Keanu Taylor

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Keanu Taylor
EastEnders character
Keanu Taylor.jpg
Portrayed by Danny Walters
Duration2017–2020, 2022–2024
First appearanceEpisode 5511
15 June 2017
Last appearance
  • Episode 6827
    26 December 2023
    (appearance)
  • Episode 6860
    20 February 2024
    (hallucination)
Classification Former; regular
Created by Daran Little [1]
Introduced by Sean O'Connor (2017)
Chris Clenshaw (2022)
In-universe information
Other namesKeanu Floyd Taylor [2]
Occupation
  • Mechanic
  • Doorman
FamilyTaylor
FatherShane
Mother Karen Taylor
Half-brothers
Half-sisters
Daughters Peggy Taylor
Aunts Kandice Taylor
Nephews
Nieces Mia Atkins

Keanu Taylor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders , played by Danny Walters. He was introduced in episode 5511, broadcast on 15 June 2017, as a member of the Taylor family. Keanu is the son of Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) and half-brother of Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer), Keegan Baker (Zack Morris), Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris), Riley Taylor (Tom Jacobs), and Chatham Taylor (Alfie Jacobs). He is described as a charming, hardworking, and happy-go-lucky man of morals. In his original stint, his storylines focused on being the breadwinner of his family, an affair with Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean), a relationship with Sharon’s stepdaughter Louise (Tilly Keeper), a feud with Louise’s half-brother Ben (Max Bowden) and her father Phil (Steve McFadden). In November 2019, it was announced that Walters "bowed out" of the soap for the development of his storyline with Sharon, with his initial departure being depicted in episode 6084, which aired on 21 February 2020.

Contents

Keanu returned in episode 6607, broadcast on 13 December 2022, again becoming a regular on the soap. His personality was slightly altered as he was now portrayed as being more mature and deceitful. Keanu's storylines in his return stint focused on the resume of his romance with Sharon, becoming involved in drug trafficking, and faking Albie Watts's (Arthur Gentleman) abduction before his second departure on episode 6826, broadcast on 25 December 2023. He is the victim of "The Six" storyline, being stabbed to death with a meat thermometer by Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), which led to his departure. He makes five additional appearances as a hallucination from 10 January 2024 to 20 February 2024 before his body was found by Bernadette on 3 April 2024. His funeral aired on 13 June 2024.

Storylines

2017–2020

Keanu as he appeared in 2018. Keanu Taylor 2018.jpg
Keanu as he appeared in 2018.

Keanu moves to Albert Square with his family and takes on various jobs to support the family, including nude life modelling for an art class and working for an escort agency, before being recruited by Aidan Maguire (Patrick Bergin) to help with a robbery. Although the robbery fails, as a reward for his efforts, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) hires Keanu as a mechanic at The Arches, where he clashes with Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths), his mother Karen Taylor's (Lorraine Stanley) ex and the father of his siblings. After being fired by Phil following a disagreement, Keanu later steps in to protect Sharon Mitchell's (Letitia Dean) son Dennis (Bleu Landau) from a gang. He earns Sharon's gratitude and they begin a secret affair. Sharon's husband Phil later encourages Keanu to date his daughter Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper), who soon becomes pregnant from Keanu. Shortly after, Sharon discovers she is also pregnant by Keanu, though she hides the truth by claiming it is Phil's.

Phil eventually uncovers Sharon and Keanu's affair, leading to a Christmas Eve plot to have Keanu killed. Martin Fowler (James Bye), tasked with the job, stages a fake execution with Linda Carter's (Kellie Bright) help, allowing Keanu to escape. Keanu later returns, seeking to reunite with Sharon and leave Walford, but his plans unravel when he kidnaps Phil's son Ben Mitchell's (Max Bowden) boyfriend Callum Highway (Tony Clay) to secure money for their escape. This results in a confrontation with Phil, who beats Keanu before a disastrous boat crash claims Dennis's life. Overcome with grief and blaming Keanu for her son's death, Sharon ends their relationship and demands he leave Walford for good.

