Alex Healy (EastEnders) on:
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The Reverend Alex Healy is a fictional character from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
EastEnders'', played by Richard Driscoll between 31 March 1997 and 23 August 1999.
Storylines
Alex arrives in
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work ...
in March 1997 as the local vicar. He runs a homeless shelter called Bridge House with the help of Christian follower
Sarah Hills
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1995, by order of first appearance.
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Mitchell (also Raymond) is played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The ...
(
Daniela Denby-Ashe
Daniela Jolanta Denby-Ashe (born 9 August 1978) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Sarah Hills on the soap opera ''EastEnders'', Margaret Hale on the period drama ''North and South'', and Janey Harper on the BBC sitcom ''My ...
), despite protests from many of the residents in Walford. Alex falls in love with
Kathy Mitchell (
Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and has also appeared as Jackie Pascoe, Jackie Pascoe/Webb on ITV Network, ITV's ''Footballers' Wi ...
) while her marriage to
Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother Grant Mitchell (EastEnders), Grant (Ross Kemp), s ...
(
Steve McFadden) has begun to crumble. Alex and Kathy break up when she leaves for
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
, ignoring Alex's pleas to stay. A while later, Alex leaves the Square to work in a mission in
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐; ar, ุงูุตูู
ุงู, aแนฃ-แนขลซmฤl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
In 2019, he attends his sister
Mel Owen
Melanie "Mel" Owen (also Healy and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Tamzin Outhwaite. Mel was introduced by executive producer Matthew Robinson and made her first appearance on 19 October 1998 ...
โs (
Tamzin Outhwaite
Tamzin Maria Outhwaite (; born 5 November 1970) is an English actress, presenter and narrator. Since playing the role of Mel Owen in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has starred in a number of theatre and television productions, includi ...
) funeral off-screen.
Creation and development
His first major television role, Driscoll was sent to audition for ''EastEnders'' by his agent and following a screen, test was given the part of vicar Alex. His first scene was with actress
Daniela Denby-Ashe
Daniela Jolanta Denby-Ashe (born 9 August 1978) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Sarah Hills on the soap opera ''EastEnders'', Margaret Hale on the period drama ''North and South'', and Janey Harper on the BBC sitcom ''My ...
who played
Sarah Hills
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1995, by order of first appearance.
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Mitchell (also Raymond) is played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The ...
. He has reflected, "I was really chuffed. But that soon turned to fear when I had my first scene with Daniela. It was so nerve-racking. I didn't really understand the set-up. I don't know how I got the words out."
Alex's most notable storyline is a love affair with
Kathy Mitchell (
Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and has also appeared as Jackie Pascoe, Jackie Pascoe/Webb on ITV Network, ITV's ''Footballers' Wi ...
) who is married in the serial to
Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother Grant Mitchell (EastEnders), Grant (Ross Kemp), s ...
(
Steve McFadden). Discussing the storyline, Driscoll suggested that Alex had been "wracked by emotional and spiritual turmoil ever since" sleeping with Kathy. He added, "Alex has got a lot of conflict. He's been suggesting to his father that he should work at his relationship with his wife - but there he is having an affair with a married woman. He feels a bit of a hypocrite - he feels guilty and ashamed. But the inescapable fact is he's attracted to Kathy. Something strange and wonderful happens to him when he's around her."
Driscoll quit the role in 1999, claiming that it had always been his intention to stay for only a few years: "I felt it was the right time to go. I'd learnt a hell of a lot. The pace and the turnover is incredible. It has been brilliant but I'm an actor and I want to do different things
..When I finished, the whole cast gathered to clap me off the set. I felt it was an ending and it was sad. It was emotional because it was my first major role and there were things to prove. But it's time to move on."
Reception
A popular character with female viewers, Driscoll claims that he received "loads of fan-mail from women and would get stopped in the street by people who told him: 'If you were my vicar, I would go to church."
The character came under criticism in 1998 following his affair with Kathy Mitchell. One vicar complained that the BBC were portraying Christian characters as "jokes or frauds". Gillian Taylforth, who played Kathy, reportedly had reservations about the plot too as she feared Kathy sleeping with a vicar would cause a negative response from viewers.
[ ]
See also
*
List of fictional clergy and religious figures
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Healy, Alex
EastEnders characters
Fictional priests and priestesses
Television characters introduced in 1997
British male characters in television