Michael Moon (EastEnders)

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Michael Moon was a fictional character from the

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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 Steve John Shepherd. The character is a second cousin once removed of

Alfie Moon Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned to ''EastEnders'' on 21 September 2010, following th ...

(

Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a British actor, comedian, television presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the charac ...

), and first appears on 1 October 2010 after Alfie's return. He is also the father to

Tommy Moon The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' during 2010 listed by order of first appearance. Executive producer Diederick Santer left ''EastEnders'' on 26 February 2010, handing over to Br ...

, whose mother is Alfie's wife

Kat Moon Kathleen "Kat" Slater (also Moon) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She is also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the sec ...

(

Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' since 2000. Her role as Kat won her the Natio ...

). Michael is later joined by his father

Eddie Moon Eddie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by David Essex. Eddie is the father of Michael Moon ( Steve John Shepherd), Tyler Moon (Tony Discipline) and Anthony Moon (Matt Lapinskas). Along with his child ...

(

David Essex David Essex (born David Albert Cook; 23 July 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. Since the 1970s, he has attained 19 Top 40 singles in the UK (including two number ones) and 16 Top 40 albums. Internationally, Essex had the most ...

) and half brothers

Tyler Moon Tyler Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Tony Discipline. Tyler is the son of Eddie Moon (David Essex), half brother of Michael ( Steve John Shepherd) and Craig Moon (Elliot Rosen), brother of Ant ...

(Tony Discipline) and

Anthony Moon Anthony Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Matt Lapinskas. He was introduced on 25 July 2011 as an extension to the Moon family. The son of Eddie Moon (David Essex), half brother of Michael Moon ( S ...

(

Matt Lapinskas Matthew William Lapinskas (born 27 February 1989) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Anthony Moon in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 2011 to 2012. He was a contestant in the eighth series of '' Dancing on Ice'', fini ...

). A

psychopath Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...

, Michael is described as a competitive and manipulative risk-taker who lives dangerously. He is a charmer with an eye for the ladies, but is willing to stab anyone in the back. He has a relationship with

Roxy Mitchell Roxanne "Roxy" Mitchell (also Slater) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', portrayed by Rita Simons.Rita Simons Rita Joanne Simons (born 10 March 1977) is an English actress and singer from London. She is best known for playing Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed-off, alongside her on screen ...

), which is disliked by Roxy's sister

Ronnie Ronnie may refer to: *Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name * "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe *"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load'' *Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadium ...

(

Samantha Womack Samantha Zoe Womack ('' née'' Janus; born 2 November 1972) is an English actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage. Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the United Kingdom i ...

), and marries

Janine Butcher Janine Carter (also Butcher, Evans and Malloy) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', introduced in 1989. The character was played by Rebecca Michael from 1989 to 1993, Alexia Demetriou from 1993 to 1996, and Charlie ...

(

Charlie Brooks Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is a British actress. Known for the role of Janine Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has received numerous awards since her first appearance on the soap in 1999, with storylines inv ...

). In March 2013, it was announced that Shepherd decided to leave the role. Michael's last episode is on 1 November 2013, when Michael is murdered by Janine. Shepherd quit to explore new roles.

Storylines

Michael arrives in Albert Square to lend money to his cousin

(

) for the lease of

The Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...

public house. Alfie's wife, Kat (

), is not pleased to see him as she is carrying his baby. Kat agrees to go to Spain with him, but then decides to stay with Alfie so Michael leaves for Spain alone. He returns a few months later, wanting to see his son,

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

, but Alfie has to break the news that Tommy died from cot death. Michael leaves and is reunited with

Max Branning Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006. Wood took a four-month break from the show in 2011 and the character was absent between August and No ...

(

Jake Wood Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is an English actor and podcaster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' and '' Red Dwarf'' ...

) and

Jack Branning Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and the brot ...

(

Scott Maslen Scott Alexander Maslen (born 25 June 1971) is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's ''The Bill'' and Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap ''EastEnders'' since 2007. He also took part in the 20 ...

