James Alexandrou

Last updated

James Alexandrou
Born
James Alekos Alexandrou

(1985-04-12) 12 April 1985 (age 38)
Hackney, London, England
OccupationActor
Known for EastEnders (1996–2007)

James Alekos Alexandrou (born 12 April 1985) is an English actor and filmmaker. He is known for playing Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 1996 to 2007. He was also the presenter of Bizarre Crime on BBC Three.

Contents

Early life

Alexandrou was born in Hackney, London, to a Greek Cypriot father [1] and an English mother. He has two sisters, one older, one a twin, as well as a younger brother. [2] He was educated at Chingford Foundation School in Waltham Forest, as well as at Anna Scher Theatre School. [2]

Career

Alexandrou's acting career began in 1996, when he auditioned successfully for the role of Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders . The character was created shortly after the show's inception in 1985, with the role becoming vacant following the departure of actor Jon Peyton Price in 1996. Alexandrou appeared as Grant in the short film Blessed Burden in 1999.

In July 2003 he participated in a "Soap Stars Special" edition of The Weakest Link . Over Christmas of 2005, Alexandrou starred in the crime caper, Who Stole The Snowman? On 14 April 2006, it was announced that Alexandrou would leave EastEnders in Autumn 2007. He and Natalie Cassidy, who played his on-screen wife Sonia Fowler, left on 2 February 2007 (to tie in with the exits of Wendy Richard and Ray Brooks). [3] When asked about his departure Alexandrou said, "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. I owe everything to the show and would love to come back one day - that's if EastEnders would have me." [4] On 12 October 2014, it was announced that actor James Bye would be taking over playing the role in the character's return to Albert Square. According to BBC News, Alexandrou was said to have "given his blessing to the recasting of the role." [5] When interviewed, Alexandrou implicitly stated that he had turned down the opportunity to return to the show. [6]

In early 2007, Alexandrou appeared in the play The Homecoming opposite Harold Pinter for BBC Radio 3. [7]

Alexandrou toured the UK and Norway with the British Shakespeare Company from June to September 2007. He played Pistol in Henry V , [8] and Orlando in As You Like It . [9] It was incorrectly reported that he turned down the chance to replace Daniel Radcliffe in the West End revival of Equus in 2007. [10]

In 2008 he appeared in In My Name, a new play by Steven Hevey, at the Old Red Lion Theatre, produced by Yaller Skunk Theatre Company. The play transferred to the Trafalgar Studio 2 from 1 to 19 July 2008. [11] In October 2008, Alexandrou appeared in All Quiet on the Western Front at the Nottingham Playhouse, prior to a UK tour of the production. [2]

In March 2009, he played the part of Romeo in the Globe Theatre's production of Romeo and Juliet . [12] In October 2009, Alexandrou joined up with EastEnders cast members, Natalie Cassidy (Sonia Jackson) and Nina Wadia (Zainab Masood), to star in comedy shorts for BBC Raw Words. [13]

In 2010 Alexandrou filmed his first feature film, Semper Fidel in Cuba. The film was released in 2014. [14] He appeared in the role of The Man in John Goodrum's play The Black Veil a thriller adapted from a Charles Dickens short story. [13]

In 2011 Alexandrou took part in the BBC Learning project, Off By Heart Shakespeare, where he played Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet delivering the speech; "'tis not so deep as a well". [15]

In 2012 Alexandrou toured theatres throughout the United Kingdom, with the Hull Truck Theatre starring as Phil, in the play DNA. [16]

In April 2014, as part of the Shakespeare 450 celebrations, he played the Iago in Grassroots Shakespeare London's production of Othello at Leicester Square Theatre in London's West End [17] and also performed sonnets at the Guildhall with Damian Lewis. Rehearsals were recorded by BBC World Service and James Alexandrou's performance as Iago featured in their programme The Why Factor. [18]

In February 2015, Alexandrou appeared in Silent Witness as Carl Parry. [19] and in 2022 as Ronnie Reynolds in Call the Midwife.

Personal life

Alexandrou was in a relationship with EastEnders co-star Kara Tointon which began in April 2006. Their split was reported in November 2007. [20]

Filmography

YearShowRoleNotes
1996–2007 EastEnders Martin Fowler Series regular, 708 episodes
2010Cannabis: What's the HarmPresenterDocumentary
Missing Andy Garsdale1 episode #2.5
2011Semper FidelUnnamedFilm
Cannabis: What's the Harm?NarratorBBC documentary
2012Bizarre CrimePresenter7 episodes
2013You, Me & ThemPhil1 episode
2015 Casualty Franny1 episode
2017The PreyUnnamed Boyfriend1 episode
2022 The Confessions of Frannie Langton Constable Meek
2023 Call the Midwife Ronnie Reynolds1 episode

Related Research Articles

<i>Othello</i> Play of about 1603 by William Shakespeare

Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, around 1603. The story revolves around two characters, Othello and Iago.

Eamonn Roderique Walker is an English actor. On television, he began in the BBC sitcom In Sickness and in Health (1985–1987), the ITV crime dramas The Bill (1988–1989) and Supply & Demand (1998), and the HBO series Oz (1997–2003), for which he won a CableACE Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Lester</span> English actor, director and writer

Adrian Anthony Lester is an English actor, director and writer. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the London stage, and has also been nominated for a Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Fearon</span> English actor

Raymond Fearon is an English actor. He played garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street and voiced the centaur Firenze in the Wizarding World film series Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.

