Clay Milner Russell | |
|---|---|
 Milner Russell in 2023 | |
| Born | Barnaby Clay Milner Russell 25 July 1999 Tower Hamlets, London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Television | EastEnders |
Barnaby Clay Milner Russell (born 25 July 1999) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Bobby Beale on the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2019 to 2024.
Barnaby Clay Milner Russell was born on 25 July 1999 in Tower Hamlets, London, England. [1] [2] [3] [4] He began his acting career in 2013 when he appeared in the short film The Parachutist. [1] In 2016, he starred in the short film Graffiti as Archie, a boy who is struggling to deal with the loss of his father and uses graffiti to reconnect with his mother. In 2019, Russell appeared in the film County Lines as Bailey. [5] [6]
In June 2019, Russell was announced to be joining the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders as the fifth actor to take on the role of Bobby Beale. [7] [8] His first scenes aired on 13 June 2019 when the character is released from prison following the murder of his sister, Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater). [9] [10] [11] Some of his key storylines as Bobby have included the character converting to Islam and subsequently becoming the victim of a racial attack, suffering from OCD, his infatuation with Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero), his relationship with Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith) and his friendship with Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier). [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] For his portrayal of Bobby, Russell was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards in 2020. [18] [19] [20] In April 2024, it was reported that Russell would be leaving Eastenders after 5 years in the role. [21]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Parachutist | Unknown | Short film | [1] |
| 2016 | Graffiti | Archie | Short film | [1] |
| 2019 | County Lines | Bailey | Film role | [5] |
| 2019–2024 | EastEnders | Bobby Beale | Regular role | [7] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Newcomer | EastEnders | Nominated | [18] |
EastEnders is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the programme follows the stories of local residents and their families as they go about their daily lives. Within eight months of the show's original launch, it had reached the number one spot in BARB's television ratings, and has consistently remained among the top-rated series in Britain. Four EastEnders episodes are listed in the all-time top 10 most-watched programmes in the UK, including the number one spot, when over 30 million watched the 1986 Christmas Day episode. EastEnders has been important in the history of British television drama, tackling many subjects that are considered to be controversial or taboo in British culture, and portraying a social life previously unseen on UK mainstream television.
Adam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role he has portrayed since the show's inception in 1985.
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and one of four remaining original characters, the others being his mother Kathy Beale, Sharon Watts and Tracey. The character appeared in his 2,000th episode in the show on 26 March 2007, and his 3,000th on 27 May 2016. Woodyatt took an extended break from EastEnders on 22 January 2021. He made appearances on 12 December 2022 and 22 June 2023, prior to a full-time return on 22 August.
Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and he is played by Thomas Law. Peter makes his first appearance in episode 926, originally broadcast on 16 December 1993. Peter has been played by seven actors since being introduced in 1993. Francis Brittin-Snell portrayed the role from 1993 to 1996, followed by Alex Stevens from 1997 to 1998 and Joseph Shade from 1998 to 2004. James Martin took over and played the role from 2004 to 2006. He was played by Thomas Law from 2006 until 2010, when the character departed the series. In April 2013, it was announced that Peter would return, played by Ben Hardy who made his first appearance on 7 June 2013. Hardy announced his departure from the role in November 2014, making his final on-screen appearance on 24 February 2015.
Bobby Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who made his first appearance in episode 2557, originally broadcast on 24 July 2003. The character was originally played by Kevin Curran as an infant. Prior to his introduction, Bobby's paternity is at the centre of a storyline and is resolved when Ian Beale is revealed as Bobby's father. His mother, Laura Beale, is killed off in 2004 and Bobby's stepmother, Jane Beale, later adopts Bobby. Curran was replaced by Alex Francis in 2007. Following Jane's departure, Bobby finds a mother figure in Mandy Salter and is upset when she leaves.
The Beales and the Fowlers are a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. They were the main family for storylines in early episodes of EastEnders, and remained as such ever since. With at least one member of the family having been a member of the cast from the first episode in February 1985, they are the show's longest serving family. The original Beale/Fowler family consisted of matriarch Lou Beale and her children Pete and Pauline, alongside their families including their children Ian, Mark, Michelle and their spouses Kathy Hills and Arthur Fowler. Additionally, several members of the family have been introduced at a later point, including Pauline and Arthur's son Martin who was the first baby to be born into the show in 1985. The family has been headed with a matriarch first seen with Lou, and over the years, Lou's daughter Pauline, Ian's wife Jane Collins and more recently Pete's wife Kathy, have filled this role.
