Keanu and Sharon are discovered!
As Sharon and his alter ego battle with their feelings, Danny Walters tells us why he believes in the power of love…
“Keanu sees how beautiful Sharon is – she brings out his positive side”
The more Sharon and Keanu try to resist one another, the more they end up falling back into each other’s arms…” sighs Danny Walters, who plays Keanu, as he joins us for a chat before starting work. It’s a classic tale of forbidden passion for Walford’s hottest couple, whose unexpected romance has been going down a storm with delighted viewers. However, while the countdown’s on for a corking face-off, should Phil find out that his wife has fallen hook, line and sinker for a much younger bloke, Danny reckons Keanu is currently too besotted to care…
The connection between Sharon and Keanu is sizzling, Danny! But when you found out Keanu and Sharon would be getting it on, how do you prepare for that?
Well, I just had to embrace it! Working with Letitia Dean [aka Sharon] has given me the opportunity to learn a lot – but it’s also meant that we’ve been able to make an amazing storyline together. I knew Letitia and I would create great chemistry on camera – and we have!
How did you feel about the story when you first heard about it?
I felt very lucky to have such a great storyline with such a great cast member. The more we’ve delved into it, the more we’re finding out why Keanu and Sharon make such a good match.
What’s it been like to work so closely with Letitia?
We’d only had the odd scene together before, so this was my first opportunity to get to know her better. As the scenes have got more intimate, we’ve grown as friends, and that’s really important, to have that trust between fellow actors. We’re great friends now, and that helps for any worries or anxieties we might have. She knows what she’s doing, and we’re both feeling really comfortable.
Is it true love between them?
Keanu is madly in love with Sharon! Whether or not he’s got his head in the clouds, he wants to make his life work with her – he sees her as someone who’s a potential partner. He’s smitten!
What is it about Sharon that Keanu has fallen for?
He sees how beautiful she is, and she brings out his positive side. Keanu is a grafter, he provides for the family, but where everyone kind of takes him for granted, Sharon gives him that attention. And vice versa – Sharon is missing something in her own relationship that Keanu is providing, and there’s a real connection there.
Are you looking forward to a showdown between Keanu and Phil, should he find out?
Working with Steve Mcfadden [who plays Phil] is amazing, so anything
I get to do with him, whether it’s small or big, passive or massively dramatic, I’m willing to embrace it all!
It’s too early to say if it’ll happen, but if Keanu is smart – which he can be! – then he’ll try his best to keep any secret hidden. But it would be a great episode if the two of them had a face-off…
Is Keanu at all worried?
He’s not paid too much attention to the repercussions of his actions yet.
Love is blind, and you don’t think about the consequences. He’s so emotionally invested in Sharon, he’s not thinking logically. Once he gets his head straight, he might start thinking differently.
Sharon and Keanu’s relationship is in jeopardy this week, as Sharon receives a text from an unknown number, claiming to know their secret. While Keanu tries to reassure Sharon, it’s clear that they’ve definitely been found out by someone – so will that someone go public? The paranoia soon becomes too much for Sharon – who feels she has no choice but to call it off with devastated Keanu…
How concerned are Keanu and Sharon about someone having found out about their affair?
At this point Sharon is highly worried, because she has a lot to lose – her family, her home… Phil is a dangerous man. Keanu is just as worried, and it’s a big test for the two of them, of how much they care for each other.
Keanu must be pretty gutted when Sharon ends things…
He’s been constantly confused because of the way she’s hot and cold with him. He doesn’t really know where he stands, or what she feels for him.
What’s been the reaction from viewers about the storyline?
I haven’t really looked on social media or anything, but hopefully they’re enjoying Sharon and Keanu’s fun side. Keanu sparks something in Sharon that we’ve not seen in a long time – Phil has kept her from having fun, I feel. We’re also seeing a side of Keanu we’ve not seen before! So I think it’s going well.
Have you been able to watch back their steamy scenes?
I try to watch those alone – as it’s very awkward to watch with my parents or my partner! They know I’m playing a character, of course, but they also know not to wind me up because I don’t take it too well [laughs]! I don’t always watch my stuff because I’m my biggest critic. However, I catch up when I can.
You’ve had a big year this year – you won Best Newcomer in the NTAS – what difference has that made to you, day to day?
It’s not changed me in the way that
I’m still grafting away to create a story, develop the character – I was doing that before. It’s an amazing feeling, so I’m just carrying on and enjoying it on a daily basis. It’s a very lucky position to be in. There’s not a day I don’t wake up and realise how blessed I am to have won that award. It’s very humbling.
What advice would you give to anyone starting on
Eastenders? Just enjoy it. It’s a roller-coaster ride, and the Eastenders team is so professional, friendly and welcoming. If you work hard and put the time in, the enjoyment you have is amazing!