Paul J. Medford is a British actor and performer of Barbadian descent. He is best known for playing the role of Kelvin Carpenter in the BBC soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' from the show's inception in 1985 to 1987. He has since appeared in numerous

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

, including a long stage show '' Five Guys Named Moe''.

Career

Medford attended the Barbara Speake Stage School and the Italia Conti Academy for ten years. He appeared in several feature films and television programmes, including '' Return of the Saint'' (1978) and ''

The Professionals A professional is someone who is skilled in a profession. Professional or professionals may also refer to: * Professional sports Music *The Professionals (band), a British punk rock band formed in 1979 * ''The Professionals'' (The Professionals ...

'' (1983). In 1985 Medford became one of the original cast of the BBC's new soap opera, ''EastEnders''. He played Kelvin, the son of Tony Carpenter ( Oscar James), for over two years. During his stint on ''EastEnders'' Medford managed minor musical chart success with fellow "EastEnder"

Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again f ...

, who played

Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Juli ...

. A song penned for the pair as part of a plotline in the show prompted them to release a single entitled " Something Outa Nothing", which made number 12 in the UK singles chart in November 1986. Kelvin was one of the more popular characters in the show's early years and Medford remained in the serial following the departures of all of his on-screen family. He eventually quit the role in 1987 in order to follow his ambition of becoming a singer/dancer. Medford is a trained singer with a "high baritone" range and his dancing repertoire includes tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary and Latin. Following his departure from ''EastEnders'', Medford found success on stage. He has appeared in several

musicals, including '' The Lion King'' as Banzai the Hyena; as Little Mo in ''Five Guys Named Moe''; as Fitzroy in ''The Queen And I'' and as Hud in ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...

'' among others. Medford earned a

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

nomination in 1991 for Best Actor in the

Musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

''Five Guys Named Moe'' and in 1995 he received the Society of Black Arts Achievement Award. He played Mr. Beauregarde in ''

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a musical based on the 1964 children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, with book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Directed by Sam Mendes, the musical ...

'' at Drury Lane in May 2013. Medford's other television credits include: '' This Life'' (1997), '' Invasion: Earth'' (1998); '' Casualty'' (2003) and as the presenter 'Blake Wordsworth' in the children's BBC programme ''

The Story Makers ''The Story Makers'' is an educational children's television programme that was broadcast on the BBC's pre-school digital television network, CBeebies as well as being one of the launch programmes for the channel. ''The Story Makers'' is set in ...

'' (2004). Medford was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical by whatsonstage.com in 2010. In June 2019, Medford was named Vice President of Unscripted, Current Series at Nickelodeon.

References

Bibliography

* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995''. Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 369.

External links

*
Agency Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medford, Paul J. English male soap opera actors English male musical theatre actors English male child actors English people of Barbadian descent Living people Male actors from London Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts BBC Records artists Year of birth missing (living people)