Sam Strike played the role of Johnny Carter in EastEnders for one year in 2013.
The actor, 28, made his first appearance on the BBC soap as the son of Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) on Boxing Day, moving into The Queen Vic along with his parents.
Sam’s portrayal of Johnny was met with high praise, specifically the scenes where he came out as gay to his father – which turned out to be his most notable storyline during his year on the soap.
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While Sam was last seen on Christmas Day in 2014, the character of Johnny was recast to Ted Reilly who continued playing the role from 2016 to 2018 – so what is Sam up to now?
Career swap
(Image: @samstrike1894/Instagram)
While Sam has by no means given up acting, it seems he often swaps being in front of the camera to behind in his spare time.
By the look of his Instagram page, which boasts more than 25,000 followers, the former soap star has amassed a great talent for photography.
His social media profile is littered with snaps he has photographed, most of which are captioned: “#polaroid” or other time’s of camera’s he’s used.
The Essex-born star recently posed for a mirror selfie showcasing what goes on behind the lens, while his Instagram bio is printed with simple camera emoji.
Roles after EastEnders
(Image: Lionsgate)
Since waving goodbye to Albert Square, Sam has nabbed roles in a wave of TV shows including crime drama series Silent Witness and Sci-fi series Timeless, both in 2016.
In 2017, he starred in the Netflix thriller series Mindhunter and scored his first official film role in Bonded by Blood 2.
The same year, Sam landed the part of Leatherface in the prequel to iconic film series The Texas Chainsaw Massacre before going on to star in the coming of age series When the Streetlights Go On two years later.
Earlier this year, the actor portrayed Todd in Netflix fantasy drama series The Sandman.
George Clooney link
(Image: samstrike1894/Instagram)
Sam is set to star in upcoming motion picture The Boys in the Boat which is an adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s 2013 novel of the same name and will be directed by George Clooney.
The film, set for release in 2023, tells the story of Washington men’s rowing team who shocked the world after taking home gold in the Berlin Olympics in 1936.
The Boys in the Boat will be the Gravity star’s ninth film as director and will feature plenty of big names, including Star Wars actor Joel Edgerton and Fantastic Beasts star Callum Turner.
It is unknown what role Sam is playing in the upcoming drama film.
EastEnders return
(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes)
When the role was still attached to Sam, Johnny left Albert Square on a motorcycle was was last seen in a video call with his family on Christmas Day.
Speaking about his exit, the Silent Witness star told Digital Spy that he left because he didn’t feel like his character was “necessarily needed” in the soap.
Two years after Sam bowed out of the role, Johnny was recast to Ted Reilly who remained in Albert Square for just over one year before the character departed once again in 2018.
(Image: BBC/Kierron McCarron)
Johnny’s incredibly low-key exit saw him leave in the back of a black cab, meaning the door is wide open for him to return.
Back in May, Sam sparked rumours a return could be on the cards after sharing a snap with his on-screen family on his Instagram.
Posing alongside Danny Dyer, Kellie Bright and Maddy Hill, who played his on-screen sister Nancy, the soap family looked as happy as ever as they cuddled up to each other.
(Image: @samstrike1894/Instagram)
Sam captioned the sweet snap: “Always fam,” prompting fans to flock to the comments to speculate and beg for his return.
“Oh I wish you’d come back! You were brilliant as Johnny,” gushed one user as someone else wrote: “Think you should get them to ask producers about bringing your character back!”
Another person commented: “Omg my fav Jonny in Eastenders! Plz bring him back!!” while a fourth chimed in: “Get back in Eastenders Sam Strike you Legend!”
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Danny Dyer confirmed he would be leaving the BBC soap after 10 years playing Mick Carter.
While it’s not known how he exits the square, the actor was filmed jumping off a cliff which could no doubt be an explosive death scene.
Could Mick’s potential Christmas Day death pave the way for Sam to return as Johnny and reunite with his family?
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One at 7.30pm
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
