EastEnders star Steve McFadden has recalled the emotional moment an alcoholic fan stopped him in the street. The actor has played Phil Mitchel for 35 years, becoming the second longest serving cast member on the soap, behind the late June Brown who played the iconic Dorothy 'Dot' Branning. But Steve was originally only supposed to be on the show for three months with his on-screen brother, Ross Kemp, who plays Grant Mitchell.
His character has been surrounded by some of the biggest storylines thanks to its gangster routes including battles with drugs and alcohol, affairs and the famous "Who Shot Phil?" storyline in 2001 which attracted a whopping 23 million viewers. But there's one moment that Steve admits will stay with him for a long time. Despite his notorious storylines and criminal background, this doesn't stop fans from adoring Phil Mitchell, who is currently experiencing depression and psychotic episodes. Speaking in a rare interview, the actor, 65, explained how his alcohol storyline saw him receive the greatest compliment.
Het old TV Times: "They seem to be very forgiving of him, which I cannot believe. I've always played Phil's darker, dislikable moments as truthfully as I can, but the public keep forgiving him. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was when I was walking across Leicester Square in London, and a disheveled guy walked up to me. "He had years of alcohol abuse written all over his face. He saw me and lit up as best he could, then grabbed my hand, punched his chest with his fist, and pointed at me as if he'd really connected with me, and that's what my work is about. Connecting with people when other people feel what Phil's feeling, that's when I'm at my happiest.".
Steve also admitted he only decided he wanted to become an actor in his early twenties, being accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1984 at the age of 25. He said: "When I first decided to become an actor, people in my life couldn't believe it, because this was not on the cards, to put it mildly! Anyway, a mate took me to the Royal Shakespeare Company because his sister was an actor. I watched the play and thought 'This is what I want to do, but not here, because this isn't my arena'.
"I remember saying to him, 'I want to do something that people down the market will talk about, and kids in the school playground will talk about in their lunch break', like I used to talk about Minder and The Sweeney. I wanted to do that kind of work. And that's what's happened. I've ended up where I wanted to be without really knowing it, which is lovely.". Steve landed his role in EastEnders in 1990, having got brief acting roles in shows including Minder and The Bill after he graduated in 1987. It was not meant to be a long contract but he and his on-screen brother Grant Mitchell, played by Ross Kemp, were an instant success. Asked what it means to still be on the BBC soap, Steve commented: "It's amazing, and I'm very proud of it. Ross and I were on the screen the week after the fifth anniversary. We'd signed a three month contract, and the producers had an option to keep us for another three months, but within two weeks, the bosses said they wanted to keep us for two years.
"Amazingly, 35 years later, I'm still here doing these huge storylines. What it means to me is that EastEnders is my life's work. I didn't plan it, but it's what my career became. But I'm very happy that's how it's turned out. On the current mental health troubles of Phil, actor Steve said: "It felt to me like this was a valid and worthwhile story to tell. I don't talk about my work very often because I believe that acting is a magical process, and I don't want to spoil it by deconstructing it too much. What happens is I tried to connect emotionally with a story as much as possible, and I felt like I connected with this one a lot.".
Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help. If you are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction, advice and support can be found at alcoholchange.org.uk. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs onTikTok,Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads.