2022–2023

Keanu returns to Walford two years later, determined to reconnect with his son Albie (Arthur Gentleman), but his efforts are met with resistance from Sharon and threats from Phil. While feigning allegiance to DI Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman) to help Phil dismantle her vendetta, Keanu's past affair with Phil's sister Sam (Kim Medcalf) comes to light, prompting Phil to order that he leave Walford. After Keanu aids in thwarting Keeble's revenge plot, he negotiates his way back into the Square. After returning, he rekindles his relationship with Sharon and they get engaged. Financial pressures push Keanu into doing criminal activities with Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), but he is caught while supplying marijuana and arrested. Sharon soon bails him out. Lisa Fowler (Lucy Benjamin) returns with Keanu and Louise's daughter Peggy Taylor, revealing that Louise has been struggling with addiction issues and blackmails Keanu by allowing him to see Peggy in exchange for money.

When his relationship with Sharon begins to strain, and in a desperate bid to assert his parental rights, Keanu and Karen kidnap Albie and stage a ransom demand, though Albie is ultimately returned unharmed. The truth behind the abduction is uncovered, and Karen takes the blame to shield her son. However, Phil demands repayment for the ransom money, deepening Keanu's financial troubles. On Christmas Day 2023, his sister Bernadette (Clair Norris) reveals Keanu's role in the kidnapping, disrupting his wedding to Sharon. In the ensuing confrontation, Sharon stuns everyone by revealing that Albie is actually Phil's son. Later, in The Queen Victoria an enraged Keanu becomes violent and attempts to strangle Sharon, only to be fatally stabbed with a meat thermometer by Linda during the altercation. The women involved – Sharon, Linda, Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), and – decide to hide Keanu's body under the floorboards of the Bridge Street Café. While her mental health declines, Denise envisions Keanu staring at her before his body discovered four months later by Bernadette.

Development

Casting and introduction

Danny Walters (pictured) plays Keanu Taylor. Danny Walters 2023.jpg
Danny Walters (pictured) plays Keanu Taylor.

In a Digital Spy interview, actor Danny Walters said he was cast as Keanu after attending a workshop organised by the show. He admitted he was uncertain if producers were thinking of casting a new family or not, but knew they were developing new characters. [3] He was informed later the same day that he had been cast as Keanu, with details surrounding the character initially being kept vague. [3] Walters was required to shave his head with clippers for the role, which he was initially unaware of, expected only a light trim. [3] Despite his surprise, the actor opined that the hairstyle change helped Keanu appear older and "more rugged". [3] The show announced the Taylor family's arrival on 10 May 2017. The family was composed of Keanu, his mother Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley), and his siblings Bernadette (Clair Norris), Riley (Tom Jacobs), and Chatham (Alfie Jacobs). [4] Before the announcement, Walters had to keep his casting a secret from friends and family. [3]

Executive producer Sean O'Connor billed the family as being "noisy", "brash" and "not to be messed with". [5] Keanu was originally described as being "charming" and "happy-go-lucky", while also seeing himself as "the man of the family", due to the lack of a father figure in the Taylor family, and making every effort to keep his siblings safe. [4] Walters explained that Keanu was "mature for his age" as a result of his responsibilities in his family, and called the character morally upright and hard-working. [3] He was later revealed to also be the family's breadwinner as Karen did not have a job. [3] Talking about the Taylor family, Walters described them as prideful and "the sort of neighbours you wouldn't want moving into your beautiful Square", and said that they would clash with many of the show's characters. [3] Despite their loud personalities, the actor teased that the family would have a heartwarming dynamic after a few months on the show. [3]

