One of Albert Square’s most beloved characters has spoken out about their silence following false information that they have “died.”
Rudolph Walker, who has played Patrick Trueman in the Walford soap since 2001, has been forced to take to social media to clear up fake news that he’d been killed off.
Sharing a statement on X to clear up the disturbing rumours of his on-screen death, the actor, 86, wrote in a post: ‘I have become aware that there is fake news being circulated regarding my death. Please be assured that I am alive & well and will be on set at EastEnders first thing tomorrow.
The star, who received a CBE for services to drama and charity in 2021, then added enthusiastically: ‘Thank you for sharing this real news!!’.
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His portrayal of Patrick, the adoptive father of Katie and Paul and Anthony Trueman, has been a lot of fun on EastEnders over the past almost 25 years, and he is at the center of some incredibly dramatic plots.
This year alone, Patrick walked down the aisle over the summer, following the return of the much-loved Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter). And just a matter of months ago, he found himself in danger when troubled teen Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) made a surprise return to Walford.
Oscar broke into the Trueman family home, stealing all of Patrick’s winnings from the betting shop after it became clear he owed a shrewd gangster some money. He pushed the pensioner to the ground while he was caught in the act and trying to hide who he really was.
Though he may be one of the BBC One soap’s best-loved characters, Rudolph confessed last year during an appearance on This Morning that being a Black actor in the industry comes with its challenges.
He told host Ben Shephard at the time: “I never use the word difficult, it is challenging. I had a mindset when I came to the UK, there is an aim and I want to succeed here. So whatever challenges that were thrown, I faced it head on and found a way round.”
Ben also discussed how, shockingly, Rudolph was told that certain roles weren’t appropriate for “a Black actor,” to which the xx year old replied, “Of course, parts were written few and far between. The episode had to include a doctor’s name as well as a black doctor and road sweeper.
Rudolph was born in San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago, but left the Caribbean island in 1960, aged 20, for the UK to pursue his acting dreams. He went on to marry Lorna Ross in 1968 and have two children, but the pair later divorced.
He became one of the first black actors to be seen regularly on British television in programmes such as the controversial 1970s sitcom, Love Thy Neighbour; The Thin Blue Line, starring Rowan Atkinson (1995); and Ali G Indahouse (2002), before beginning his long-standing soap career on EastEnders.
On his 70th birthday, he founded The Rudolph Walker Foundation to support young people’s pursuit of performing arts careers, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds.