), with whom he went to school. He stays with Jack and meets his wife,

Ronnie Branning Veronica "Ronnie" Branning (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders'', played by Samantha Womack. She and her younger sister Roxy Mitchell (played by Rita Simons) were introduced by executive producer Diede ...

(

) and her sister,

), who shows an interest in Michael. Kat, who is still grieving for baby Tommy, tries to get Michael to show his feelings and desperately kisses him, but he rejects her and leaves. Jack and Michael set up a boxing club. Ronnie is paranoid that because Michael is Tommy's biological father, as the baby grows up there will be similarities in their appearances, so she attempts to get rid of Michael by falsely claiming that he kissed her. Her plan fails, however, and Michael and Jack open the boxing club. Ronnie tries again to get rid of Michael by asking

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) for help but is unsuccessful. Michael starts dating Roxy and helps Kat and Alfie reunite when their relationship breaks down. After Ronnie reveals that she swapped her and Kat's babies and Tommy is alive, Michael shows little interest. His relationship with Roxy suffers but they soon reconcile. Michael's father,

(

), visits Alfie, much to Michael's disgust. Michael repeatedly tells his father to leave Walford and to stay away from him. Michael calls Eddie a murderer; Eddie allegedly killed Michael's mother, and Michael rejects his half-brother

(Tony Discipline) when he arrives. Michael sees Jay Mitchell (

Jamie Borthwick Jamie Simon Borthwick (born 23 June 1994) is an English actor who has portrayed the role of Jay Brown in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. He is also known for his role in Not Going out as The kid who Kicks Lee Career Borthwick ha ...

) and

Abi Branning Abi Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She was introduced by executive producer Kate Harwood on 3 July 2006 as an extension to the Branning family, along with father Max (J ...

(

Lorna Fitzgerald Lorna Katie Fitzgerald (born 17 April 1996) is a British actress from Northampton. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders''. Since leaving ''EastEnders'' in January 2018, Fitzgerald has develo ...

) leaving The Queen Vic after breaking into it, but tells Kat, Alfie and Eddie that he saw Ronnie running from the scene. Everyone believes Michael and he sets Ronnie up repeatedly. Roxy refuses to believe Ronnie until she sees a text message on Ronnie's phone sent by Michael and Roxy ends the relationship. Eddie and Michael seem to make amends, but Eddie is unaware that it is part of a scheme, which includes paying a boxer to allow Tyler to believe he is a talented boxer and paying

Vanessa Gold Vanessa may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Vanessa'' (Millais painting), an 1868 painting by Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais * ''Vanessa'', a 1933 novel by Hugh Walpole * ''Vanessa'', a 1952 instrumental song written by Bernie W ...

(

Zöe Lucker Zöe Elizabeth Lucker (born 11 April 1974) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Sonya Leach in ''Coronation Street'' Tanya Turner in the ITV drama series, ''Footballers' Wives''; Vanessa Gold in the long-running BBC One soap o ...

) to break Eddie's heart. Michael also sets up an unlicensed boxing match between an ambitious Tyler and a superior boxer, Artie Stiller (Maurice Lee). Tyler wins but suffers a seizure afterwards. At the hospital, Eddie reveals Michael has a brother,

Craig Moon The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' during 2011 listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Bryan Kirkwood, executive producer. The first main character ...

(Elliott Rosen), who has

Down's syndrome Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual disa ...

. He takes Michael to meet Craig and Eddie reveals that Craig is his full brother, who he placed in a care home. After talking with Craig, Michael accuses Eddie of rejecting him, but Eddie reveals that his mother committed suicide and that she used Michael to get back at Eddie. Michael apologises to Eddie and the two reconcile. Vanessa asks Michael for her money but he says the deal is off, so Vanessa tells Eddie about Michael's scheme. Eddie tells Tyler and Michael's other half-brother

(

) what Michael was doing before leaving Walford, leaving Michael rejected by his family. Michael starts a relationship with

(

). When Max and Jack's brother,

Derek Branning Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 to 2012. Derek is the eldest child of Jim Branning (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graha ...

