Former EastEnders star Frank Barrie has died aged 88.
The actor, who rose to fame when he joined the Bristol Old Vic theatre company in 1965, passed away on June 30th.
His agent – Scott Marshall Partners – confirmed the sad news in a statement today.
‘It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved client, Frank Barrie, at the age of 88,’ they wrote.
‘He died peacefully at home, with his wife Mary and daughter Julia.’
Frank appeared in 23 episodes of the BBC soap between December 2010 and May 2011 as Edward Bishop, a friend of Dot Branning (June Brown).
His character was the choirmaster at a Walford church which was attended by several Albert Square residents.
He immediately struck up a friendship with Dot, and the two continued to cross paths over the following months. Things soon turned sour when he began to take her ailing husband Jim (John Barden) to the park and bookies, and feared it could worsen his health.
She became humiliated when Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) branded Edward her ‘fancy man’, and decided to cut contact.
Later, they reconciled, but Dot’s worst fears were confirmed when he tried to make a move on her. The two then cut contact for good.
On Instagram, EastEnders have paid tribute.
‘We are deeply saddened to hear that Frank Barrie has passed away,’ a statement reads.
‘Our love and thoughts are with Frank’s family and friends.’
Early in his career, Frank received critical acclaim for his stage performances, and starred alongside Derek Jacobi and Joan Plowright after being invited by Sir Laurence Olivier to join the National Theatre.
His most recent stage role came in May 2022, when he appeared as Harry Flashman in Flashman at 80.
On screen he played two guest characters in former daytime serial drama Doctors, and a number of roles in BBC Two’s Play of the Day/Month/Week.
In 1964 he starred as William Cook in ITV soap opera Emergency Ward 10, and several years later as Harry Fleeson in police drama Z-Cars.