A few weeks after beginning filming, Walters said he was welcomed by the cast and crew. [4] Walters had Adam Woodyatt, who plays long-running character Ian Beale, as a mentor on-set. [3] He commented on the "huge buzz" around the Taylor family's introduction and noted his excitement to see what was in store for the characters, promising Keanu would do everything in his power to maintain the peace in Albert Square. [4] Walters found it easier to arrive as a part of a family unit, believing there would have been more pressure to succeed if his character was introduced individually. [3] The actor found himself being challenged by the fast-paced production of working on a soap opera, learning to prioritize his first take of a scene as the most important. [3] Keanu, alongside the Taylor family, made their first appearance in episode 5511 of the soap, broadcast on 15 June 2017. [6] [7]

First departure

In September 2019, executive producer Kate Oates told press that the secret of Keanu and Sharon's affair would be "blown up" during the soap's upcoming Christmas episode, with the storyline set to be a major plot point of the episode. [8] In response, Walters teased "big emotions" and "big stunts" for the episode, and that Keanu and Sharon's affair, which had been built up for a long time, would take an intense turn. [9] Shortly afterwards, it was announced that Walters would be leaving the show to pursue other roles. [10] Considering himself an "avid fan", Walters said that he had enjoyed playing Keanu and that the show would always "hold a special place in [his] heart". [10] Executive producer Jon Sen said that Keanu's stint would conclude in a "dramatic and blistering" manner, [10] with the truth set to come out in "spectacular fashion" [11] and leave severe consequences. [10]

The soap's final 2019 Christmas Day broadcast, episode 6048, saw Martin Fowler (James Bye) ordered to kill Keanu, with the episode finishing with a gunshot being heard from outside an abandoned warehouse, a cliffhanger which left Keanu's fate ambiguous. [12] [13] The show later revealed that Martin refused to kill Keanu and helped him fake his death, with Keanu making an exit by leaving Walford in early January 2020. [14] Both Keanu's falsified murder, his airport exit were leaked by the media before airing as the actor was seen filming on-set. [15] [16] Two weeks after his character's on-screen exit, Walters was seen filming for the soap's 35th anniversary episode on the River Thames. [17]

Keanu would eventually return to EastEnders ahead of the 35th anniversary specials, [18] with the intention to both run away with Sharon and get revenge. Walters teased that Keanu would target Ben Mitchell's (Max Bowden) boyfriend Callum Highway (Tony Clay), because of Ben's role in organising Keanu's murder, comparing their feud to a game of chess: "It's essentially like a game of chess and to get to the King, which Keanu sees Ben as, he needs to go after the most precious thing to him, and that's Callum". [19] Keanu goes on to hold Callum hostage. [18] It was later confirmed by the soap that as revenge, Ben, Phil, and Keanu would engage in a final showdown during the anniversary. [20] [21] Keanu's eventual involvement in the death of Sharon's son Dennis Rickman Jnr (Bleu Landau) prompts her to disown him, telling him to leave Walford. [22] Keanu complies, leaving the show in episode 6084, broadcast on 21 February 2020. [22] [23]

Return

Over two years after Keanu's departure, in episode 6607, broadcast on 13 December 2022, [24] Keanu made an unannounced return to Walford after having lived in Portugal. [25] [26] Explaining his decision to bring the character back, executive producer Chris Clenshaw said Keanu had "unfinished business" since his exit and had a lot of people to make amends with. [25] Clenshaw added by noting the character's growth, explaining that Keanu had "matured" over time and, in his words, "left a boy and he returns as a man". [25] Walters echoed this, detailing that Keanu had become "a new type of character" during his time away from Walford. [26] Walters explained that Keanu's return was motivated by his newfound desire to be a good father figure for his son Albie Watts (Arthur Gentleman), to prove to himself that he was unlike his own violent father. [26] Addressing Keanu's feelings for Sharon upon his return, the actor explained that she had always provided Keanu with "purpose" and "drive" as a result of their intense mutual romance. [26]

When writing the character's return, the codename 'Neo' was used to refer to Keanu by the production team and Walters to prevent his return from being leaked, a reference to Keanu Reeves' character Neo from The Matrix . [27] Talking about how the opportunity to return presented itself, Walters said in a Radio Times interview that he had been called by Clenshaw, who shared brief insights into upcoming storylines. [26] Walters voiced his excitement about the planned developments for Keanu and was grateful to return at the end of a significant episode of the series, [26] being the funeral of Dot Cotton (June Brown). [27] Walters detailed his struggles to keep the return news a secret from friends and family. [26]

