Yahoo News EastEnders star on George Knight's mystery story
EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders will unveil the truth about George Knight's missing wife Rose next week.
The net will close in on the pub's new landlord as Linda recruits Phil to help her investigate George, who she is convinced is not to be trusted.
Here, Colin Salmon, who plays George, reveals all about the game-changing week for the Knight family.
Linda continues to be suspicious of George. Is her snooping getting on his nerves?
"I think because George has been through similar things with Rose, he sort of gets it. He has more empathy with Linda than I think people realise because he knows where she's coming from. He is trying to be tolerant because he gets it – the Knights have all just arrived in her life, and it's hard. I mean, the last stranger who moved into The Vic was Janine, and she took Linda's husband."
When does George realise that Linda has been talking to Phil about her Rose suspicions?
"Phil approaches George and tells him what's going down. So, George is like, 'OK, Linda's been talking to Phil,' and that angers him a little bit. George is very conscious of who the alphas are. He thinks it's a bit treacherous of Linda to go to Phil when she could have just asked him. But now she's started to rattle the cage, which for George is a dangerous cage to rattle because it's very, very painful."
Tell us about the sparring in the boxing ring with Phil – does George feel like he might lose control of his temper at any point?
"At first, George is doing the same sequence of jabs, and it's predictable, but then it starts to become unpredictable. Phil starts to test his control, and it's a wonderful meeting of the alphas. In boxing, you don't lose control because if you do, you lose the battle. That was what I was taught in boxing. George should never lose control because that's why he's a champion."
What was it like to film those scenes where you are sparring and doing dialogue at the same time?
"It was great, but it is very difficult to do the two things together! It was a very technical scene, and I learned a lot about being on the show. The scenes I've done with Steve McFadden have been really important. To me, Steve is EastEnders. I trusted him immediately, and that, as an actor, is everything because it means we can go to places knowing we are safe with each other. That's been brilliant because his respect is important to me as an actor, and Phil's respect is important to George as a character."
Was it nice to explore some tension between George and Phil?
"Yeah, of course. Phil is pressing buttons with George. He doesn't know Phil well enough to know why he's doing that. But Phil is testing him and wants to see who George is. Phil is not afraid of asking difficult questions."
When Phil accuses him of not being straight with him? How does that make George feel?
"George is affronted and angry. It's about respect, and George finds it disrespectful, and that makes him cross. He's like, 'Hang on a minute, you don't know the story, so you've jumped to the wrong conclusion.'
"But again, George does understand how Phil got to that conclusion, and Linda isn't helping. George has been living under a cloud. Some people think he killed Rose, so it's been nine years of mystery and heartache on top of suspicion and misunderstanding. It's hard if you are a member of a family and your spouse has gone missing, everyone thinks they know what's going on."
Do you like the ambiguity surrounding George and Rose's marriage?
"Of course! Conflict is drama, and drama is our business. It's complex. Life is complex, and there are so many things that can send people off on the wrong trajectory. I love the idea of exploring that in drama because the catalyst doesn't have to be some huge thing. It can just be a misunderstanding. It's more real like that. Being misunderstood is a nightmare for a straight shooter like George."
Do you like his role in The Vic and how it's connected him to other people in Walford?
"If you are looking after a pub, you have to listen to everybody. People don't always go to a pub because they are happy. Some people come to the pub because they need to work it out. Publicans have to listen and be beyond judgement. If you run a pub, you should end up wise, and you shouldn't be quick to judge. The pub is a place for tales to be told and then you leave them in the company of strangers. The pub is a sanctuary."
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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