Former EastEnders star Jack Ryder has made a surprising revelation about the off-screen relationships between two of the soap's most prominent actors during his time on the show. Ryder, who is now 44 years old, portrayed the popular character Jamie Mitchell in the long-running BBC series from 1998 until his dramatic exit in 2002.
Behind the Scenes Dynamics Exposed
In a recent interview with The Sun, Ryder disclosed that Steve McFadden and James Alexandrou, who played key roles in the Mitchell and Fowler families respectively, barely communicated when filming stopped. This revelation provides a fascinating glimpse into the real-life interactions between actors who portrayed closely connected characters on screen.
"What was interesting was that families really did stick together, at least that was my experience," Ryder explained. "The Mitchells were very close off camera, but James Alexandrou, who played Martin Fowler, would tell me he barely spoke to Steve. Those family ties ran deep back then."
Iconic Characters and Their Portrayers
Steve McFadden, now 66, has become legendary among EastEnders fans for his portrayal of hardman Phil Mitchell, a character he has played since 1990. James Alexandrou, currently 40, originated the role of Martin Fowler, appearing in the soap from 1996 to 2007 before the character was recast in 2015 with James Bye taking over the role.
The original Martin Fowler character was written out of the series last year during the show's milestone 40th anniversary live episode, marking the end of an era for the character Alexandrou helped establish.
Ryder's Post-Soap Career Evolution
Since leaving EastEnders over two decades ago, Jack Ryder has successfully transitioned to a multifaceted career beyond acting. He has established himself as a respected theatre director and has found particular success as a children's author, with his fourth book "Voyage To Mermaid Mountain" released in July 2024.
In a separate revelation last month, Ryder shared his own surprising family background, explaining that he comes from what might be considered "nepo baby" roots. His father, Jeremy Allan Ryder, achieved fame as Jack Hues, the frontman of the 1980s new wave band Wang Chung.
Fame and Family Legacy
"My dad was a famous pop star in America in the 80s and we've talked about this a lot," Ryder acknowledged about his father's musical success. Wang Chung, though British, found their greatest popularity in the United States, particularly with their 1986 hit "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," which helped them achieve six US Top 40 hits and sell millions of records.
Reflecting on his own experience with sudden fame at a young age, Ryder admitted to ITV's Lorraine program that the attention was challenging to manage. "Yeah, no one can prepare you for it. It was before social media, the last kind of golden era of TV," he recalled. "My last episode I think got something like 25 million viewers. I love the work. The fame side was tough to cope with at that age. I just kept my head down and got on with it."
The Daily Mail has reportedly reached out to representatives for both Steve McFadden and James Alexandrou for comment regarding Ryder's revelations about their off-screen relationship during their shared time on EastEnders.
