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Irish identity is so important to Todd
As Tucker Jenkins in Grange Hill and later as Mark Fowler in Eastenders
todd carty has entertained audiences on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Graham Clifford spoke to the second-generation Irishman who is proud of
his identity and sense of belonging to Ireland.
They call it Co. Kilburn and when you speak to acclaimed actor Todd Carty
you understand why.
Born in Ireland to a mother from Ashbourne in Co. Meath the former Eastenders
star believes his identity as a young Irish boy was never in doubt thanks
to his formative years being spent in the North London area.
He said: “It was totally Irish back then and even after we moved
from Kilburn to Harrow when I was about eight or nine years old I always
felt part of it.
“The music, the craic, indeed The Irish Post was all part and parcel
of being Irish in London back then.
“We moved as my mother fancied Harrow because she thought it was
a posher address at the time.”
Armed with a roguish confidence cultivated on the streets of Kilburn and
Harrow a young Carty believed he could make it as an actor.
He attended the auditions for a new BBC children’s drama series
named Grange Hill in 1978 and even then remembers how his ‘cheek’
came to his assistance.
He said: “I remember lining up for the audition and growing impatient
so when I saw my chance I skipped the queue.
“The director spotted it and reprimanded me.
“He sent me to the back of the line and I had to queue up for another
two hours.
“However in a funny way I think that helped me because in episode
three of the first series there’s a scene where Tucker Jenkins has
to skip the queue so maybe that was in the director’s mind.”
The London Irishman remained with Grange Hill until 1982 when the BBC
offered him a spin-off show called Tucker’s Luck, which ran from
1983 until 1985.
Looking back he believes working on Grange Hill was one of the highlights
of his career.
He said: “Often people ask me what’s my favourite role which
I have played and without doubt the answer has to be Tucker Jenkins.
“Everyone loves a cheeky chappy and that’s what he was.
“I didn’t really have to base the character on anyone as I
was boisterous enough at the time.
“Seriously though I think Grange Hill was and continues to be very
representative of life for children of school age today and the challenges
they face.
“Years go by but issues such as love, hate and trying to look cool
will always remain for this age group.”
In 1990 Carty returned to our screens on a daily basis when he took up
the re-casted role of Mark Fowler on the nation’s most watched soap
opera, Eastenders.
The flamboyance and toughness which surrounded the character of Tucker
Jenkins were now to be replaced with the humbleness and sincerity of the
luckless Mark Fowler.
Carty said: “It was a completely different role that’s for
sure.
“I had to go from acting the big man to being a pillar of the community
and an all round nice guy.”
Life on the square may not have been easy for the character Mark Fowler
(he contracted HIV and died of Aids in 2004 while his first wife died
and his other two wives left him for other men), but for Todd Carty it
was a sensational run.
He said: “I enjoyed it immensely and feel very lucky and proud to
have been part of something so special.
“It’s funny when I walk down the street now some people recognise
me as Mark and others of a different generation recognise me as Tucker.
“Both roles were so different, people must think I have a split
personality.”
Carty later went on to play PC Gabriel Kent in the Bill and excelled in
the ‘bad boy’ role, which was again a total opposite to the
part of the loveable Mark Fowler.
Staring on stage, in film and behind the camera Todd Carty is continually
busy these days but says he finds time to visit Ireland as much as possible.
He said: “As an Irish passport holder my Irishness is very important
to me and I try to get home as much as possible.
“While I have links in Meath my partner Dina has family in Limerick
so our house is very much an Irish one.
“Last year we had a fantastic trip to Kerry, which is my favourite
part of the country.
“We stayed close to Killorglin and caught some of Puck Fair.
“There’s a pace of life in Kerry which I adore and you can’t
but relax and enjoy yourself when you’re back there.”
Carty’s love affair with his home country also spills into the sporting
arena and he is an avid Republic of Ireland football and Ireland rugby
supporter.
Munster rugby also has a special place in Carty’s heart though he
admits he doesn’t get to follow the men in red as much as he’d
like to due to work commitments.
His passion for Ireland has also filtered down to his sons James and Thomas.
He said: “The lads support Ireland too as I have it drilled into
them.
“The younger lad Thomas in particular wears his Irish top when he’s
playing football or is out and about which I’m delighted with.
“He’s even got his name on the back of his Republic of Ireland
jersey.
“It’s not that I have anything against them backing England
but Ireland is where I consider myself from and they realise how important
it is to me and by extension to them.”
Devoid of the airs and graces which can sometimes be side effects of acting
success at this level Carty’s persona seems unmistakably Irish.
In 2000 the 44-year-old was honoured with the famed This Is Your Life
red book — host Michael Aspel surprised him on the set of Eastenders.
He’s come a long way since than first audition for Grange Hill back
in 1978 but despite the fame and many accolades bestowed on him over the
decades he’s always maintained that same sense of identity —
as the proud son of a Meath woman who grew up in Co. Kilburn.
This winter, for the first time ever, BBC Worldwide has released the
iconic BBC Children’s drama Grange Hill on DVD. Two box sets titled
Grange Hill Series 1-4 are now available priced £27.99 each. |
