| Fred Fonseca | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||
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| Portrayed by | Jimi Mistry | ||||
| Duration | 1998–2000 | ||||
| First appearance | Episode 1666/1667 13 September 1998 | ||||
| Last appearance | Episode 1906 10 February 2000 | ||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||
| Introduced by | Matthew Robinson | ||||
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Dr. Fred Fonseca is a fictional character from the popular soap opera EastEnders , played by Jimi Mistry from 13 September 1998 to 10 February 2000.
Dr. Fonseca is first seen in September 1998, where he confirms that Bianca Butcher (Patsy Palmer) is expecting a baby. He is the permanent replacement for Dr. Harold Legg (Leonard Fenton), who retired as Walford's GP in 1997. Fred moves into the flat above the surgery with Mick McFarlane (Sylvester Williams). Unlike his predecessor, Fred is not always willing to listen to the medical complaints of his patients outside office hours, and is accused of being tactless and insensitive at times. This, as well as his holistic, nontraditional approach to medicine, does not endear him to all of his patients initially. Fred comes from a wealthy family; his father is a consultant. It is revealed that Fred had not wanted to pursue medicine as a career, but family pressure forced him into the profession. [1]
Fred and Mick become good friends, but despite their closeness, Fred feels unable to tell Mick that he is gay. When Fred attends a medical convention in Brighton in the summer of 1999, Mick and several other residents of Walford go along too. Whilst on the trip, it becomes apparent to everyone, bar Mick, that Fred has something he wants to get off his chest. Fred decides to take Mick to a gay club in the hope that he might guess his sexual orientation, but Mick remains blithely ignorant, and is extremely shocked when Fred finally confesses. Mick does not care that Fred is gay, but he is hurt that Fred had not confided in him sooner, and is just as perturbed to discover that Fred doesn't fancy him. Their friendship remains intact, although Mick's mother Josie (Joan Hooley) who is also Fred's receptionist, is not so understanding and denounces Fred's lifestyle as immoral.
Fred's sexuality also brings to the fore homophobic tendencies in other residents of Walford, including teenager Martin Fowler (James Alexandrou). When Josie's confused stepdaughter, Kim (Krystle Williams), approaches Fred to find out more about homosexuality, Josie accuses Fred of "recruiting Kim to the gay cause", [2] and states that he should not be around young children, which deeply offends Fred. Shortly after, Dr. Fonseca decides to leave Walford to work in a new practice in Islington in February 2000.
In 1998, EastEnders acquired a new executive producer, Matthew Robinson. Robinson was dubbed "the axeman" in the British press, after a large proportion of the EastEnders cast either quit, or were culled, shortly after Robinson's introduction. It was reported that Robinson hoped the changes would attract more viewers and "spice up [the soap's fictional setting of] Walford". [3]
Among the departing characters were long-running Asian family the Kapoors, including Sanjay, Gita and Neelam Kapoor. [4] As they were the only Asian characters in the show, EastEnders received criticism for axing them from angry black and Asian MPs, including Oona King, MP for East End constituency Bethnal Green, and Dr Ashok Kumar. [5]
In response to the criticism, bosses at EastEnders announced the upcoming arrival of various new ethnic minority characters in July 1998. These included, a "heart-throb" Asian doctor, later revealed as Fred Fonseca, and the Jamaican relatives of Mick McFarlane (Sylvester Williams), including his mother Josie McFarlane. [5] According to the press report, BBC bosses held a brainstorming session including black and Asian representatives among the writers and cast, to see how they could reflect black and Asian life in London more fully. [5]
In July 1998 it was announced that actor Jimi Mistry would be playing the part of Fred, "an attractive young doctor". Commenting on his new role, Mistry said "Let's hope it's a prescription for success – I'm working on my bedside manner". [3]
Dr Fonseca first appeared briefly in 1998, and became Walford's GP full-time in February 1999, heralding the retirement of original character Dr Harold Legg, who had been the soap's GP for 14 years, since the first episode was broadcast in February 1985. Speaking on his decision to replace Dr Legg, executive producer Matthew Robinson said "Dr Legg is getting on a bit, so we're retiring him. He'll be going to a nice cottage in the country." [6]
The character's most notable storyline concerns him coming out as a homosexual, and as a result being subjected to homophobia from several other characters. In May 1999, it was reported that bosses at EastEnders were struggling to hold on to actor Jimi Mistry, due to the box office success of a low-budget film he made prior to joining the soap, East is East . Executive producer Matthew Robinson commented, "We've got Jimi signed up until early next year but by then his choice will be Hollywood or Walford...It could be tricky." [7] The film was an international success, and at the end of his contract in 2000, Mistry left EastEnders to pursue a career as a film actor. At the time the press claimed that Mistry quit because his character was "boring", [8] and Mistry has since commented that he found playing Fred "quite hard". [9]
The character has been criticised for being boring. [8] He has been described by Phil Hansen of the Walford Gazette as "bland as tofu...the epitome of a sexless gay character, whose only purpose is to prop up the more colorful straight characters", and he has been accused of not existing as "a character in his own right". [10]
The character's exit was also criticised in the Gay Times . The critic comments, "Hardly had he got his stethoscope warmed when he's scared off by a few choice comments by Martin Fowler, a gangly, sullen fifteen-year-old who 'comes over all queer' when Fred scuttles by...Fred is such a coward he's leaving for Islington (implicated as a step up to better things, happier days and no homophobia - the chatterings class round here are so much more tolerant, darling). And everyone's okay with this?...Why do we have to put up with such - yes, I'm going to say it! - namby pamby, piss-weak gay characters who leg it at the first sign of trouble? Everytime EastEnders disgorges a gay character onto the Square I am asked silently, by the glimmer in the eye, whether I think that this time, just maybe, this is will the one...that will merely stay the course!... I admit it now, I have lost the will to even consider that one day, just maybe, there might be." [11] Lorna Cooper of MSN TV listed Fred one of soap opera's "forgotten characters". [12]
Dr. Harold Legg is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Leonard Fenton. Dr. Legg is Walford's original GP. He is widely trusted within the community, and is always on hand to dish out advice. Dr Legg appears as a regular character between 1985 and 1989, but continued to appear in a recurring role until 1997. He was officially retired in 1999 by executive producer Matthew Robinson, but made brief returns in 2000, 2004 and 2007. He returned for a longer storyline from 18 October 2018 and departed on 15 February 2019 when he died of pancreatic cancer.