Walters found Keanu to be "very irrational" at times, failing to consider the wider scope of his actions. [28] Although Keanu's return took place while Phil was away, Clenshaw teased viewers to expect "fireworks" once Phil returned. [25] It was teased that their rivalry would strengthen after it was revealed that Keanu had had a fling with Phil's sister Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) while away. [29] Despite this, Walters said that Keanu no longer fears Phil as he was too focused on his family, especially Albie. [28] The actor was vocal about his interest for the soap introducing Keanu's abusive father Shane during the return stint. [30]

Second departure

Keanu was murdered in The Queen Victoria pub by Linda Carter (Kellie Bright, pictured), making him the victim of "The Six" storyline. Kellie Bright 2016.jpg
Keanu was murdered in The Queen Victoria pub by Linda Carter (Kellie Bright, pictured), making him the victim of "The Six" storyline.

After Clenshaw confirmed the soap's 20 February 2023 broadcast would leave viewers with "a lot of questions", [31] it was revealed to be the show's first-ever flash-forward scene, showing six female characters: Sharon, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) standing over the body of an unidentified dead man in The Queen Victoria public house, with the only clue to his identity being his sex and the body wearing a black suit with amber cufflinks. [32] The storyline became known as "The Six", in reference to the six female characters who were suspected to be the murderer. [33]

Keanu emerged as a prominent suspect for the identity of the dead body, as a result of his feud with Phil, his recent return, [32] and his progressively hostile behaviour. [34] On 7 December 2023, he was confirmed as one of seven official suspects to be the dead body, alongside Phil, Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry), Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), and Tom "Rocky" Cotton (Brian Conley). [35] Deemed a "late contender", [36] he was considered one of the suspects because of his involvement in Albie's faked kidnapping, Sharon's secrets regarding Albie's paternity, [35] and because Sharon was depicted wearing a wedding dress in the flash-forward, [36] with later confirmation that she and Keanu would marry on Christmas Day. [37] Keanu was briefly ruled out due to Walters being seen filming for the episode wearing a grey suit, not a black one like the body, and due to being less deserving of a brutal punishment than the other candidates. [34] Ahead of the Christmas, Clenshaw teased to viewers: "As we head towards Christmas, it will become apparent and it will become very clear who the potential body is, not who the body actually is, but who the potential ones we're looking at are and the ones that it could be". [38] He added: "Christmas Day in Walford is always momentous" and praised the fans' speculations. [39]

Watched by 3.6 million people, [40] "The Six" storyline unfolded on Christmas Day 2023, where it is revealed that while Keanu died after being stabbed by Linda Carter, he was not the body on the floor. [39] [41] Walters felt honored to play the victim, and opened up about how challenging he found it to keep plot details under wraps "to have as much impact as possible". [42] Reflecting of his time on the soap, he considered his favourite Keanu moment to be his arrival alongside the Taylor family. [42] In a later interview, Walters detailed that when he initially returned, he had known that his character would be killed off. [43] He noted that he struggled to keep the secret for the year, but succeeded. [43] Discussing his character's development across his time on the serial, Walters stated: "The only thing that Keanu ever wanted was to be a dad and to have a son; as soon as that was taken away from him, his whole purpose and his character completely changed within a split second. So, I think it was a side of Keanu we saw, it was quite a vulnerable side, that was scared, that feared losing his child. It was such a whirlwind of emotions that was going on with Keanu at that time in the stairwell in The Vic that he just lost character - that's when the character is at his lowest point. It was very out of character, but I think it was needed for that story". [43] Walters was allowed to keep Keanu's work uniform as a souvenir. [44]

