Rudolph Walker, best known for his role as Patrick Trueman on EastEnders, has now revealed that he was furious at the bosses at one point. The fan-favourite character has been on the show for 23 years, and he once accused soap makers of racism when he was snubbed from the 20th anniversary book two decades ago. Want to know more about it? Keep reading to find out!
Rudolph Walker Was Furious At Soap Bosses, Here’s Why!
The 85-year-old soap legend Rudolph Walker reportedly accused EastEnders bosses of racism after he and his black co-stars were not seen in the show’s 20th anniversary book in 2005. As part ot soap’s 20th milestone, a book was released, and the Patrick actor has now revealed in his new autobiography that he had a word with producers when he was excluded from it – despite being in some of the biggest storylines at the time.
Rudolph has revealed this secret row in his new book, Walking With Dignity. He also wrote about how an ‘angry’ BBC colleague had told him about the book, and he went on to state that co-stars Adam and Shane argued it should’ve been ‘withdrawn and reprinted.’
The famous star also demanded an explanation from showrunner John Yorke, as per The Sun.
He wrote, “I had to have a meeting with him to express my total disgust at the way they conducted their printing/publicity/PR business.”
Patrick actor Rudolph was told that characters with prominent storylines at the time of the book received more coverage, which he argued against. The Miller family, who had not even appeared on the screen yet, was also featured in the anniversary book. He went on to highlight that his on-screen sons, Paul and Anthony, were on the cover and mentioned a little bit in the text elsewhere.
Further Read: Fans Expect A Major Shake As New Soap Boss Joins In!
His book Walking With Dignity reads: “By the end of 2004, I had appeared in 300 episodes over three years and in 2004 had eight ‘doof doofs’. However, this issue was resolved when the bosses blamed an ‘independent editor’ for the book’s lack of black actors. Even after the mishap, the actor appreciated the BBC programme for continuing to bring in characters from more diverse ethnic backgrounds.
The BBC show is prepping for its 40th anniversary next year, and they’re going to celebrate it through a special live episode. We are excited to see what might be coming up, so stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for updates on EastEnders. Don’t forget to share your thoughts on this matter in the comments below.