Zack Morris
“My mum tells me off when she watches Keegan misbehaving!”
We’d cross to the other side of the street if we saw troublemaker Keegan coming our way – but that’s the complete opposite of how we feel when we meet charming Zack Morris on the
Eastenders set! The star is genuinely one of the nicest guys Inside Soap has had the pleasure of interviewing; if anything, he’s sweetly shy as we set about grilling him. There’s a lot of ground to cover, given how central Keegan has been to the show’s recent teenage bullying story. At times it’s been difficult to watch, but as Zack explains, it’s a sad reflection of what can happen in schools today…
“I think everyone knows a Keegan to some extent,” shares the 18-year-old star. “Maybe not to the max, but some elements of him. I went to a normal
comprehensive school, and we did have a few characters like him.
“I’ve never been bullied personally, though I have seen aspects of it,” adds Zack. “About three times it happened in my school where I knew some people – boys and girls – who had pictures sent around. It’s horrible, and in doing this storyline we’re showing the younger generation that there are consequences.”
Keegan circulated intimate images of Bex at Walford High, but sadly it doesn’t sound as if the incident will encourage him to change his ways.
“I feel like Keegan needs to get his comeuppance, and it’s going to take a big character to put him in his place,” reckons Zak. “He had a little bit of grief with Denise when she slapped him, but Keegan took her to court and got money out of her! I think he needs a strong man to show him what’s right and wrong, like Shakil has with his brother Kush.”
We still know little about Keegan’s upbringing, so could this be the perfect opportunity for Walford bosses to introduce the rest of his family?
“That would be nice, but I honestly don’t know,” insists the actor. “When I first joined Eastenders, I explained to my parents that it’s like working for the CIA! It’s just so secretive [about storylines], and we don’t get told a lot. I only found out that Alexandra and Madison were new characters after reading it in my script.” Keegan’s background could be the key to explaining why he’s such a bad lad and improve his reputation with viewers. So far the terrible teen hasn’t made the best impression, but Zak isn’t too fazed by the negative reception that his character has received. “It was to be expected, really,” he nods. “I knew from the get-go that Keegan was going to get quite a bit of hate. On social media people tell me that Keegan’s horrible and they hate him! But, I’ve had other people say that I’m a great actor and I’m playing the character well. The ones that have stopped me in the street have been nice, too. I don’t feel I’ve had major grief.” However, there’s one person in the actor’s life who isn’t going to let him off the hook quite so easily…
“When my mum tunes in and Keegan is misbehaving, she’ll look at me and go, ‘Oh, you sod’!” laughs Zack. “It’s funny!”
We can tell from the star’s cheeky grin that he’s lapping up every minute of his time at but that the attention hasn’t gone to his head.
“I’m still the same person, it’s just my circumstances that have changed,” says Zack. “I still live at home, have the same mates, go to college and live a normal life. It keeps me grounded, and I think that’s the best way to be. No one wants to work with someone who is all big-headed and horrible.”
As Zack leaves us to attend a photo shoot for the show’s publicity team, we’re quick to compliment him on what a lovely young man he is. He does let us in on an amusing secret, though, by admitting that he wasn’t a total angel when he was at school…
“I wasn’t particularly naughty, but I wasn’t really good, either,” he grins mischievously. “I was nothing like Keegan, but I had quite a few arguments with teachers trying to get my point across in lessons. If I thought I was in the right about whatever we were discussing, I was right!”
I think everyone knows a Keegan to some extent