EastEnders star Jack Ryder looks unrecognisable from his former character
EastEnders star Jack Ryder looks unrecognizable from his former character 20 years after he was killed off for the BBC soap
EastEnders star Jack Ryder looked unrecognizable from his former character on Friday – 20 years after he left the soap.
The actor – who was known for his boyish looks and floppy curtains – made his Albert Square debut in November 1998 at the age of 17 as Jamie Mitchell.
Jack, now 41, has changed his image since his last Walford scenes, in which his character was tragically killed in a car crash in December 2002.
Since retiring from acting, he is now an established film and theater director and published his first children’s book in 2020.
Jack shared a photo on Instagram and could be seen sporting a much shorter haircut and perfectly groomed beard as he went to pick up his daughter.
Backlash! EastEnders star Jack Ryder looked unrecognizable from his former character on Friday – 20 years after he left the soap
Changes: Jack, now 41, has changed his image since his last Walford scenes, in which his character was tragically killed in a car accident in December 2002
He threw up a peace sign for the camera, writing, “Now, enough of all that acting talk and mentorship.
“I’m going to pick up my baby girl and watch Button Moon for the weekend and get pounced on!” Have fun guys!’
After leaving the soap, Jack married Kym Marsh in August 2002, they divorced in 2008.
He welcomed a daughter with his long-term partner, Ella, in 2021 and he splits his time between London and France.
The update comes after the EastEnders heartthrob admitted fame was ‘hard to deal with’ at a young age, as he reflected on his career.
Speaking in Lorraine last summer, Jack said “no one can prepare you for it” and that he “just kept his head down and carried on.”
Speaking of his meteoric rise to fame, he told Lorraine, “Yeah, no one can prepare you for it. It was before social media, the last kind of golden age of TV.
“I think my last episode had about 25 million viewers. I like the work. The fame side was hard to deal with at that age. I just kept my head down and kept going.’
Blast from the past: The actor – who was known for his boyish looks and floppy drapes – made his Albert Square debut in November 1998 at age 17 as Jamie Mitchell
Exes: Jack married Kym Marsh in 2002, but they split in 2008, issuing a statement saying no one else was involved and they would ‘remain friends’ (pictured in 2001)
Yay: He welcomed a daughter with his long-term partner, Ella, in 2021 and he splits his time between London and France (pictured on Loose Women in 2020)
On the programme, viewers were also shown an unrecognizable throwback snap of Jamie arriving in Walford as a teenager.
During the interview, Jack added that he’s still in touch with some of his old castmates, including Dean Gaffney, Natalie Cassidy, and Steve McFadden.
He said, ‘Me and Dean Gaffney and Natalie (Cassidy) and even Steve McFadden I ran into, it was his 60th birthday and we had a chat.
“We’re all loosely in touch and have fond memories together.”