Gray tries to contain his anger
Toby-alexander Smith talks candidly as he reflects on his alter ego’s turbulent first year in Walford – and hints at what’s to come for the Atkins’ troubled marriage…
There is no excusing the fact that Walford’s Gray is a dangerous and violent man, as he continues to shock Eastenders viewers with his appalling behaviour towards wife Chantelle, in the soap’s hard-hitting domestic abuse plot.
However, we’re relieved to report that the charming and handsome Toby-alexander Smith, who plays him, couldn’t be lovelier in real life. So much so that, when Inside Soap meets him for the first time on the red carpet of our recent awards ceremony – where Toby is rocking a dashing suit, we might add – we’re instantly smitten…
“It’s been pretty intense, hasn’t it?” remarks the star, as we ask him what he’s made of Gray’s time in Albert Square so far. “It was a challenging role to get my head around, and certainly I find it hard to identify with a character like Gray, as anyone would.
“But in terms of trying to understand him as a character, you have to find that humanity,” adds Toby. “It kind of stems from a very toxic influence.”
With Gray having recently learned that Chantelle is pregnant, he’s promised to seek professional help for his anger issues and has begun therapy. But has Gray really turned over a new leaf? We ask Toby that very question, while looking back at his explosive Eastenders debut…
It’s lovely to meet you, Toby! Were you nervous about playing Gray, knowing it would mean filming some very violent scenes?
I was. Jess [Plummer, aka Chantelle] and I knew that those episodes were coming, but we didn’t know when – as to begin with, Eastenders wanted the storyline to be a slow-burner, in terms of what goes on behind closed doors. It was very clever how they did it.
What was your reaction when reading the scripts?
Even though I knew what was coming, it was still a shock. As an actor, I’ve almost had to try to find a way to qualify why Gray was doing it and immerse myself in the part, and that has been difficult to do. What you’ve seen stems back from all the research I’ve done, and working with charities, who have been fantastic. They have really
guided us along the way. It’s such a sensitive storyline, and we’ve wanted to pay due diligence to the people who are suffering – the victims and survivors out there – and we need to call out the real Grays of this world.
What is your understanding of what drives Gray?
He’s not just being abusive for the sake of being abusive – there is a reason that he is the way that he is, and how we move forward is by exploring that. Gray needs to change, there is no choice – he has to change for the sake of his family. However, it’s just whether he can reshape those values that are so wrong.
Do you think Gray can be redeemed?
I don’t know. Gray’s not two-dimensional, and he’s not just an evil villain. He has dark sides to him, but there are many layers that do need to be explored, and it’s going to take time to unravel all the deep dark roots that are inside of him. It’s a very complex situation, and not a black-and-white case of, “Okay, it’s an easy fix, and I’ll change”.
Can you give us any hints about what you’ve been filming recently?
Yes, so for Gray there is a baby on the way, and he is still trying to get better. What’s worrying is that it’s taken something quite intrinsic in terms of having another child to encourage him to get therapy, rather than it being self-motivated. Nevertheless, he’ll have more counselling, and we are going to explore more of the background to why Gray is the way that he is.
Were you braced for a strong public reaction after Gray’s true colours were revealed?
I was intrigued, to be honest. I wanted the audience to be shocked – I think we all did. I guess there was a sense of betrayal, as we’d taken people on this journey of Gray being a perfect, loving husband and father – and then out of nowhere, it was revealed that, actually, he is a very abusive man. So, I think everyone was shocked, and rightfully so. The viewers are calling him out, saying how appalling his behaviour is, and there is a lot of hate for the character, which is good.
Have people accosted you while you’ve been doing your shopping?
Yes, they have! But to be honest, everyone is really lovely, and while I get a lot of, “Leave Chantelle alone!” and things like that, everyone is generally very understanding that we’re just acting and telling a story.
What’s your relationship like with your on-screen wife, Jessica?
Oh, she’s brilliant. The thing is, we had four months to build a really solid friendship before we started this story, which was great for us because with this sort of material there has to be trust. Jess has to feel safe with me – that has to come first, and we have experts on set with us to make sure that everything is done correctly. Jessica and I have a really nice chemistry, in that we’ll finish those scenes and then we’ll go and get a coffee, where we talk about something completely different. It’s nice that we have that friendship.