Blast from the past with Harry Reid
As former Eastenders star Harry Reid takes to the stage, he knows Albert Square will never be too far away…
Last time we saw Ben Mitchell, he was legging it from Calais ferry port with a wad of cash in his pocket and no immediate plans to return to Walford. And while actor Harry Reid – who played him – has admitted that Ben’s departure wasn’t his decision, he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Having joined the cast of London stage production Witness For The Prosecution playing the accused Leonard Vole, Harry has shaken off Ben’s demons – and is feeling at home as he treads the boards…
“Every night when I leave this place, I’m buzzing,” he grins, as we chat on the play’s impressive County Hall stage set. “There’s always a level of nerves because we all care about the audience enjoying it. But we’re a tight company, and we look after each other. It’s a very exciting time, and I’m really happy!”
As the play’s pivotal character, Leonard faces judge and jury every single evening – and Harry has worked hard to make the Agatha Christie character his own.
“I was very particular about Leonard’s look,” reveals the 25-year-old, who took over the role of Ben from Joshua Pascoe in 2014. “When I was at Eastenders, Ben was crying or angry a lot of the time, whereas Leonard is a sweet, charming guy – and we’ve given him the look to match. A curly ‘Teddy Boy’ hairstyle, no more glasses, and a quirkier physicality – which are all nice things to play with.”
With Leonard standing accused of murder, there are some similarities that he and convicted killer Ben do share. But Harry reckons his former alter ego would be no match for Leonard in the dock…
“Ben would never get away with anything in this court – he’d be destroyed!” chuckles the actor. “The way the prosecutor goes for Leonard, Ben would jump out of the dock and go for him – and that would be that! He just wouldn’t be able to contain himself. Ben could knock him out – but Leonard has the will and the discipline he lacks.”
Having played Phil Mitchell’s troubled son for over three years, Harry has wasted no time in moving on to this new project. And the actor credits his Walford co-stars with helping to make the major transition so smooth.
“I had so many good mentors at
Eastenders,” enthuses Harry. “Linda Henry [Shirley], Steve Mcfadden [Phil], Letitia Dean [Sharon], Perry Fenwick [Billy] – the list goes on. They’ve all helped to bring me to this point. They were always there to offer advice, and they’re excited for me to go on and do my stuff. But now I’m a grown man, I have to deal with things in my own way. I hope a few of my old cast mates will make it to see the show, though – as long as they behave themselves!”
While he conquers theatreland, Harry admits that he hasn’t quite left Ben behind yet. And wherever his Walford character might be, Harry is grateful that it’s not six feet under…
“I do miss Ben because he’ll always be a massive part of me – he was my first big role, and such an exciting one to play,” shares the star. “But I’d miss him a whole lot more if he was dead! Because I know there’s a chance he could be brought back one day, it’s not a problem. Ben’s still out there somewhere, and that’s the most important thing!”