Legendary EastEnders actor who spent his childhood working on soap returns – but there’s a twist
CHILD actor James Alexandrou secretly returned to EastEnders 17 years after quitting the show.
The 38-year-old played Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 1996 to 2007.
He was replaced seven years later, with his character now being played by James Bye.
Recently James was back on Albert Square in a new role as shadow director.
Refusing to rule out a return as Sonia Jackson's ex Martin in the future, James revealed he spent time behind the cameras.
He told Johnny Seifert's Secure The Insecure podcast: "I kind of did go back recently, I shadowed as a director.
READ MORE ON EASTENDERS
"What that means is you go and follow the director and see how they direct the show and it just so happened that James Bye was in on the day that I was shadowing.
"I didn't know that he knew I was there. I think he apparently caught wind of it, and he came on to do a scene, and he kind of went, 'oh it's you', and we just kind of had this strange moment.
"It was a really strange moment because we don't know each other at all, and the only thing that bonds us are these words on a page called Martin Fowler you know, and it was a really, that was a really nice moment."
Speaking about being behind the camera instead of starring in front, James said: "It's the most intense arena for a director to be in.
"You're dealing with tons of actors and EastEnders shoots some 25 or 30 pages a day, whereas on a film you might be shooting two."
He says a full-time return as director would be "amazing training", adding: " I think I'd have a lot of fun doing it. You know, I just have to demand that I would have to direct Natalie Cassidy (who plays Sonia) because that would be the most fun thing to do."
Pushed on whether he'd ever return to play his original character, James added: "Coming back as Martin I don't know. I don't know. That door's closed in my head. Maybe if the door was open, if James Bye said, listen, I'm gone and I don't want to do it again, then I'd go, yeah, maybe like a special one off Christmas thing. That might be funny to do that."
James Alexandrou spoke to Johnny Seifert on Secure The Insecure podcast
