James Alexandrou: 'It's not the right time to return now'

James Alexandrou has said that he is not ruling out a return to EastEnders.

The 28-year-old actor joined the BBC One soap as Martin Fowler in 1996, later leaving in 2007.
Despite Alexandrou's screen wife Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) returning to Albert Square this year, he has said that he will not be coming back to the show any time soon.

Speaking to What's On TV, Alexandrou said: "Natalie called me when she went back in it and she was so happy and it seems like there's a really nice atmosphere there, and I know that when Danny Dyer came in it really energised it and he's great for the show.

"For the first time in a long time, I was really going, 'Could I do it? Could I do it?' But I don't think the time's right for me right now. But it's never a no - it's just not right now."

Alexandrou, who is currently starring in a West End production of Othello as Iago, told Digital Spy in 2011 that he was not interested in returning to EastEnders in the foreseeable future.

I had to quit EastEnders!

James Alexandrou says he quit the hit show at 21 because he felt he had to burst the bubble of being in a high-profile TV show.

James is starring as Iago in a production of Shakespeare's Othello in London's West End and told What's on TV that he was desperate to get into theatre after leaving EastEnders in 2007, to learn his craft.

But he has great memories of EastEnders, in which he played Martin Fowler. "Lovely memories, yeah. I wouldn't be here without it, really. I'm under no illusions why my face is on the [Othello] poster. EastEnders has done lovely things for my career. It's put a bit of money in my pocket, gave me a bit of a profile, and I managed to get some nice jobs off the back of it and, yeah, thank you!"

James, 28, continued: "I think when you're in a high profile TV show of any type you end up in a bit of a bubble and, for me anyway, it's about bursting that bubble, about realising that I didn't know everything as I thought I did at 21... I had to go out there and learn from people that knew a lot more than I did."

James is starring in the Grassroots Shakespeare London production of Othello at London's Leicester Square Theatre until the end of April.

James Alexandrou to star in Othello on West End

James Alexandrou is to star in an upcoming West End production of Othello.

The former EastEnders actor will play Iago in the Grassroots Shakespeare London production from April 2-26.
Grassroots will be the only company performing in the West End for William Shakespeare's 450th birthday on April 26. It will be staged at London's Leicester Square Theatre.

Alexandrou is best known for playing Martin Fowler in EastEnders, and has previously performed alongside Harold Pinter.

Regular Grassroots ensemble members Boris Mitkov (Cassio) and Emily Jane Kerr (Emilia) will also star.

Nari Blair-Mangat will play Othello, while the cast is completed by Annabel Bates as Desdemona, Jim Conway as Brabantio, James Law as the Duke of Venice, John McLear as Lodovico, Christian Bart-Gitten as Herald, Helena Doughty as Bianca and Adam Blampied as Roderigo.

Blair-Mangat was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award for his role in Kenneth Branagh's Macbeth, which transfers to Broadway in June.
James Alexandrou said: "I'm honoured to be playing Iago for Grassroots. To be using their Original Practices approach seems a fitting way to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday."

Grassroots recently completed a sell-out Christmas rep season and a further season at the Old Red Lion Theatre.

Back in 2011, Alexandrou told Digital Spy that he was not interested in a return to EastEnders. His on-screen partner Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) recently came back to Albert Square.