Former EastEnders actor James Bye admits it was ‘right time’ to leave show that ‘changed his life’
Viewers were left devasted by the death of fruit and vegatble salesman Martin Fowler
James Bye is preparing for life after EastEnders as he heads to the stage(Image: ITV)
EastEnders actor James Bye has admitted that it was the ‘right time’ to leave the show, saying that the programme ‘changed his life’.
Martin was first played by James in 2014, with fans left devastated when he died after being crushed by a steel beam in February during the BBC soap’s 40th anniversary week.
During the actor’s time on Albert Square, Martin faked his death, had a bus fall on top of him and fell in love with Stacey Slater.
While the character was originally played by Jon Peyton-Price in EastEnders debut year of 1985 and by James Alexandrou from 1996 to 2007, James will forever be the final Martin.
Two months on from Martin’s death, James opened up in his Women’s Weekly magazine column about what EastEnders means to him.
“Martin Fowler changed my life, no question. I feel he set me up for anything that might now come my way. You’re looking at a happy man,” he said.
Despite leaving the legendary show being a potential risk for his career, James is adamant that he did the right thing for him.
James Bye as Martin Fowler on EastEnders(Image: BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)
He explained: “I joined ‘EastEnders’ as Martin Fowler in 2014, so it had been 10 years, effectively all of my 30s, that I’d been on the show.
“It just felt like the right time to seek pastures new – and there were a lot of other things I wanted to do as an actor.
“It was sad to say goodbye, of course it was, and in an incredibly special episode, something I’ll never get to do again in my life. But, I like taking risks. It was definitely the right decision.”
Thankfully for fans, James will be playing Mr. Darcy in ‘Death Comes to Pemberley’ at The Mill theatre in Sonning, Berkshire, over the coming weeks.
Playing the character previously portrayed by Succession’s Matthew MacFayden and Colin Firth, James joked there will be ‘no wet shirts’.
“From the beginning of May to the end of June, I’ll be at The Mill in Sonning, Berkshire, in the world premiere stage adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberley, P.D. James’ sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I’m Mr. Darcy, but no wet shirts,” he teased.
Rather than wearing wigs or any other form of fake hair, James has grown an impressive set of mutton chops for the role.
