Martin Fowler, a character from EastEnders since 1985, is unquestionably one of the soap’s most beloved characters. Martin, who was born in August 1985 to Pauline and Arthur Fowler, made his debut on the adored BBC soap opera.
It’s difficult for many fans to picture Albert Square without actor James Bye following the dramatic events of tonight’s live episode because the actor has been doing the endearing character since 2014. However, as die-hard aficionados will recall, James is actually the third actor to step into Martin’s shoes. James Alexandrou truly made it his own by joining EastEnders at the age of 11, despite Jon Peyton-Price’s origins for the role.
James Alexandrou was centre-stage from 1996 to 2007, involved in some major plots – tackling a stalker, the heartbreaking decision to put his and Sonia’s daughter up for adoption, and the accident that claimed Jamie Mitchell’s life. Although the showrunners were reluctant to murder a member of the first family, the former soap star decided to look further in 2007 and try new things. Following the passing of his mother and renowned matriarch Pauline Fowler, Martin and his wife Sonia set off on a voyage.
James said back then, “I’ve decided to leave the show to experience other aspects of my industry.” “Having turned 21, I felt it was a good time to leave. If EastEnders wanted me, I owe everything to the show and would be so, says RSVP Live.
In 2014, Martin made a comeback, but James Bye was in charge of the character, and soap critics praised his portrayal as the “best recast ever.” On why he didn’t return to play Martin, Alexandrou revealed: “They were talking for a while about me going back”.
He claimed that despite producers’ desire for his return, it just wasn’t the right time. They made it very clear that they were returning the character, and they were willing to do so, but it just wasn’t my style at the time.
For Alexandrou, the temptation lay in reuniting with old friends for a trip down memory lane, but ultimately, he confessed: “The attraction in it would be to see some of my old mates and have a bit of nostalgia, and that wasn’t enough at the time to do it”.
Post-EastEnders, James has appeared in various roles, captivating audiences with his performances in West End productions of Shakespearean dramas. In 2009, he collaborated once more with Natalie Cassidy, who portrays Sonia, for a set of comedic skits for BBC Raw Words.
With other TV appearances including Silent Witness, Casualty, and The Prey, James’s career is nothing short of eclectic. Ever versatile, the actor has also graced BBC Three with a set of documentaries, and has also delved into producing, directing, and scriptwriting in recent times.
James opened his own Playhouse East theatre in London last year, marking a new milestone. And in a surprising twist, he “returned” to EastEnders – not in front of the camera, but behind it, directing an episode. Describing this experience on Johnny Seifert’s Secure The Insecure podcast, James stated: “I kind of did go back]to EastEnders] recently, I shadowed as a director”.
“So you follow the director and observe how the show is directed, and it just so happened that James Bye was there when I was shadowing.” I didn’t know that he knew I was there”.
“I think he apparently caught wind of it, and he came on to do a scene, and he kind of went, ‘ Oh, it’s you, ‘ and we just kind of had this strange moment. Because we don’t know each other at all, and the only thing that makes us stronger are these words on a website called Martin Fowler, you know, that was a really nice moment.
Martin Fowler (James Bye) has died during the soap’s live episode this evening. His death came as a large metal beam, which fell on him in the explosion at the Queen Vic pub on Wednesday’s episode, was lifted off him by the emergency services.
Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), whom Martin had just successfully proposed to, had kissed him before the beam was lifted, telling him “it’s going to be alright”.
After being earlier advised by Stacey her fiancé, who had previously been warned that Martin might have crushed syndrome, which would result in kidney failure and heart failure, he appeared to be safe but moments later went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics were unable to save him.
Martin’s father Arthur, played by Bill Treacher, appeared in the first scene of the first EastEnders episode in February 1985.
On BBC One and BBC iPlayer, EastEnders airs on Mondays through Thursdays at 7:30 PM. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
Source: Mirror
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