(

Jamie Foreman Jamie Foreman (born 25 May 1958) is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in ''Layer Cake'' (2004) and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's ''Oliver Twist'' (2005). Career Foreman played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldm ...

) arrives in Walford, Michael is fearful of him as Derek had bullied him when they were younger. Janine later discovers she is pregnant and the couple decide to keep the baby. Michael suggests to

David Wicks David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC TV soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Michael French. David originally appeared from 23 December 1993 to 21 November 1996. He returned to the show on 1 January 2012 and departed two weeks late ...

(

Michael French Michael French (born Michael Clark, 17 September 1962) is an English actor, known for his roles as David Wicks in ''EastEnders''; Nick Jordan, a consultant and Clinical Lead, Senior Consultant in emergency medicine in '' Casualty'' and former ...

) that they should team up to get Derek arrested and David agrees. Michael plants stolen goods in Derek's home but Derek catches Michael in the act, and Michael says it was David's plan. Derek uses Michael to lure David to meet him, and Derek forces David to leave Walford. When Tyler and Anthony are in debt to Derek, Anthony asks Michael for help but Michael locks Anthony in his office and calls the police on Derek. Derek threatens to kill Anthony and Tyler, and Michael suggests they leave. They soon discover he called the police and confront him. Janine hears about the trouble and pays the debt. Michael allows Derek to beat him up hoping it will help, but then discovers the debt was already paid. Michael is surprised to find a baby scan photo and annoyed that Janine insists their child will be called Butcher, not Moon. He ends their relationship as he feels she does not trust him and she refuses to let him to be part of the child's life, insisting the child is raised by a nanny. Janine is distraught by this. Michael lures her to a "business meeting" where he proposes. She accepts on the condition that he signs a

prenuptial agreement A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple prior to marriage or a civil union that enables them to select and control many of the leg ...

, which he does. He then

cons In computer programming, ( or ) is a fundamental function in most dialects of the Lisp programming language. ''constructs'' memory objects which hold two values or pointers to two values. These objects are referred to as (cons) cells, conses, ...

Jean Slater Jean Slater (also Walters) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Wright. Her first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2004. Having only been introduce ...

(

Gillian Wright Gillian Wright (born 5 May 1960) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2004, for which she has won a number of awards. She was a teacher and theatre director before ...

) out of her lottery winnings in order to pay for the wedding so Janine cannot make all the decisions. He persuades Jean to give him more money, promising he will invest it for her. Michael then moves in with Janine. As Jean is working for Janine, Michael worries Janine will find out where his money is coming from and tries to convince Jean to leave her job as the investment will do well. Janine grows suspicious of Michael and Jean's friendship and is angered when Jean tells her that Michael has actually confided in her about his mother's suicide. She then goes to Michael to see if she was telling the truth but he claims that Jean is lying. Jean then invests more money but Michael tries to put her off as it is for The Queen Vic's VAT bill. She soon regrets giving him the money and asks for it back but he ignores her message and claims he does not know what she is talking about. Jean is forced to tell Janine what Michael has done but Michael claims that Jean is obsessed with him and Janine's unborn baby. He attempts to turn everyone against Jean by saying she is obsessed with Roxy's daughter,

Amy Mitchell The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' which aired in 2008 (by order of first appearance). All characters were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer. Santer introduced four c ...

(Amelie Conway), and sets up a bed containing Amy's things in Jean's bedroom. Kat believes Jean over Michael and tries to help her find proof. The day before Michael and Janine's wedding, Michael is arrested for the alleged fraud and released on bail. The truth emerges on the wedding day, when Kat tells Michael that Jean threatened to kill herself if she is sectioned because of him, leading Michael to admit to Kat that he took the money. Michael then confesses to Janine and convinces her to destroy the prenuptial agreement. They marry and Janine then suffers a

placental abruption Placental abruption is when the placenta separates early from the uterus, in other words separates before childbirth. It occurs most commonly around 25 Gestational age (obstetrics), weeks of pregnancy. Symptoms may include vaginal bleeding, lower ...