Reception

Danny Walters received several award nominations for his portrayal of Keanu. At the 2017 Inside Soap Awards, he was nominated for "Best Newcomer" and "Sexiest Male". [45] In 2018, Walters won the award for best "Newcomer" at the 23rd National Television Awards. [46] In 2018 and 2019, he was also nominated for "Best Soap Performance" at the I Talk Telly Awards. [47] [48] In 2019, he was nominated for "Best Actor" at the British Soap Awards. [49] In 2024, Walters won the "Best Exit" award at the Radio Times Soap Awards. [43] [50]

Prior to his introduction, BBC News praised Keanu's name. [5] An early storyline which falsely framed Keanu as the father of Bernadette's unborn baby was heavily criticised by viewers, with some accusing the soap's incest indication being "too far". [51] Rianne Houghton of Digital Spy called the red herring "alarming", and noted the relief fans expressed when the baby's true father was revealed. [52] In September 2017, Laura Morgan of Digital Spy opined that Keanu's character was in need of a relationship or an affair to help him stand out and to improve the Taylor family's narrative relevance. [53] In May 2018, Morgan expressed frustration in Keanu's lack of narrative relevance at the time, writing: "With a Hollywood name like Keanu, Karen's lad should be one of the biggest stars of the show". [54] Kilkelly of Digital Spy was surprised about how long it took for Keanu and Sharon's affair to be exposed, calling it "one of the best kept secrets on the Square". [10] Sen commented that the storyline had entertained viewers. [10] Paul Jones of Radio Times called the storyline "gripping" and one of the show's "most mouth-watering". [55] Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy called the storyline Walford's "scandalous secret" and praised the way that it was exposed for being original in comparison to other affair reveals in EastEnders. [12] Keanu's airport exit was named "gripping" and "emotional" by Justin Harp of Digital Spy. [14]

Grace Morris of What's on TV deemed the character's return "epic" and "highly-anticipated". [56] She later considered Walters an "EastEnders favourite". [57] Stefania Sarrubba of Radio Times commented that Keanu's return was surprising, and praised his reunion with Karen and Bernadette as "touching". [58] Grace Morris of What's on TV wrote that Keanu's return had fans and viewers in "thrilled" and in "a meltdown" and called the character a "soap icon" whose return was "unexpected". [59] Keanu's return was ranked as the fifth-best storyline in a British soap opera in 2022 by Radio Times. Helen Daly wrote that it succeeded due to the element of surprise, Keanu being a "beloved" charater, and the storyline potential his return brought, particularly his "steamy affair with Sharon". [60] She concluded: "the EastEnders gods delivered". [60] Her colleague, Rachel Lucas, wrote that Keanu's decision to stage Albie's abduction was an act of "petty revenge". [61] Lewis Knight of Radio Times called the character a "favourite" [42] and following his death, called Walters's performance "natural" and wrote that Keanu "succumbs to his worst impulses and loses his life in the process. A heartbreaking but logical conclusion to a character who started as a sweet hero and ended up a desperate villain no longer worthy of Walford icon Sharon Watts". [62] Immediately following the airing of the flash-forward scene, Keanu placed fourth in a Radio Times poll which asked viewers who they thought the body was, receiving 9% of the vote. [32] Radio Times writers Morgan Cormack and Katelyn Mensah deemed Keanu's exit "suitably dramatic". [63] After scenes of Denise hallucinating Keanu following his murder aired, Morris described the scenes as "terrifying" and reported similar reactions from viewers on Twitter. [64]

See also

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"The Six" is a storyline from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The storyline began in episode 6649, broadcast on 20 February 2023, which featured the show's first flashforward sequence at the end of the episode. The scene showed six female EastEnders characters, Denise Fox, Linda Carter, Kathy Beale, Sharon Watts, Stacey Slater, and Suki Panesar in The Queen Victoria public house on Christmas Day standing around an unidentified male body lying on the floor, who they presume to be dead. Events leading up to Christmas that year put each character in the frame to be the potential murderer and several male characters to be the victim. The storyline was intended to be written a different type of "whodunit" mystery, as both the victim and the murderer were kept as a tight secret.

References

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