Cindy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Collins. She first appeared 10 May 1988 and originally departed on 27 December 1990, before returning as one of the show's central antagonists from 13 October 1992 until her exit episode on 10 April 1998; the character supposedly died off-screen during childbirth on 5 November 1998. During her first stint on the show, Cindy embarked on a prolonged relationship with her would-be husband Ian Beale. Their marriage soon deteriorated, however, due to Cindy's selfish streak that shows the character becoming unfaithful to Ian and growing more concerned about her own needs than their own children. She lies and schemes to ensure that she gets what she wants.
Cindy Williams is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, that has been played by four actresses since being introduced in 1998. She makes her debut in episode 1692, originally broadcast on 9 November 1998. Cindy is brought up by her maternal grandmother and aunt off-screen after her mother, Cindy Beale, supposedly dies off-screen in prison while in labor. In 2023, Cindy Beale makes a return in France alongside Ian Beale which confirms she had not died during childbirth – rather she went into Witness Protection, still unbeknownst to Cindy Jr. The characters most prominent storylines see her learn of the murder of her sister Lucy, enter a relationship with Liam Butcher, and struggle as a teenage mother to daughter Beth Williams. Cindy made an unannounced departure on 17 August 2015.
Lucy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The character was played by Eva Brittin-Snell, Casey Anne Rothery, Melissa Suffield, and Hetti Bywater. Lucy was introduced in December 1993 as the baby daughter of Ian and Cindy Beale. She was the twin sister of Peter Beale, and had three half siblings, older brother Steven Beale, younger sister Cindy Williams and younger brother Bobby Beale.
Jacqueline Mary Osborne is an English actress. She is known for portraying Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2019, Jossa won the nineteenth series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.
Ben Hardy is an English actor. He is known for playing Peter Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2013–2015). Hardy made his film debut as Archangel in the superhero film X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and played Roger Taylor in the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
Tony David Clay is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Callum "Halfway" Highway in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2018. Prior to his tenure on EastEnders, Clay appeared in various stage productions and had minor roles in British films and programmes.
Iqra Ahmed is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Priya Davdra. Davdra's casting as Iqra was announced on 20 December 2018, along with that of Habiba. Both characters were called feisty and the BBC stated that they would both make an impact on Walford. Iqra is the elder sister of Habiba, and is described as "no-nonsense, bold and intelligent". Iqra makes her first appearance in episode 5871, originally broadcast on 19 February 2019. Alongside sister Habiba Ahmed, Iqra is introduced as a relative of established character Masood Ahmed. Iqra's final appearance aired on 3 January 2022.
Dana Monroe is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Barbara Smith. Smith auditioned for the role over Zoom due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television and was cast as Dana, a love interest for established character Bobby Beale, making her first appearance on 1 April 2021. She was initially cast in a 6-month guest stint, but was promoted to a regular cast member and had her family introduced to the soap. She was overjoyed to have been cast due to having been a fan of the soap since her youth. Dana has been shown to be a bubbly, generous and likeable character. Smith was initially unsure if viewers would like her, but critics have said that it has been refreshing to have a character with good intentions on EastEnders. It was announced on 10 June 2022 that Smith had been axed by new executive producer Chris Clenshaw, with Dana set to exit the show later in the year. Smith admitted that it was fitting for Dana to leave as she was of university age and was excited for her final scenes to air. She also confirmed that if she was asked, she would return to the soap in the future. Dana's final scenes aired on 1 September 2022.
Bobby Jack Brazier is an English actor and model. In 2020, he made his catwalk debut at Milan Fashion Week. In 2022, he rose to prominence after joining the cast of the BBC One soap opera EastEnders as Freddie Slater, for which he received a National Television Award. He reached the final of the 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, finishing as a runner-up.
Christopher Clenshaw is an English television producer, known for serving as the current executive producer of the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2022.