. She is taken to hospital and has the baby by emergency caesarean section. Their daughter is put on a ventilator and Michael struggles to bond with her as she fights for life; he abandons her and Janine at the hospital. However, he soon returns and assures Janine that he will stay. They name the baby Scarlett Moon and they decide to have her christened as she is in a stable condition. Even though Kat understands what he is going through, she insists he repay Jean, which he does, plus £1000 from Janine. Michael begins running Janine's businesses while she in hospital, and becomes a signatory on her bank accounts, which she resents. Janine's lack of trust for Michael is evident and she cannot accept that he is interested in her, not her money. She thinks his behaviour is suspicious, and eventually offers him £450,000 cash, giving him the choice of taking the money or staying, proving that he loves her. Michael does not take the money but calls Janine twisted, saying she will leave their daughter twisted too. Janine begins to doubt herself as a mother and decides to leave Michael and Scarlett. Michael struggles to cope with his daughter and the business, but later discovers Janine has shut the business down and ceased trading. Michael bonds with Scarlett and is a responsible father, hiring

Alice Branning Alice Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jasmyn Banks. Alice is the daughter of Derek Branning ( Jamie Foreman). She made her first appearance on 10 May 2012. The character and casting was annou ...

( Jasmyn Banks) as a babysitter. Alice develops an attraction to Michael, and Janine returns several months later, saying she wants sole custody of Scarlett. She manipulates Michael into giving her custody and refuses to let him see Scarlett. Alice works for Janine as Scarlett's nanny, and Michael uses Alice's attraction to manipulate her into letting him see Scarlett. Janine finds out and leaves Walford with Scarlett, so Michael angrily blames Alice but when she states that he is angry because he has no control over anything or anyone, he once again manipulates Alice by kissing her. They have sex after she reveals she is a virgin. However, the next day he coldly tells Alice that he does not love her and that their fling meant nothing, deeply hurting Alice's feelings. This leads to Alice's brother

Joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horac ...

(

David Witts David Peter S. Witts (born 30 June 1991) is a British actor and model, best known for his portrayal of Joey Branning in the long-running British television soap opera, ''EastEnders'', in which he appeared from 2012 to 2013. Early life Witts a ...

) punching Michael in The Queen Vic. Michael then has a one-night stand with Kat, who is vulnerable after Alfie tells her he wants a divorce. Janine returns to Walford with Scarlett and she and Michael agree to be civil when Scarlett is nearly injured while they are arguing. When Janine tells Michael she wants to change Scarlett's last name to Butcher, he pins her up against the wall and puts his hands around her neck, so she has an injunction taken out, stopping him from seeing Scarlett. Michael manipulates Alice, who is Scarlett's nanny again, telling her that he loves her, and they have sex again. He persuades her to carry on as normal when they are not alone, including continuing her relationship with Tamwar Masood (

Himesh Patel Himesh Jitendra Patel (born 13 October 1990) is a British actor, musician, and singer. He is known for portraying Tamwar Masood on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 2007 to 2016, for starring in the 2019 musical romantic comedy film '' Y ...

). He decides to kill Janine, so steals her credit card and orders sleeping tablets from the internet, planning to crush them up to put in her drink, telling Alice that they can be a family with Scarlett in Morocco. Alice decides to drug Janine's drink for Michael so he does not break his injunction, but realises that Michael has given a lethal dosage, so does not go through with it and confronts Michael, kneeing him in the groin. When she returns, she says she contemplated telling the police but instead vows to help Michael kill Janine. The next day, Michael invites Janine to meet him at The Queen Vic, so that Alice can babysit, and plant the pills. Alice goes to Janine's, and later Michael finds her at home with blood on her hands. He goes to Janine's house but finds her alive. She reveals that she and Alice have lured him into a trap where he will be framed for attempting to kill Janine. She calls the police and following several arguments, Alice arrives. Michael tries to manipulate Alice further, who tells him to run away, but when he discovers that Scarlett is locked in her room so he cannot see her, he tries to throttle Janine again. Alice stabs Michael in the back to stop him, and then she answers the door to the police. Michael and Janine both try to grab the knife, but Janine gets it first and stabs Michael again, killing him. However, Alice believes she killed him. Janine lies in her police statement, saying that Alice attacked both her and Michael, and Alice is charged with murder. Eventually, Janine is arrested, but she and Alice are both found not guilty of murder.

