Blast from the Past! Eastenders’ Tony Discipline (Tyler)
Former Albert Square star Tony Discipline went from running riot in Walford to running his own business…
As the younger cousins of Alfie Moon, brothers Tyler and Anthony were brought into Eastenders with great fanfare when they pitched up in 2011. The same can’t be said of their departures, however, after a change in the soap’s producer led to their low-key exits two years later.
But there are no hard feelings, as actor Tony Discipline – who played
Tyler – tells us he’s still ‘over the moon’ to be part of Walford’s alumni…
“When I got the call for Eastenders it was like winning the lottery,” beams the star. “I was working at Billingsgate Fish Market in the day and going to acting classes at night. It was surreal to go from selling sea bass to being stopped in the street and asked for a picture!”
As cheeky Tyler, Tony’s job was to flirt with as many Square ladies as possible – which resulted in the actor getting his fair share of attention from smitten fans.
“I was sent a few saucy pictures, shall we say!” blushes Tony, who dated his co-star Jacqueline Jossa – aka Lauren – during his time on the show. “I used to read all my fan mail with my mum, though, so that was interesting!”
Luckily, Tony had someone to take the heat off him in the form of musician and housewives’ favourite David Essex, whom bosses cast to play Tyler and Anthony’s father, Eddie.
“He was probably one of the nicest men I’ve ever met – a real old-school gentleman,” recalls Tony. “It’s funny because I’m learning Spanish at the moment, and the majority of people taking the class are OAPS who travel back and forth to Spain a lot. They all love David Essex, so they’ve asked about him a few times!”
When Tyler sped out of Walford in 2013, he left to work on a cruise ship with Anthony – and Tony made the decision to swap Britain for sunnier shores, too.
“After Eastenders, I ended up living in Los Angeles with Lucien Laviscount [whom fans will remember for playing Ben Richardson in Corrie and Jonah Kirby in Waterloo Road],” says Tony. “When I returned to the UK I knew I wanted to be an actor, but I needed to support myself as I went along.
“At first I was promoting nightclub events, then I started receiving offers from businesses to endorse them on social media. I told a friend about it, and he suggested creating a platform where brands can negotiate with celebs.”
With that, Tony’s company All So Pro was born – and is ticking along nicely. “We have 161 celebrities and 240 brands signed up,” he explains. “I can’t divulge names for privacy reasons, although we are working with Premier League footballers, reality TV stars, actors and musicians. It’s exciting!”
Meanwhile, Tony still has every intention of pursuing his acting career.
“I’ve been concentrating on the business these past couple of years, but I still go to acting classes,” he reveals. “All So Pro will have some new offices soon, so when we’re settled I can hire someone to work for us – and I can go off and do auditions. I’d love to get my teeth into a drama like Broadchurch.”
And if a return to Walford presented itself, would Tony go back to Eastenders?
“Absolutely, 100 per cent,” he admits. “When it was time to leave the show, I didn’t want to go – however, there were no more storylines for Tyler. The best thing to do was have him go off on that cruise, but it’s been a blimmin’ long holiday. I think it’s time he came back!”