Tony Clay

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Tony Clay
Tony Clay.jpg
Clay in 2018
Born
Tony David Clay

(1991-08-08) 8 August 1991 (age 34)
Bexley, Kent, England
OccupationActor
Years active2012–present
Television EastEnders

Tony David Clay (born 8 August 1991) is an English actor. He is known for playing Callum 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.

Contents

Early and personal life

Clay was born in Bexley, Greater London on 8 August 1991 to Christopher and Suzanne Clay. [1] He attended North Kent College, Dartford doing Drama at the Miskin Theatre. [2] He also attended the Arts Educational Schools, London and graduated with a BA in acting in 2013. [3] Clay has been in a relationship with Olivia Griffin since August 2016. [4]

Career

Clay's first role was in a short film called An Ordinary Life in 2012. In 2017, he played the role of Woody Gilbert in the show Stan Lee's Lucky Man . [5] He has also appeared in Foyle's War and several theatre productions. [6] [5]

In January 2018, Clay joined the cast of EastEnders as Callum Highway and is introduced as a friend of the Carter family. [5] During his initial stint on the show, the character is depicted as a "happy-go-lucky" character who wears shabby clothing and beanie hats. Originally contracted for two months, Clay reprised the role in April 2018 and since then the character's storylines have included a relationship with Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), [7] the introduction of the Callum's brother Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) [8] and the character coming out as gay and beginning a relationship with Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden). [9] [10]

Filmography

Television and film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012An Ordinary LifeKieranShort film
2014 Second Coming Cash-4-Gold Sign ManFilm
2015 Foyle's War Rex CarterEpisode: "Elise"
2017 Stan Lee's Lucky Man Woody GilbertEpisode: "The Trojan Horse"
2018–present EastEnders Callum Highway Regular role
2020 EastEnders: Secrets from the Square HimselfEpisode: "Ben and Callum"

Stage

YearTitleRoleVenueDirectorAuthor/Playwright
2009The Machine WreckersNed Lud Miskin Theatre Nick Bagnall Ernst Toller
2014AlbionJason Bush Theatre Ria ParryChris Thompson
2015LinesLocke The Yard Theatre Jay MillerPamela Carter
2016 The Plough and the Stars Sergeant Tinley Abbey Theatre / US Tour Sean Holmes Seán O'Casey
UnknownFifteen Minutes With YouUnknown Wimbledon College of Arts Dan BirdUnknown
The Wonderful World of Dissocia Goat/Violinist Arts Educational Schools Will Oldroyd Anthony Neilson
A Midsummer Night's Dream LysanderArts Educational SchoolsJohn Abbott William Shakespeare
Earthquakes in London ColinArts Educational SchoolsDan Bird Mike Bartlett
PromiseJay 2Arts Educational SchoolsCressida BrownUnknown
All My Sons KellerArts Educational SchoolsJanette Smith Arthur Miller
Ivanov LvovArts Educational SchoolsGareth Farr Anton Chekhov
Someone Who'll Watch Over Me EdwardArts Educational SchoolsJohn Abbott Frank McGuinness

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResultRef.
2018 Inside Soap Awards Funniest MaleNominated [11]
2018Inside Soap AwardsBest NewcomerShortlisted [12]
2018I Talk Telly AwardsBest Soap NewcomerNominated [13]
2018 Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap NewcomerSeventh [14]
2020Inside Soap AwardsBest Partnership (shared with Max Bowden)Nominated [15]
2020I Talk Telly AwardsBest Soap Partnership (shared with Bowden)Nominated [16]
2020Digital Spy Reader AwardsBest Couple (shared with Bowden)Won [17]
2021The Version Soap AwardsBest Couple (shared with Bowden)Won [18]
2021 26th National Television Awards Serial Drama PerformanceNominated [19]
2021I Talk Telly AwardsBest Soap Partnership (shared with Bowden)Nominated [20]

References

  1. "10 True Facts About Tony Clay (Eastenders' Callum)". Inside Soap . (Hearst Communications). 3 September 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2023 via PressReader.
  2. Imgur. "Eastenders miskin - Album on Imgur". Imgur. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  3. Haynes, Tom (24 June 2021). "EastEnders actor Tony Clay's stunning girlfriend and life away from being Callum Highway". MyLondon. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  4. Corner, Natalie L (7 September 2020). "Who is Tony Clay? Inside 'Ballum' actor's life away from BBC EastEnders". OK! . Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2021. Things are a little different for Tony's own love story in real life and has been dating girlfriend Olivia Griffin since August 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Crick, Claire (24 January 2018). "EastEnders: Who is Tony Clay? 8 things you didn't know about Callum 'Halfway' Highway". Digital Spy . United Kingdom: Hearst Corporation . Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  6. "Tony Clay". Waring and McKenna. United Kingdom. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  7. Haynes, Tom (24 June 2021). "Tony Clay's life away from EastEnders with stunning girlfriend". MyLondon. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  8. Kilkelly, Daniel (28 March 2018). "EastEnders casts Him & Her star Ricky Champ as Halfway's brother Stuart". Digital Spy . Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  9. "EastEnders stars reveal they filmed in a bubble for Ballum wedding scenes". Digital Spy . 11 May 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  10. "EastEnders' Max Bowden shares post celebrating 'magical' Ballum wedding and fans 'bawl their eyes out'". MyLondon. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  11. Davies, Megan (24 July 2018). "Inside Soap Awards 2018 full longlist revealed: Which Corrie, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks stars are up?". Digital Spy . Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  12. Kilkelly, Daniel (16 October 2018). "Coronation Street tops Inside Soap Awards 2018 shortlist with 18 nominations". Digital Spy . Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  13. Gonzalez, Elliot (3 November 2018). "I TALK TELLY AWARDS Nominations 2018". I Talk Telly.
  14. Robinson, Abby (28 December 2018). "Emmerdale wins big at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2018". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK . Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  15. "Inside Soap Awards reveals full longlist for 2020's ceremony". Digital Spy . 14 September 2020.
  16. Gonzalez, Elliot (8 November 2020). "I TALK TELLY AWARDS 2020 Nominees". I Talk Telly.
  17. Robinson, Abby (25 December 2020). "EastEnders triumphs at Digital Spy Reader Awards 2020". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  18. "The Version 2021 Soap Awards winners announced! — The Version". theversion.co. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021.
  19. Lovejoy, Hannah (25 May 2021). "Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks stars land National Television Award nominations". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  20. Gonzalez, Elliot (14 November 2021). "I TALK TELLY AWARDS 2021 Nominations". I Talk Telly. Retrieved 22 January 2022.