Casting and characterisation

Shepherd's casting in the role of Michael was announced on 28 July 2010. Shepherd said of his casting: "I can vividly remember watching the first ever episode of ''EastEnders'' and I'm very excited to be joining such a fantastic and iconic programme. Michael Moon will be an exciting character to play". Executive producer

Bryan Kirkwood Bryan Kirkwood (born 1976) is a British television producer. He was the producer of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2006 until 2009, and was the executive producer of the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from 2010 until 2012. He returned as ...

explained that he had been a fan of Shepherd for many years, adding: "He's a fantastic signing for ''EastEnders'', an exciting addition to the Moon family, and is set to cause a big splash in

Albert Square 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 ...

from the moment he arrives." Shepherd's contract was a long-running negotiation and he received confirmation whilst filming '' Waking the Dead''. His first appearance on screen was on 1 October 2010. Michael is described as a competitive and manipulative risk-taker who lives dangerously, and a charmer with an eye for the ladies, but he is willing to stab anyone in the back. Shepherd said that "on the surface he's a loveable, cheeky chappy, but underneath he has hidden depths which will be exciting to explore." Shepherd opined that viewers would be unlikely to vote for him in polls such as 'sexiest male' because his character is "duplicitous": "I think viewers tend to fall in love with the character you play, and if they go for a duplicitous rogue, I'd be very surprised!" He told ''

What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compet ...

'' that Michael can be mercenary and has a cruel streak, but "there's darkness and light to him, really. Some moments you can see him being really quite cruel and then the next he can be quite compassionate and thoughtful." He told ''We Love Telly'' that " ichaeltakes pride in the way he dresses and he's always been quite successful with the ladies." Daniel Kileklly from Digital Spy called Michael "enigmatic", and said he has a nasty side. Kirkwood compared Michael to Ronnie and Roxy's father,

Archie Mitchell Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Larry Lamb. He first appeared on 8 July 2008 as a newest member of the Mitchell family—who had first appeared on the soap in 1990� ...

(

Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series '' Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series ...

), saying they approach life and treat people in similar ways. The ''EastEnders'' website additionally calls Michael a "sinister", "flashy" and "jealous" man who "wouldn't think twice about screwing people over—even those he loves". It continues to read: "Michael possesses all the charming characteristics of his loveable rogue of a cousin Alfie, a cheeky-chappy with a silver tongue and an eye for the ladies, but with a more sinister and cruel streak. Michael is a serial womaniser and with a string of broken hearts and failed marriages behind him, he’s got the track record to prove it. Whenever he needs a port in a storm, there’s a girl he knows that will put him up for a night, a week or more." The ''

London Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' dubbed Moon as the "Albert Square

"; Shepherd has described the character as a "functioning psychopath".

Storyline development

Michael leaves Walford when he is rejected by Kat. When Alfie sees Kat kissing Michael, he feels embarrassed and shocked, but also concerned about Alfie and Kat's marriage, which Shepherd said shows a new side to Michael. After going on a date with Roxy, Shepherd said that Michael likes her no-nonsense, feisty nature and her wild side, adding that they make a good couple. Kirkwood said that "Roxy's a little girl lost and Michael could be the worst possible man for her. But how long will it take her to realise that?" On 24 January 2011, it was announced that

had joined the cast as Michael's father,

Eddie Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology *Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle * Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...

