EastEnders actor Sonny Kendall, who plays Tommy Moon, has caused a stir on social media as fans of the soap are astounded by his real age.
Sonny joined the cast in 2021, and his character has been at the heart of a distressing child abuse storyline involving his family. Tommy has been displaying aggressive behaviour towards his mother, Kat Slater (played by Jessie Wallace), which has escalated over time.
After a violent outburst during a family meal, it was revealed that Tommy had been hurting his younger brothers, Bert and Ernie. This revelation alarmed Jean Slater (Gillian Wright), leading her to contact social services and resulting in Tommy being taken from his home.
Despite recently returning home to Kat and Alfie (Shane Richie), tensions flared when Tommy discovered his mother had disposed of his gaming console, reports Plymouth Live.
It was later revealed that Tommy had been feeling isolated and had made an online friend named Matt, who turned out to be an AI chatbot.
Long-time viewers of EastEnders will know that while Alfie is considered Tommy’s father, his biological dad is Michael Moon, portrayed by Steve Shepherd.
Michael was a violent sociopath who met his demise in November 2013, murdered by Janine Butcher (played by Charlie Brooks). This storyline has caused concern among EastEnders viewers, who fear that Tommy’s recent violent outbursts may reflect his father’s traits.
Yet, it’s not just the plot twists that have fans talking; the real age of actor Sonny, who portrays Tommy, has become a hot topic. Despite playing a much younger character, the actor is reportedly 19 years old.
Fans have taken to Reddit to express their surprise. One user commented: “I honestly thought he was cast right for his age and would be 14/15 irl but he’s 19! Never would have guessed.”
Another fan responded in disbelief: “There’s no way,” accompanied by a crying face emoji.
The age discrepancy discussion continued with another viewer noting: “Amy is also 19 I believe but her character is meant to be 15/16. It’s interesting seeing them outside of character and how much older they look.”
The revelation led to further astonishment, with one fan declaring: “I never ever would have thought he was 19, omg!” while another reiterated the sentiment: “How the hell is he 19?!”.
