Ex EastEnders star Shaun Williamson tells Soaplife about life after EastEnders and his role in the Elvis musical Love Me Tender...
What’s your role in the musical?
"I’m Jim Harlow, dad of the heroine. I’m too old to play the main male, Chad. He’s like the Elvis character in all the Elvis films, with his shades and leather jacket. Chad roars into this little town full of miserable people on his motorbike and, through the magic of his music, everyone learns to dance and falls in love. It’s a nice story, but very funny with it."
Do you like Elvis’s music?
"I’m a huge fan. This musical doesn’t just include his big hits, there are some lesser-known songs, too. I love being in it and hopefully we’ll go into the West End once we’ve finished touring."
It’s 10 years since you left Eastenders, but you’re still best known as Barry...
"I know! That’s partly my fault because I worked with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant in Extras afterwards. But I wasn’t the only one taking the mickey out of myself. Big stars like Kate Winslet were happy to do it, too."
Do you ever wish Barry hadn’t been killed off?
"I was out of work for a couple of months about three years after it happened and I had a moment thinking, ‘If only he hadn’t died’. But that passed once I got another job. I’ve now done 25 theatrical productions in the last 10 years."
Are you still in touch with any of people who were in EastEnders in your era?
"The person I see most is Tony Cauter, who played my dad, Roy Evans. He’s a lovely, lovely man who’s now retired and living in Eastbourne."
We’ve also heard you write, too…
"I’ve got a literary agent who I send scripts and screenplays to. We came really close to getting my script ‘Town And Country’ made. It was a drama about Britain at the outbreak of World War II. The person who wrote ITV’s ‘Home Fires’ beat me to it, though."