, with whom Michael has a "fractured relationship". Shepherd said that Eddie's arrival will allow the reasons behind Michael's behaviour and his personality to be explored. Shepherd explained that animosity between Michael and Eddie exists because of "something dark and it's still very raw for Michael. It's made him the person he is today. It's why he is so damaged. And dangerous." He added that Eddie's return would stir up bad memories which could have a "damaging effect on Michael's relationships with the people around him". It was announced on the 10 May 2011 that Michael's half brothers were being introduced; Tony Discipline playing

, and

playing

. Kirkwood said, "The Moon clan are on their way to becoming an established family in the Square." It was revealed by '' Inside Soap'' that the rift between the two is because Michael's mother committed suicide and Michael found her body but he is convinced that Eddie killed her. In May 2011, it was reported that Michael would develop an obsession with

(

) and start to stalk her, with scenes including him sneaking into her bedroom to watch her sleep and going through her underwear drawer. It was also reported that Michael would spread lies about Ronnie, and ask Roxy to wear the same perfume as her sister. A source told the '' Daily Star'', "Everyone knows Michael has a mean streak but he is set to get a whole lot worse. He's trying to meddle in as many people's lives as possible. It seems he wants Ronnie all to himself. But what exactly is he up to?" The storyline was reportedly filmed in May 2011. Speaking of Ronnie's dislike of Michael, Shepherd said "He can't work out why Ronnie doesn't like him, so he assumes she must fancy him." Upon the reintroduction of

, it is revealed that Michael and Derek have clashed in the past. Speaking to ''Inside Soap'', Shepherd promised that he will continue to "oppose" Derek. He commented: "It's already been alluded to that Derek and Michael didn't get along in the past. The true extent of Derek's emotional and physical bullying of Michael still hasn't been revealed, but Michael's well aware of how unpleasant he is. Derek's a nasty piece of work." Asked whether Michael will "settle the score" with Derek, Shepherd replied: "Absolutely! Michael holds grudges and doesn't forget anything. He has a bad feeling that the Brannings will become too powerful in Walford if Derek continues to ride roughshod over everyone, so he's definitely in Michael's sights. We can expect these two to clash, that's for sure." After Janine becomes pregnant with Michael's child, their relationship has seemed to be smoother. Shepherd revealed to '' Inside Soap'' that their relationship is set to get "rockier" in the coming weeks. He commented: "The relationship is going to get very fraught and rocky—mountainous, actually. I gather that Janine has made a habit of killing off her husbands, so Michael will have to keep one eye open where she's concerned!" Discussing Michael and Janine's connection, he continued: "They both have this 'black dog' that follows them around—it's a darkness. They share similar histories with family dysfunction, so he knows why Janine is so unpredictable and uneven. He sees himself in Janine." Shepherd also joked about how Michael and Janine's child might cope with having such twisted parents. He added: "I pity Michael and Janine's baby! How would I rate his skills as a father? Quite low. Imagine Michael changing a nappy! But he sees this as a chance to redeem himself." Shepherd explained why his character starts to turn against his friend Jack Branning in early 2012. It was earlier reported that Michael will discover that Jack has forged Roxy's signature in order to get their daughter Amy and then shares this information with Roxy. Asked whether Michael is worried about betraying Jack, Shepherd commented: "No, as Michael doesn't like Jack's attitude towards Derek. Derek has come in and assumed the role as head of the Branning family. He's bossing everyone around and he's committing all sorts of low-level crime. Michael is galled by this. He also doesn't want the Brannings to be too powerful on the Square." Discussing his character's twisted personality, he continued: "I like his complexity and I do enjoy playing him. I feel very fortunate to be able to explore his darkness. There's a lot more territory to cover too, so I'm looking forward to that. People have taken to him as well—but one woman I met once did scream at me!" Even though Janine's pregnancy has brought Janine and Michael closer, Shepherd had revealed that it will not last.

Investment fraud

In April 2012, it was announced that

(

) would form an unlikely relationship with Michael. Michael seizes this opportunity to trick Jean into giving him a large sum of money. Michael tells Jean, that because one of the suspects for the murder of

Heather Trott Heather Trott (also Peterson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Cheryl Fergison. She made her first appearance on 26 June 2007. The character was introduced as a guest character, but later became a regula ...

