James Alexandrou showcased a new appearance during a recent stage performance.
The 39-year-old actor is primarily recognised for his role between 1996 and 2007 as the loveable Martin Fowler in EastEnders, before James Bye took over in 2014.
In March this year, the TV star both wrote and starred in his self-made short play, Casserole. Fellow soap actress Louisa Lytton, known as Ruby Allen on EastEnders, witnessed the stage show, admitting: “It was an amazing show, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d not seen or read anything about it, I was blown away.”
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During Alexandrou’s stint in EastEnders, his character Martin experienced thrilling storylines. He married Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), and they welcomed a daughter named Bex. He found himself smitten with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) and ended up inadvertently causing the death of Sonia’s ex-fiance, Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder).
(Image: BBC)
This resulted in Martin serving prison time for Jamie’s demise and sparking off a rivalry with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Additionally, the viewers saw Martin suffering through the loss of his brother, Mark Fowler (Todd Carty), and their mother, Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard).
Since his EastEnders exit, Alexandrou has graced the theatre stage in various plays including As You Like It, Equus – taking over Daniel Radcliffe’s role, and Romeo and Juliet. He has also had roles in Silent Witness and recently made a 2022 Call the Midwife guest appearance as Ronnie Reynolds, with quick-eyed fans spotting him on the show.
(Image: Getty Images)
One fan jested: “I see Martin Fowler has time travelled back to 1968 #callthemidwife.” While another warned: “I’d keep an eye on Martin Fowler in that van.. he’s got previous for bad driving. #callthemidwife”.
Spotting the playful Tweets, James replied: “Seeing some lovely messages come through about @CallTheMidwife1 with onscreen wife @LydiaLaaaaarson. Lost mum to cancer + this was a fav show of hers so was a tough gig, but one I wanted to do for her.”
(Image: Getty Images)
In a surprising twist, James Bye who took up the role in 2014 was not the original choice; Alexandrou disclosed to The Mirror that he was initially approached for the comeback, saying: “They were talking for a while about me going back. They made it very clear that they were bringing the character back and they would really like me to go back, but it just wasn’t right for me at the time.”
His decision to abstain wasn’t taken lightly, as he reflected: “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. I’ve decided to leave the show to experience other aspects of my industry.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
