EastEnders fans confused over main character who ‘doesn’t get any airtime’ as they question how actor can pay bills
EastEnders fans are confused over a main character who doesn’t appear to get any airtime as they question how the actor can pay their bills.
The character made their first appearance on 7 July 2022 but viewers wonder if he also has a moonlighting job.
Felix Baker (who sometimes transforms into drag alter ego Tara Misu) played by Matthew Morrison is the son of Avery and Celia Baker and the half-brother of Finlay.
He was first seen on the soap when he arrived with his brother Finlay to meet their uncle Mitch Baker and the rest of the Taylor family after their father Avery Baker had collapsed due to his terminal cancer.
Later, Avery died in Mitch’s arms during a party at the launderette which left Felix and Finlay devastated and penniless.
After his funeral the pair decided to stay in Walford and Felix took a job at the Albert but his brother left later.
Felix continued his drag queen career and hosted many events often dragging in other characters to take part in his sets.
But his next big storyline came along when a body was identified under the café floor.
Felix and his friend Bernadette were distraught to learn that the body was Keanu Taylor, Bernadette’s brother and a good friend of Felix.
After that, the last major storyline he was involved in was when Anna had her drink spiked and he helped save her.
But since then, fans have noticed that he’s not made many more appearances and wonder if actors are allowed second jobs away from the show.
One fan stated: “I don’t get how Felix is counted as main cast and Shrimpy is an extra.”
“I’ve also wondered this about the actors who have played “small” roles for years like Shrimpy and Winston.” added another.
A third explained: “People like that will probably work full time on the show as extras, it won’t be great money, but I’m guessing it’s akin to working in a shop or behind a bar.
“They will also get more money if they have an actual line of dialogue.”
Another said: “given the fact that they’re actors, they probably act in other things as well”.
“I assume they are allowed to do theatre or adverts or teaching or any number of other things. They are actors so I would suggest that is actually their job and EE is probably more shift work for some of them.
EastEnders stars who QUIT
MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year?
The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year.
Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998.
Yet what about the 2024 exits?
Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had “quit” the long-running series.
It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen.
Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford.
Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would “quit out of boredom” over recent storylines.
Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame.
One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky.
He played Stacey Slater’s brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel.
Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay’s Netflix movie 6 Underground.
Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005.
She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008.
“But there’s a rather hard limit to my knowledge of how workers in that industry make ends meet” declared another viewer.
While another spoke about Natalie Cassidy‘s absence from the show and said: “I know at least some actors are allowed to take breaks to work on other projects.
“Natalie Cassidy is filming something else which is why Sonia is in prison and hasn’t been seen since.”
“They often do pantomime” added another.
EastEnders airs on BBC1 and is available to stream on BBCIplayer.