(

Cheryl Fergison Cheryl Fergison (born 27 August 1965) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Heather Trott in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' a role in which she starred in from 2007 until 2012. Career After training at Rose Bruford ...

) had a large sum of money, the police could easily target Jean as an additional suspect. Jean gives her scratch card winnings consisting of £8000 to Michael so he can invest it into his gym, but in fact Michael plans to use it to pay for his wedding to

(

). Michael, seeing that Jean is an easy target, decides to con her again by asking her for a second investment by "lending" him

's (

) savings. Even though Jean is initially reluctant at first, she hands over the VAT money for

. Shepherd expressed his excitement for forthcoming storylines for his character Michael and Wright's character Jean. Speaking to ''

All About Soap ''All About Soap'' was a fortnightly UK magazine founded in October 1999. It was released on Tuesdays. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia, including '' EastEnders'', '' Cor ...

'', Shepherd said: "We are building up to something, but I don't know what the pay-off is. It'll be a real crescendo and the thing with Jean becomes extremely intense. It's a bubbling cauldron." Shepherd later confessed that Michael doesn't care if Janine finds out where the money is coming from. He added: "He balances the risk he might be thrown out of the relationship against the benefits and decides it's worth the gamble." Wright has said that viewers are "protective" of Jean and that Michael's scam against Jean has led to people supporting her. Wright told '' Inside Soap'': "It's funny how protective the viewers are of Jean," she said. "The other night, I was putting the bins out and a woman screeched up in her car, wound the window down and said, 'Don't give him the money! He's a git!' I thought that was very sweet." Shepherd later said on 24 May 2012 that Michael is playing a "dangerous game" as his scam intensifies. Wright later reassured viewers that Jean will fight back against Michael and will not remain a victim. Wright commented: "This tory isquite special, I think - it's the longest one I've ever had, but also it's taking advantage of someone with bipolar and making them feel like they are losing the plot - that's a tough story." Wright also said that the storyline is a "huge responsibility". It was later revealed in 2012 that Jean will become an unlikely Ally to Michael after she urges him not to make a terrible mistake. Wright said that she is thrilled that Jean is standing up for herself as the storyline continues. Speaking on '' This Morning'', Wright said: "Jean is a victim and the storyline is about a victim, I suppose. utI didn't want it to be played as a victim. So I'm looking for any opportunity for her to seize her own power. Sometimes that might be the smallest thing, like breaking into somebody's house and searching. That's a big thing - hiding under a table is a big thing!"

Departure

In March 2013, it was announced that Shepherd had decided to leave ''EastEnders'' after three years. The actor explained that he felt it was time to move on from the show and that he had "relished every minute" of exploring Michael. He added "I feel extremely privileged to have had this amazing experience and want to thank everybody — most importantly the fans of the show — for taking Michael and his numerous flaws into their hearts." Shepherd filmed his final scenes the following month. On 25 August 2013, Susan Hill from the '' Daily Star'' reported that Michael would be killed off, following "a bitter custody battle" with Janine.

Reception

Michael was called "creepy and a bit slimy" by a writer for website

Holy Soap Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas '' Home and Away'' and '' Neighbours'', which are broadcast ...

. In May 2011, Shepherd was nominated in the Best Soap Newcomer category at the 2011 TV Choice Awards for his portrayal of Michael. Kate White of ''Inside Soap'' praised the character, saying "Darling 'Midnight Michael'...how we love your crazy schemes, oddball ways and eccentric comments. And now you've knocked up Janine, the possibilities are endless. Lots, lots more in 2012, please!" Shepherd admitted that playing a villain has made him unpopular with viewers. He said that one woman screamed at him and a child hid behind her mother and would not speak. He commented: "It was quite upsetting, but the flip side is that they clearly believe in the drama."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Moon, Michael EastEnders characters Fictional characters with psychiatric disorders Television characters introduced in 2010 Fictional businesspeople Fictional con artists Fictional murdered people Fictional stalkers Male villains Fictional criminals in soap operas Male characters in television