Matthew Robinson is a British-Cambodian television and film executive producer, producer, director and writer. After graduating from Cambridge University. he directed many episodes of popular British television dramas and soap operas in the 1970s and 1980s. He became the first producer of the series Byker Grove (1989–1997), and was also made the executive producer of EastEnders (1998–2000).
Nina Harris is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Troy Titus-Adams between 14 January 1999 and 5 June 2000. The character was axed by John Yorke, making her final appearance in June 2000. Titus-Adams has been critical about the lack of material given to her, accusing the BBC of tokenism.
Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career. However, he reprised the role in 2002 before being axed by producer Louise Berridge in 2004. In 2008, producer Diederick Santer introduced the character for a third time, along with his wife Bianca Jackson. Ricky is portrayed as unintelligent, simplistic, easily led and bossed around by dominant personalities. On 26 February 2011, it was announced that Owen would take a temporary break from the show. The character exited on 19 July 2011, returning five months later on 13 December 2011. Ricky left EastEnders on 17 January 2012. Ricky returned to EastEnders on 20 June 2012 for the wedding of his sister, Janine Butcher, before departing for the final time on 29 June 2012. In April 2016 he had voiced his interest in returning to EastEnders during an appearance on Celebrity Juice. He reprised his role as Ricky for an eight-week stint from 1 December 2022 to 26 January 2023.
Simon Raymond is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Andrew Lynford. Simon is introduced in 1996 as the homosexual brother of Tiffany Mitchell. His relationship with the bisexual character Tony Hills featured a gay kiss that caused controversy in the UK; numerous complaints were made because of its broadcasting. Simon remained in the serial until 1999, at which time it was mutually agreed between Lynford and executive producer Matthew Robinson, that the character had run its course. The character was given a happy ending, reuniting with his former boyfriend Tony to travel Europe.
Josie McFarlane is a fictional character that appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She was played by Joan Hooley between 25 August 1998 and 1 February 2000. Since leaving the serial, Jamaican-born actress Joan Hooley has publicly accused EastEnders and the BBC of racism and tokenism, for giving her character no significant storylines, and using her as a prop.
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Sanjay Kapoor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Deepak Verma from 9 February 1993 to 24 September 1998.
Gita Kapoor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shobu Kapoor, from 18 February 1993 to 24 September 1998.
James Patrick Mistry is a retired British actor. He is known for appearing in numerous films such as East Is East (1999), The Guru (2002), Ella Enchanted (2004), The Truth About Love (2005), Blood Diamond (2006), Partition (2007), RocknRolla (2008), Exam (2009), It's a Wonderful Afterlife (2010), and West is West (2010). He is also known for his roles, as Dr. Fred Fonseca in BBC1 soap opera EastEnders, Latif in Cinemax series Strike Back, Kal Nazir in long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, and as Tom Bedford in Kay Mellor drama The Syndicate.
Tony Hills is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mark Homer from 7 September 1995 to 15 April 1999.
Joan Hooley is a British actress. She is best known for playing the role of Josie McFarlane in BBC's EastEnders. Still, she has also appeared in other television programmes, since the mid-1950s. Since 2015, she has appeared in ITV's Off Their Rockers.
Syed Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Marc Elliott, and first appeared on screen on 21 April 2009. Syed is a British Pakistani and is the eldest son of Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood, and older brother of Tamwar, Shabnam and Kamil Masood. Syed's storylines see him fall in love with a man, Christian Clarke, and his eventual acceptance that he is gay. Syed initially marries his girlfriend Amira Shah but later comes out, and enters a relationship with Christian, despite the pressures of his family and his Muslim faith.
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Bruno and Luisa di Marco are fictional characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played respectively by Leon Lissek from 29 January to 17 December 1998 and Stella Tanner from 29 January to 26 November 1998. They were two of many characters to be axed by the executive producer of EastEnders, Matthew Robinson.
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