They ANSWER!
Matthew Morrison EastEnders’ Felix Baker
“Can you tell us what your favourite scene is?”
EastEnders’ Felix, aka Tara Misu, is a force to be reckoned with on Albert Square! But can star Matthew channel his alter ego as he faces down your tough questions?
“What is your favourite scene that you’ve filmed?”
In terms of intensity, I enjoyed the scene where Felix stands up for Zack when people are reacting to him being HIV positive. But also, any scene I’ve done with Tameka [Empson, aka Kim]. We did the Coronation episode together – it was hilarious! We did it in one take and I Only Want To Be With You ended up in my top five songs of the year.
“You shared an iconic scene with Phil last year. What was it like going up against Steve McFadden?”
When I got the script, I was bricking it because I hadn’t really worked with Steve before! But he did this amazing thing where he came to me a few days before we started shooting to discuss the scene. I think what he was trying to do was make me feel comfortable, because he knows what it feels like. And shooting it was really, really fun to do! It was nerve-wracking, but it needn’t have been because Steve is such a lovely guy.
“You performed on Britain
Get Singing with some Walford legends. How was that?”
The best part for me was spending time with each and every one of them. We all spent a long weekend together in Manchester and got to know each other really well. Angela [Wynter, aka Yolande] was making me laugh for days, and it further cemented my relationship with Clair Norris, who plays Bernie]. I remember ringing my mum after rehearsal and saying, “I feel so good!” I was just happy to be there.
“And how was it performing in front of will.i.am, Adam Lambert, Alesha Dixon and Jonathan Ross?”
It was a bit nerve-wracking. I think I’ve sort of blocked it out of my head slightly! But it was great to do something like that. Growing up, I used to be in a choir at church and I think, for mental health, community and forming relationships with people, singing is a gorgeous way to do it. It was heart-warming stuff…
“How would you sum up Felix’s and Bernie’s relationship?”
It got off to a rocky start. He was a bit mean and quite snappy towards Bernie at first, but now they’re thick as thieves! And I’m losing the line between reality and the actual show because I love Clair to pieces in real life. It’s a ‘lean on me’ type of relationship where two people are family, even though they’re not blood-related.
“Can you give us one thing you admire about Felix? And one thing you admire about Tara?”
I think what I really admire about Felix is that he is unapologetically proud of who he is. He doesn’t make himself smaller and he doesn’t make people feel smaller – he just is who he is. I think Tara’s an extension of that.
“Is there anyone on the Square you’d like to see Felix romantically involved with?”
Not particularly. I’m not opposed to him having a relationship, but I like that he’s not defined by that. I like to think that Felix goes out very frequently and has lots of interesting relationships with lots of different people. In my head, maybe he’s a bit scared to settle down with someone. But does he want that? Is that something he’s into? I enjoy the fact that he seems happy as he is.
“You’ve done a lot of short films and theatre performances – what’s been your favourite?”
I really enjoyed the performance I did in a short film called Nothing Special. It entered the short festival circuit, and I went to watch it – even though I always hate watching myself act on screen. I also did The Importance Of Being Earnest. I loved how fun and absurd that role was. I think that’s what theatre should be about – shining a light and having fun times. Of course, deep and dark is essential, but that show was just a blessing.
“What do you enjoy getting up to when you’re not filming?”
When the weather is nice, I enjoy going on long walks and listening to podcasts. That’s my thing at the moment. I listen to Off The Telly with Joanna Page and Natalie [Cassidy, who plays Sonia], The Rest Is Entertainment, The News Agents… What podcasts don’t I listen to?!
“Is there a dream storyline you have in mind for Felix?”
I always flit between whether I want it to be something joyful, or something with high drama and intensity!
“What do you most admire about Tara?”