an English actor, best known for portraying the role of Zak Dingle in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, which he played from 1994 until his death in 2023.

[2] Halliwell was an apprentice engineer and worked mainly in cotton and paper mills before drama training at the Mountview Theatre School.

[5] During the first two decades of his career, Halliwell featured in a number of British television series, including Here I Stand, Threads, Cracker, Crown Court, G.B.H., Heartbeat and Coronation Street.

[5] In September 2018, Halliwell had to take five months off from Emmerdale for health reasons, which he later revealed was due to having a heart surgery and a pacemaker fitted.

[14] Several of his Emmerdale co-stars paid tribute to him, including his character's on-screen niece Lisa Riley, who thanked him for "years of laughter" and noted that he was "adored, loved and respected by [the cast]".