Heartbroken, veteran soap actor Rudolph Walker was when co-star Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement) left EastEnders. The 84-year-old actor, who gained notoriety for playing Patrick Trueman in the BBC One drama, treasured his friendship with 82-year-old Pam, who passed away on the program in 2011 and whose renowned character Pat lived on.
“Working with Pam was a joy—her timing, the twinkle in her eye during our flirtatious scenes, and her support from day one was invaluable,” Rudolph writes in his biography Walking With Dignity. When such a beloved character was eliminated from the show, I was devastated.”
Pam described her decision to leave EastEnders after an incredible 25 years as “a bereavement” and said it was time to say goodbye to her character. At the time, she said, “I feel like it’s time to put up her earrings after 25 and a half great years portraying the character of Pat in EastEnders. Releasing yourself from the EastEnders “family” will seem like a loss. However, I’m excited about the additional career and personal prospects I will have the opportunity to explore.”
Pam’s absence was short-lived, though, as she returned for a Children in Need special in 2014, after Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) brain injury-induced hallucination of Pat. And she made a comeback in 2016, wearing Pat’s trademark large earrings and bright pink lipstick to accompany the late Dame Barbara Windsor’s cherished Peggy Mitchell in a moving parting scene.
After 23 years of being a cast member of the venerable program, Rudolph has finally written his life narrative in Walking With Dignity.
Apart from his work on EastEnders, he is also well-known for his portrayal of Bill Reynolds in the sitcom Love Thy Neighbour on ITV, which ran for eight seasons between 1972 and 1976.
Rudolph received a CBE in 2021 in recognition of his charitable work and services to theater via the Rudolph Walker Foundation.
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