EastEnders actor Danny Dyer has praised screen son Sam Strike, who announced his exit from the BBC1 soap today.
Speaking about the acclaimed scene from earlier this year when Strike's character Johnny came out as gay to dad Mick, Dyer said to RadioTimes.com:
"For him, as an actor, that was a turning point. Acting isn't all about speaking. It's also about listening and reacting. And, in that scene, he got such a huge amount of emotion across without speaking. I had most of the dialogue, but he went toe to toe with me. He's a very good actor."
Summing up his year on the Square and the support he's received from he's co-stars, Dyer added: "I'm really thankful that I got to appear alongside Kellie Bright, Maddy Hill and Sam Strike when the Carters took over at the Vic. It's fate or whatever. And I love them dearly. They've inspired me as an actor. It's a beautiful thing being the landlord of the Queen Vic. It's a joy every day."
Sam Strike took to Twitter this morning to thank fans and pay tribute to his screen family. In two separate tweets, the 20-year-old wrote:
Thanks for all the love this year guys. Means the world. Decided to bow out. couldn't have done it without you all . thanks @bbceastenders.
— Sam Strike (@SamStrike) November 14, 2014
And then followed it up with:
And of course tremendous love to my Carter family . True love
— Sam Strike (@SamStrike) November 14, 2014
EastEnders bosses are remaining tight-lipped on how the character of Johnny will exit Walford, but Strike has already finished filming at the show’s set in Elstree.
Commenting today, an EastEnders spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Sam will be leaving EastEnders. We wish him all the best for the future."
