Sam Strike became an instant hit with EastEnders fans when he arrived as Johnny Carter at Christmas 2013, but his time on Albert Square proved relatively short after the young actor decided to bow out following a one-year stint.
Little has been known about Sam's reasons for leaving until now, but this week he gave Digital Spy a call for an exclusive and refreshingly honest chat about his soap exit and future plans. ...
Johnny made an impact on the fans very quickly thanks to his 'coming out' scene with Mick. Are you proud of the work you did on that?
"Well that's the thing - I'm sure the writers and the people in the office had a lot more to give to Johnny, and it's an ensemble effort so everyone's got to get their bit, but I kind of feel like Johnny peaked quite early with that.
"Don't get me wrong, though - I was totally happy and really lucky to be given that storyline, as it was an opportunity to impress the viewers as soon as I went in. That was a blessing and I really appreciated that. It was a really nice thing to have. Also, they had that storyline written before they'd even cast me. I was really grateful for the fact that they trusted me to pull something like that off before they knew what I could do."
Could be reading too much into this, but is Sam saying the EastEnders scriptwriters went; 'Right, storyline for a gay teen, he hasn't told his family - it's agony. Big emotional coming out scene with dad. Then after he's come out... err?'
Anyway, you're a top lad, best of luck, mate.
Anyway, you're a top lad, best of luck, mate.
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Your reading is absolutely correct. On the BBC, Gay equals problem. The gay character who stayed in EastEnders is busy trying to snog his best mate, minutes before his "girlfriend" arrives. Funny how straight teenagers are never depicted as curious or wanting to experiment.
ReplyDeleteAt least they don't have to come out to their parents!
ReplyDelete'You may be straight, but you're still my son' etc
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