Niamh Cusack is an Irish actress. Born to a family with deep roots in the performing arts, Cusack has been involved as a performer since a young age. She has served with the UK's two leading theatre companies, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre and has performed in a long line of major stage productions since the mid-1980s. She has made numerous appearances on television including a long-running role as Dr. Kate Rowan in the UK series Heartbeat (1992–1995) which made her a household name and favourite. She has often worked as a voice actress on radio, and her film credits include a starring role in In Love with Alma Cogan (2011).

Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) is a 1988 comedic play by Ann-Marie MacDonald in which Constance Ledbelly, a young English literature professor from Queen's University, goes on a subconscious journey of self-discovery.

John Woodvine is an English actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles.

Petra Letang is a British actress. She played Naomi Julien in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2005–2007) and Adele Effanga in Holby City (2014–2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlett Alice Johnson</span> English actress

Scarlett Alice Johnson is an English actress, producer and drama teacher. She is best known for her roles as Vicki Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Laura Derbyshire in the BBC Three sitcom Pramface.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, Ibsen, Wilde, Shaw, Schiller, Coward and Tennessee Williams. The company manages and performs in two spaces: The Michael R. Klein Theatre and Sidney Harman Hall. In cooperation with George Washington University, they run the STC Academy.

Belinda Owusu is an English actress, known for her roles as Libby Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Nicky McKendrick in BBC medical drama series Holby City.

John Pickard is an English actor, best known for playing David Porter in the BBC sitcom 2point4 Children, and Dominic Reilly in Channel 4's Hollyoaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Kinnear</span> English actor

Rory Michael Kinnear is an English actor. He won two Olivier Awards, both at the National Theatre, in 2008 for his portrayal of Sir Fopling Flutter in The Man of Mode, and for playing the William Shakespeare villain Iago in Othello in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Othello (character)</span> Character in "Othello"

Othello is a character in Shakespeare's Othello. The character's origin is traced to the tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio. There, he is simply referred to as the Moor.

Graham Abbey is a Canadian film, television and stage actor, who is best known for his role as Gray Jackson in TV drama The Border.

The Ian Charleson Awards are theatrical awards that reward the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under age 30. The awards are named in memory of the renowned British actor Ian Charleson, and are run by the Sunday Times newspaper and the National Theatre. The awards were established in 1990 after Charleson's death, and have been awarded annually since then. Sunday Times theatre critic John Peter (1938–2020) initiated the creation of the awards, particularly in memory of Charleson's extraordinary Hamlet, which he had performed shortly before his death. Recipients receive a cash prize, as do runners-up and third-place winners.

<i>Kill Shakespeare</i> 2010 limited run comic book series

Kill Shakespeare is a twelve-issue comic book limited series released by IDW Publishing. It was produced by Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery, who also served as co-writers, with Andy Belanger as artist, Ian Herring as colourist, and Kagan McLeod as cover artist. The first issue was published on April 14, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chukwudi Iwuji</span> Nigerian and British actor (born 1975)

Chukwudi Iwuji is a Nigerian and British actor known for his recent collaborations with James Gunn. He is an Associate Artist for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He began his career in mainstream Hollywood in 2022 as Clemson Murn / Ik Nobe Lok in the HBO Max show Peacemaker. He also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as The High Evolutionary, for which he received critical praise.

Grassroots Shakespeare London is a British theatre company based in London, UK. The company specialises in producing accessible works of William Shakespeare inspired by using Elizabethan original theatre practices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siobhan Daly</span> British producer and artistic director

Siobhán Daly is a British producer and artistic director.

References

  1. ↑ "EastEnders Cast Live Chat". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Interview: James Alexandrou". Nottingham Post. Local World. Retrieved 11 September 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ "EastEnders' Martin to Leave Soap". BBC. 15 April 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "So This Is What The *Old* Martin Fowler Is Up To Now". Time Inc. (UK) Ltd. August 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "EastEnders' Martin Fowler Returning to Albert Square". BBC News. BBC. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "James Alexandrou reveals why he didn't return to EastEnders as Martin Fowler". Digital Spy. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  7. ↑ "Pinter to Appear in His Own Play". BBC. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "Shakespeare in Performance: Character Pistol". Internet Shakespeare Editions. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "Shakespeare in Performance: Character Orlando de Boys". Internet Shakespeare Editions. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "From Bored to Bard". Yorkshire Evening Post. Johnston Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  11. ↑ ""EastEnders" Star Alexandrou to Appear in In My Name at London's Trafalgar Studios". Playbill Inc. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "Playing Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet [2009]". The Shakespeare Globe Trust. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  13. 1 2 "EastEnders Star Takes on Dark Thriller from Dickens". Bristol Post. Local World. Retrieved 11 September 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ "James Alexandrou to Star as Iago in Othello". www.LondonTheatre1.com. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "Schools - Teachers - Off By Heart Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet "No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a"". BBC. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  16. ↑ Savage, Wayne (29 February 2012). "DNA, by Dennis Kelly, Hull Truck, the New Wolsey, Ipswich, February 28". Ipswich Star . Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "EastEnders' James Alexandrou to play Iago in Othello". The Independent. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  18. ↑ "Envy, The Why Factor - BBC World Service". BBC. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  19. ↑ "One of Our Own". BBC . Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "'EastEnders' lovebirds decide to split". Digital Spy. 4 November 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.