'EastEnders' Charlie G Hawkins interview - Part Two

EastEnders star Charlie G Hawkins recently had a chat with Digital Spy about his departure from the soap and future plans.

To hear all the details of Darren Miller's exit storyline, head over to our main interview with Charlie if you haven't already.

Here, Soap Scoop presents some extra bonus bits from the actor.

Did you enjoy working with Kylie Babbington, who plays Jodie, over the past year?
"Definitely. I've been incredibly lucky in that sense, because I've genuinely loved everyone that I've worked with. Kylie was brilliant, and so was Himesh who plays Tamwar. We all came into EastEnders to work but we also had a laugh, so it almost didn't feel like work."

Do you think Jodie will find a new boyfriend now?
"I don't know - I'm a viewer now as I'm not there anymore! That's the worst thing - I'm not in the know! Now I'll have to watch to see what happens, so I'm excited and interested to see what the future holds."

Darren has been quite a responsible father, so do you hope it's mentioned in future episodes that he's seeing George off screen?
"Yeah, I'd like to think that every now and again they could mention that Darren has taken George out off screen, or that he's phoned up to see how he's been. That would be nice, so hopefully they will. We'll soon find out! It was really nice to play Darren as a father - we saw a different side to him."

Darren stuck around for a long time, even after his family had left the Square. What was the secret behind his staying power on the show?
"I think everyone can relate to Darren - you always know someone who's down on their luck, or a bit of a cheeky chap. He was someone who you could go for a drink with, so it's quite nice to have characters like that around I suppose."

As Jake Wood (Max) took a break from the show, you must have filmed your final scene with him weeks before you actually left…
"Yeah, that's right - and I was gutted about that! I really, really look up to Jake - I think that he's a fantastic actor and a wicked person. He's a real family guy and a true professional. In the past two years, I've learned so much from Jake - not just about acting but as a person, too. Hopefully I can take that with me and use it in later life. It was really sad to say goodbye to Jake. We had a few scenes together before Jake took his break, but they obviously weren't goodbye scenes because Darren wasn't leaving at that point. Me and Jake had a goodbye - it's just a shame that Darren and Max didn't have a goodbye!"

Are there any particular highlights that you can name from your time at EastEnders?
"I've had too many! The things I've been able to do and the things the show have given me have been incredible, along with the people who I've been able to meet and work with. All of it has been one big highlight."

How would you like viewers to remember Darren?
"Hopefully just as someone who they enjoyed watching and got a few laughs from - whether it was at him or with him! It'd be nice to think that he put smiles on a few faces."

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