EastEnders actor Jake Wood has drawn a stark contrast between his own stable family life and the relentless turmoil faced by his on-screen alter ego, serial womaniser Max Branning, while admitting he finds the concept of 'crime families' utterly compelling.
From Albert Square chaos to Hampshire calm
The 53-year-old star, who returned to the BBC One soap last year after a break, plays a character whose life is a perpetual rollercoaster. Max Branning's upcoming fifth wedding day, slated for New Year's Day 2027, was teased in a dramatic 'flash forward' episode on January 1 this year. The preview showed Max waking next to a mystery pregnant bride, only to be arrested for murder before the credits rolled.
Yet, viewers don't have to wait until 2027 for drama. Over Christmas, while other Walford residents enjoyed family gatherings, Max slept with Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) after falling out with his entire clan. Reflecting on Max's chaotic history, Jake notes the character managed four marriages, 20 affairs, and fathered four children during his previous 15-year stint, even surviving being buried alive.
'Family is f***ing hell'
Off-screen, Jake's life is markedly different. He has been happily married to wife Alison since 2001, renewing their vows in 2018, and is a proud father to daughter Amber, 20, and son Buster, 17. Despite his personal contentment, he believes all families harbour complexities. "Family is f***ing hell. It's never straightforward, is it?" he remarked on his podcast, Wood Wehn In The Membrane, which he co-hosts with comedian Henning Wehn.
"I mean, any family that I know that is large … there is always drama. Every family I can think of has got something, some secret or some trauma. It's very rarely what you see on the surface."
He argues societal expectations have shifted, liberating people from tolerating poor behaviour simply due to blood ties. "Fifty, sixty years ago … you were expected to toe the line and be part of the family, regardless of anyone else's behaviour within that, whether that was abusive or causing trauma. You were just expected to suck it up and get on with it," he said. Today, his view is clear: "Just because you're family, it's no excuse for being abusive."
The fascination with criminal dynasties
Despite his strong moral stance, Jake admits a deep fascination with the organised crime families often depicted in dramas, a theme that echoes in the Branning clan's own brushes with the law. "It's fascinating, isn't it?" he said. "When you get a whole family and then you get generations of criminals going back. It's like the family business, isn't it? You’re sort of born into those families and then you continue the family tradition! I suppose the Sicilians are like the daddies of that."
For Jake, modern family is defined by values, not just tradition. He observes that the classic nuclear family is fading, replaced by blended, single-parent, and same-sex parent families. "Everything's much more individual and it seems like people have got much more choice now. I think it's a really good thing," he stated, recalling that divorced parents were once a cause for bullying in school.
"The main thing is, if there's love in a family, that's everything, isn't it?" he asserted. "Love, mutual respect, support. If you've got all of those things, yeah, happy days, crack on."
A father's enduring role
As a father living in an old school house in Hampshire, Jake sees his role as a permanent provider and listener, especially in an economy where rising costs hinder young independence. "That's part of the deal, isn't it?" he said. "If you bring little humans into life. It's not like you bring them up and then you let them free off into the jungle and never see them again."
He considers supporting his children financially, when needed, a privilege. "You're always a parent to them and then if you want to do it responsibly and you have the means to be able to do that and you want to do that, then that's a beautiful thing, isn't it?" His guiding principle is: "I will help to support you until that time you can support yourselves."
While protective, he isn't overly anxious about his children's romantic choices, believing in the value of learning from errors. "You hope that you've brought them up to be able to make good choices. That's all you can do, really," he reflected. "They have to make mistakes. Mistakes are great things. And they should have the freedom to make mistakes because those are the best lessons. That's the only way they're going to learn."
