Coventry Evening Telegraph
May 19, 2001
MAKING a grand exit has become something of a speciality for former soap love-rat Michael French.
He quit EastEnders at the height of his fame as irresistible rogue David Wicks and then caused heartbreak when he called it a day on playing top heart doc Nick Jordan in Holby City.
Theatre work has tempted him away from the small screen ever since, but fans will soon see him back on TV in, not one, but two top dramas.
He will shortly be joining former Dangerfield star Nigel Havers as partners in crime in a new version of Raffles called The Gentleman Thief and also stars next Thursday alongside Denis Lawson in BBC 1 film The Fabulous Bagel Boys.
It sees him playing a cop working in Glasgow’s lively Jewish community with the action centred around a deli.
“I filmed them back to back. I did The Gentleman Thief first and then The Bagel Boys. The latter is definitely one of those quirky things that leaves you wondering what it’s going to be,” says Michael with a quick smile. “It was great to do.”
The musicals first launched Michael on his showbiz career. The son of a East End greengrocer made his professional acting debut in Godspell and went on to appear in West Side Story and Les Miserables before joining EastEnders in 1993.
He quickly became a favourite with soap fans for his flair with the fairer sex and thousands jammed the TV switchboards when he announced he was quitting.
Soap fame thrust Michael into the public spotlight and sat uneasily with his desire for privacy. Nowadays he keeps his personal life under wraps and he is keen that people judge him on his work alone.
Sci-fi adventure series Crime Traveller followed his departure from Albert Square, but he says now it was a mistake to go into another TV drama so quickly.
“I don’t like to work 52 weeks a year,” he says passionately. “I like to spend time with my friends and travelling abroad. It allows you to come to each job fresh and new and not tired. I left EastEnders and did Crime Traveller right away and was exhausted. I learned my lesson there … don’t get involved in too many things.
He is hoping his partnership with Nigel Havers in the forthcoming Raffles TV special may develop into a series and says the period drama has the potential to become very big.
“It’s entertaining and designed for mass appeal. I think it will be a good romp,” says the 37-year-old actor. “It was such fun to film and I’d love to do more.”
Michael takes his acting career very seriously and says working with the likes of Havers and Denis Lawson is a real treat for him.
“I just want to learn and get better and it’s a joy to work with actors with such a wealth of experience,” he says seriously. “It’s also great to be doing such different roles. I love the fact that you never know what’s going to be round the corner in this game.”
He gives a heart-stealing smile worthy of David Wicks and declares: “One minute you’re solving crime and the next you’re stealing jewellery. It’s fantastic.”
