James Bye is only the most recent actor to play Martin Fowler on EastEnders, as the role had been played by two more actors before him, most notably James Alexandrou who played the part from 1996 to 2007
EastEnders’ Martin Fowler is undoubtedly one of the soap’s most cherished characters, having been a fixture since 1985. Born to Pauline and Arthur Fowler in August 1985, Martin has the unique distinction of being the first baby to make his entrance on the beloved BBC soap.
Since 2014, actor James Bye has been portraying the endearing character, and it’s hard for many fans to picture Albert Square without him following the dramatic events of tonight’s live episode. However, as die-hard aficionados will recall, James is actually the third actor to step into Martin’s shoes. Jon Peyton-Price originated the role, but it was James Alexandrou who truly made it his own, joining EastEnders at just 11 years old.
James Alexandrou was centre-stage from 1996 to 2007, involved in some major plots – tackling a stalker, the heartbreaking decision to put his and Sonia’s daughter up for adoption, and the accident that claimed Jamie Mitchell’s life. In 2007, the former soap star chose to explore new horizons, although the showrunners were reluctant to kill off a member of an inaugural family. Martin’s storyline saw him and wife Sonia setting off to travel following his mother and iconic matriarch Pauline Fowler’s death.
“I’ve decided to leave the show to experience other aspects of my industry,” James revealed back then. “Having turned 21, I felt it was a good time to leave. I owe everything to the show and would love to come back one day – that’s if EastEnders would have me,” reports RSVP Live.
Martin made a comeback in 2014, except this time, James Bye was at the helm, with soap aficionados hailing his take on the character as the “best recast ever”. On why he didn’t return to play Martin, Alexandrou revealed: “They were talking for a while about me going back.”
He shared that despite producers being keen on his return, it just wasn’t the right moment for him. “They made it very clear that they were bringing the character back and they would really like me to go back but it just wasn’t right for me at the time.”
For Alexandrou, the temptation lay in reuniting with old friends for a trip down memory lane, but ultimately, he confessed: “The attraction in it would be to see some of my old mates and have a bit of nostalgia, and that wasn’t enough at the time to do it.”
Post-EastEnders, James has appeared in various roles, captivating audiences with his performances in West End productions of Shakespearean dramas. In 2009, he collaborated once more with Natalie Cassidy, who portrays Sonia, for a set of comedic skits for BBC Raw Words.
With other TV appearances including Silent Witness, Casualty, and The Prey, James’s career is nothing short of eclectic. Ever versatile, the actor has also graced BBC Three with a set of documentaries, and has also delved into producing, directing, and scriptwriting in recent times.
Last year marked another milestone with James opening up his own Playhouse East theatre in London. And in a surprising twist, he “returned” to EastEnders – not in front of the camera, but behind it, directing an episode. Describing this experience on Johnny Seifert’s Secure The Insecure podcast, James stated: “I kind of did go back [to EastEnders] recently; I shadowed as a director.”
“So, you go and follow the director and see how they direct the show, and it just so happened that James Bye was on, on the day that I was shadowing. I didn’t know that he knew I was there.”
“I think he apparently caught wind of it, and he came on to do a scene, and he kind of went, ‘Oh, it’s you,’ and we just kind of had this strange moment. It was a really strange moment because we don’t know each other at all, and the only thing that bonds us are these words on a page called Martin Fowler, you know, that was a really nice moment.”
Martin Fowler (James Bye) has died during the soap’s live episode this evening. His death came as a large metal beam, which fell on him in the explosion at the Queen Vic pub on Wednesday’s episode, was lifted off him by the emergency services.
Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), whom Martin had just successfully proposed to, had kissed him before the beam was lifted, telling him “it’s going to be alright”.
Martin appeared to be safe but moments later went into cardiac arrest, with paramedics unable to save him, having earlier warned Stacey her fiancé may have crushed syndrome, causing kidney failure and heart failure.
Martin’s father Arthur, played by Bill Treacher, appeared in the first scene of the first EastEnders episode in February 1985.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .