| Martin Fowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Martin_Fowler_2024.jpg) James Bye as Martin Fowler (2024) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Duration | 1985–2007, 2014–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 49 6 August 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Julia Smith (1985) Dominic Treadwell-Collins (2014) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | The Queen Vic Quiz Night (2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Martin_Fowler29.jpg) James Alexandrou as Martin Fowler (2007) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Martin_Fowler_(Jon_Peyton-Price).png) Jon Peyton-Price as Martin Fowler (1993) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Martin Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The character was played by Jon Peyton-Price from Martin's introduction 1985 until 1996, and by James Alexandrou from 1996 until 2007. When Alexandrou took over the role, Martin became part of the regular cast, and was featured in prominent storylines such as sleeping with Sonia Jackson (Natalie Cassidy) and getting her pregnant with their daughter Chloe/Bex Fowler (Jade Sharif/Jasmine Armfield); developing a romantic crush on Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), which is not reciprocated, killing Sonia’s former fiancé Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder) after running him over in his car, which results in Martin being imprisoned for Jamie's death and subsequently feuding with Jamie’s relative Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden); enduring a problematic marriage with Sonia after their wedding; being stalked by Sarah Cairns (Alison Pargeter), and coping with the deaths of both his brother Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) and their mother Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard). Alexandrou quit the role in 2006, and Martin departed on 2 February 2007.
In October 2014, it was announced that executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins decided to reintroduce Martin, with the role being recast to James Bye and Martin returned on 5 December 2014. Since his return in 2014, Martin has divorced Sonia; married Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner); finding out that Stacey's son Arthur Fowler is actually the son of his friend Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami); surviving a bus crash; a brief stint in prison for assaulting a police officer, the premature birth of his daughter Hope Fowler; briefly separating from Stacey after discovering her one-night stand with her former lover Max Branning (Jake Wood); feuding with both Kush and Stacey's cousin Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) over Arthur’s custody; dealing with Bex's disappearance and attempted suicide; being blackmailed by Phil’s son Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) into committing crimes for him, ending his marriage to Stacey in attempts to protect her and their children against the death threats made towards them by Ben, a one-night stand with Stacey's best friend Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton), descending into crime, being involved in a hit-and-run accident, kidnapping Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) and faking his death with help from Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), briefly reuniting with Sonia, a short marriage to Ruby, and finding out that his stepdaughter Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) has become pregnant at twelve years old.
Martin was absent for two months, between 2 August and 4 October 2019, as part of Stacey’s temporary exit storyline. Bye took another break from the show in 2024, with Martin departing on 22 January. He returned on 18 March.