Martin Fowler has been a cornerstone character on EastEnders since his birth in 1985. Born to soap legends Pauline and Arthur Fowler, the character has been a part of the most gripping EastEnders storylines. Three different actors have portrayed the role till now. The OG viewers know all of them, and we have some fantastic news for you! Two of the three actors have recently met on the set of the iconic soap. However, this time, only one of them was acting on screen! James Alexandrou and James Byes crossed paths by chance, and the former spoke about it. Keep scrolling to find out what Alexandrou has to say!
EastEnders: The Ex-Martin Actor Encounters the Current One!
The two actors met recently on the EastEnders set. Alexandrou shed light on their brief meeting and also reminisced about welcoming Bye when he first joined EastEnders. Jon Peyton first played the iconic character of Martin Fowler on EastEnders when he was just a child till 11 years of age. Then, James Alexandrou took over the role and played it till 2007. Eventually, James Bye stepped in to play Martin, arriving at the Square in 2014. The burning matters remain about Alexandrou’s encounter with Bye!
In The Insecure Podcast, James said, “I found out old Jimmy Bye, James Bye got the job.” The actor mentioned taking Bye’s number from Natalie Cassidy and texting him out of nowhere. He wrote, ‘It’s James Alexandrou. I’m really happy for you. You know, do whatever you want with [Martin], have fun.” In addition, the former EE star added that Bye has done a fantastic job as Martin on EastEnders.
The two ‘Martins’ accidentally met on the Albert Square set when James Alexandrou returned as a director. Yeah, he wasn’t acting this time! Alexandrou elaborated, “It just so happened that James Bye was on the day that I was shadowing.” Subsequently, Bye got to know about it when he came to do a scene and said, “Oh, it’s you!” The former Martin actor described it as a strange but lovely moment as they didn’t know each other at all. The only common thing that connects them are “words on a page called Martin Fowler.”
EastEnders: Alexandrou Responds About His Return
James was asked if he’d like to reprise his role someday. The actor said that he would return under specific conditions. The main being that Bye is currently happy to play the role. However, Alexandrou clarified that if Bye doesn’t want to do it in the future, he might play Martin again. “Yeah, maybe,” like a special one-off Christmas thing. That might be funny to do that.”
James Alexandrou won’t be reprising his role anytime soon. However, we could see his name on the end credits as a director one day. James said he would like to direct his former screen wife, Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), “I think I’d have a lot of fun doing it,” he chuckled. Alexandrou said directing Natalie Cassidy “would be the most fun thing to do.”
Martin Fowler’s Journey on the Soap
Martin Fowler was involved in romantic relationships with Sonia Fowler and Stacey Slater on EastEnders. The man is father to Bex Fowler and Lily Slater, making him a grandad to Lily’s daughter Charli. During James’s term, Martin had a fling with Sonia, and she became pregnant. However, Sonia wanted to raise her daughter Chloe with her boyfriend Jamie Mitchell.
Martin was later arrested following his involvement in a car accident that led to Jamie’s death. This incident pushed him down the gutter, and Martin became more involved in crime. Nevertheless, Sonia became his lifesaver, and the couple married after many hiccups on EastEnders.
Meanwhile, James Bye’s Martin had some intense plotlines alongside Stacey. The latest spoilers reveal that Martin is flying off to Australia to visit his sister Michelle, who’s sick. Moreover, Martin might discover something about Keanu’s murder as Sharon Watts, who’s paranoid at the moment, is also down in Australia. We can’t wait to see what he’s up to on his visit! Keep reading TV Season & Spoilers to catch the latest tea on EastEnders!