Interview with Devon Andersn
Another forumI managed to catch up with EastEnders' Devon Anderson at the end of last week for a quick chat about his character Billie Jackson's ongoing storyline.
Did you make any conscious decisions about what kind of guy Billie would be when he returned?
"Because he'd been away for so long, that decision was really up to [our last boss] Diederick [Santer] and the writers. There's a fair bit of Jackson history there for them, though."
How did they describe Billie to you when you returned?
"They told me he was the smartest Jackson, which isn't saying much! That might have changed slightly now! He's meant to be clever and very much a dark horse - you never know what you're going to get with him."
Were you pleased that the rest of the Jackson clan returned for a brief stint?
"I was well pleased. They came back before me, so technically I was joining them again but it was excellent. Lindsey Coulson is what every young actor should aspire to be. She's fun to work with and makes me laugh every day - she's just brilliant. As a child, you don't notice everyone around you, so it was almost like meeting her for the first time again. I couldn't really remember much from all those years ago, so it's been great sharing stories from back in the day!"
Is it strange to have Bryan as your boss again?
"It was to start off with, but now I see him around all the time! It's great to be working with him again."
Are you looking forward to Shane Richie, Jessie Wallace returning and and Zoe Lucker joining?
"Definitely. I wasn't here when Shane and Jessie were in the show, so I'm excited because I always used to watch it when they were in and they were two of my favourite characters. And Zoe Lucker - that's really exciting. I watched her in Footballers' Wives and Tanya Turner was a legend. She's going to have a lot to do with the Jackson-Brannings by all accounts, so I'm looking forward to it. Maybe an older woman for Billie?! Wouldn't that be nice!"
At the end of last year, 22-year-old Devon Anderson reprised his childhood role as Billie Jackson in EastEnders after a 12-year break from the soap. Since his comeback, Billie quickly fell for his sister Bianca's adoptive daughter Whitney and the pair embarked on a whirlwind romance, much to his mother Carol's dismay. Their happiness, however, has been marred not only by Carol but by the presence of Billie's estate mates from Balham. Following this week's dramatic shooting, in which his Uncle Jack is left fighting for his life, Billie makes a drastic decision about his future. We recently gave Devon a call to chat about his return to Walford, his screen romance and his unlikely career path.
You've been back for a while now - what's it been like settling back in?
"It's been really good. It's been like coming back home to an old family. I've been away for a good few years and they welcomed me back with open arms. It's been great."
Was it easy to find your inner Billie Jackson again?
"Yeah! I am Billie Jackson! When a child comes into a show, you can't give them a character, so anything that was created for Billie was by me in the early days. Nobody knows Billie like me!"
The Billie and Whitney romance came out of nowhere, didn't it?
"It did! It was like a firework - so quick. When I watched it back, I thought, 'They fell in love pretty quickly!'. It felt like it was a lot longer, though. Whitney's been through a tough time, though, so it's just about her acting her age now. Mentally, Billie's brought Whitney back to how old she's meant to be - everybody's used to seeing her acting older than she is."
Do you think Whitney's 'the one' for Billie?
"She could be - they complement each other really well. Billie needs a fiery woman in his life, having grown up with Carol and Bianca, so he needs to be shouted and told what to do no matter what. Whitney really cares about him, too."
Is there anyone else on the Square you think he could be interested in?
"I don't know really. It'd have to be the fiery type. I think Stacey and Billie would be an interesting mix actually…"
Does Billie completely regret becoming involved with the Balham gang?
"Not straight away. They've been like a family to him. Billie and Carol have been away for quite a few years and I don't think they've seen a lot of Max or Jack or the rest of the family. The Balham gang became his surrogate family. Carol's always telling Billie so many things, he just thinks that she can't be right about everything. The gang told Billie what he needed to hear about how well he could do for himself - massaged his ego a lot of the time."
Diederick said that Billie's story was one about the choices people make - do you think Billie has poor instincts? Or is he just easily led?
"He's definitely easily led - that's his massive flaw. Mentally, he's still a child because Carol's mollycoddled him. The only person that ever cared about him was Carol and I think he's become naïve and sheltered to the real world. Billie's not your average 21-year-old, he's really immature and a bit silly. I think witness protection could have had something to do with it, too."
How's he feeling in the wake of the shooting?
"Pretty guilty - it was his gun and his friend Kylie was trying to shoot him. It's basically Billie's fault and he takes it really hard. Billie's not an angry of violent kid, so he was just given the gun to look after. He was always the charming kid who'd talk them out of trouble and therefore the most reliable - the thought being that he wouldn't do anything stupid with it."
How does his family act towards him?
"The Jackson-Brannings turn up at the hospital after the shooting and find that Jack's not there - he's been taken for an operation to have some bullet taken out of his skull. It's touch and go for Jack. Billie just feels really responsible. Then - after Carol saying that she wishes he was dead and Max yelling at him - the final nail in the coffin is Bianca's reaction when she tells Billie that she doesn't want him anywhere near the kids. It's heartbreaking for him - he's always been so close to Bianca."
Then Billie makes a shock decision about what he's going to do with his life…
"Yeah, he just thinks 'no police, no fruit and veg - I'm going into the army...'. They end up meeting a recruitment sergeant and that goes pretty badly. It's classic Carol trying to look out for her son but she makes a bit of a fool of him."
Do you think he'd be good in the army?
"He's used to getting yelled at, so he'd probably be right at home there! As far as everything else is concerned, I'm not sure."
Where does Billie go from here?
"Billie might sign up to the army, but you'll have to wait and see. How could Billie joining the army affect his relationship with Whitney? There's so much more to come - there's a lot coming up for the Walford teens."
