Mickey Miller
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mickey" Miller (né Swann) is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Joe Swash
. He made his first appearance on 15 April 2003. Introduced as a guest character, Mickey proved popular and was turned into a regular by executive producer Louise Berridge
. The character is portrayed as a wheeler-dealer, involved in various money-making scams. A family was built around the character in 2004 when the other Millers moved to Albert Square
. It was announced on 25 February 2008 that the characters of Mickey and his stepfather Keith
had been axed by EastEnders' executive producer Diederick Santer
. Mickey left on 1 July 2008. In July 2011, it was announced Swash would reprise his role for the departure storyline of his screen brother Darren. He appeared for two episodes on 19 and 20 September 2011.
) and Rosie Miller
(Gerry Cowper
). Mike left the family when Mickey was just three years old. He grew up with his sister Dawn
and later his half siblings Demi
(Shana Swash
) and Darren Miller
(Charlie G. Hawkins
). He has always considered his mother's long-term partner, Keith Miller
, to be his father, and uses his surname.
in 2003, selling dodgy goods to Spencer Moon
(Christopher Parker
) and he was later involved in similar money-making scams with fellow wheeler-dealer, Mo Harris
(Laila Morse
). To earn extra money, he has worked as a builder and sold trinkets on Bridge Street market, aided by his business partner, Juley Smith (Joseph Kpobie
). Mickey began a relationship with Kareena Ferreira (Pooja Shah
) in 2004. Mickey fell for Kareena, but he was incensed in 2005 when he discovered that she had been using cocaine, supplied by Juley Smith. When Kareena saw Stacey Slater
(Lacey Turner
) attempting to seduce Mickey, she turned to Juley for comfort, and a fight broke out when Mickey caught Juley attempting to kiss her. Mickey and Kareena managed to work through their problems, but shortly after Kareena left Walford with the rest of her family, despite previously promising Mickey that she would stay with him.
When Mickey went to visit his sister Dawn in France
in 2005, he was surprised to discover that she was living with their biological father, Mike. Mickey was unimpressed with his father's sudden return; he refused to forgive Mike for his prior neglect, and they fought when Mike made derogatory comments about Rosie. Mike tried to make excuses for his absence, but Mickey refused to believe him. They eventually called an uneasy truce, but Mike alienated his son further when he tried to con his friend Minty Peterson
(Cliff Parisi
) out of his life savings. Mickey entered into a relationship with Li Chong (Elizabeth Tan
) in 2007, and they eventually both moved into Gus Smith
's (Mohammed George
) flat. Li often tested the relationship, infuriating Mickey by growing cannabis
in their closet, and then involving him in a money-making scam by advertising him as a male escort without his consent. With persuasion, Mickey agreed to do the male escorting, but Li proved too jealous of his flirtations with other women, so their scam soon ended. Li abruptly ended the relationship when Mickey started getting too serious for her.
Mickey became the victim of bullying from Sean Slater
(Robert Kazinsky
) in May 2008, who did such things as assaulting Mickey and vandalising his property. Mickey was too scared to take any action against Sean, and relied on his sister's boyfriend, Jase Dyer
, for protection. On June 18, 2008, he was knocked out when May Wright (Amanda Drew
) hit him over the head with a crowbar, whilst trying to steal Dawn's baby, Summer. When Micky awoke, he managed to stop May from absconding with Summer, but she subsequently caused a gas explosion, and the Millers' house went up in flames. Mickey, Dawn and Summer were trapped in a first floor bedroom. When Mickey attempted to pass Summer out the window to the awaiting crowd below, he passed out and dropped her, though she was caught by Jase. Dawn pushed an unconscious Mickey out the window, saving his life. May was killed in the explosion. Mickey discovered a letter from Rosie, offering Keith a job as a concierge
at her home in the Cotswolds. All of the Millers were angry at him for not acknowledging the letter, and Mickey decided to take the job instead as he said there was nothing left for him in Walford. Later, along with Keith and their dog Genghis, Mickey left Walford after an emotional farewell at the Queen Vic.
In September 2011, Mickey returned for Darren's wedding to Jodie Gold
(Kylie Babbington
). He attended stag night and flirted with Jodie's friend Poppy Meadow
(Rachel Bright
) and accidentally revealed to her that Darren had slept with bridesmaid Lauren Branning
(Jacqueline Jossa
). Mickey helped Darren prepare for the wedding the following day and arranged for a car to drive them to the registry office. But Darren's guilt over sleeping with Lauren caused him to call the wedding off. Mickey went for drinks in the Vic with Darren and his wedding guests. He told Darren that he had grown into a young man and was proud of him, before leaving.
. The actor had originally auditioned for the part of Spencer Moon
, which was eventually cast to Christopher Parker
. However, the BBC bosses saw potential, and six months later, Swash was offered the part of Spencer's friend, Mickey.
The character was originally supposed to appear in only six episodes, but Mickey proved so popular with viewers that the soap's executive producer, Louise Berridge
, decided to make him into a regular character. Swash has commented, "I'm pleased it happened that way, I have done it on my own merit rather than coming in as part of a family. It's a bit more special."
The BBC has described Mickey as a "lovable character" and "a happy-go-lucky wide boy
." They continued, "Mickey is always on the look-out for a scam and a chance to make some easy money".
in February 2004: "It's weird because we don't know anything about Mickey's background. I was filming Kat
and Alfie
's wedding and I thought, 'Hang on, where's my family? Why have I abandoned them on Christmas Day to go to some wedding?' But I'm sure it'll all become clear. I think they're going to get in some other characters around Mickey, some family and friends, so we'll find out more about him."
In April 2004, it was announced that Mickey's family would be introduced and the casting team held workshops, screen tests and script readings with the potential actors. Shana Swash
, the sister of Joe Swash, was cast as Mickey's younger half sister Demi Miller
. Other family members included stepfather Keith
(David Spinx
), mother Rosie
(Gerry Cowper
) and half brother Darren
(Charlie G. Hawkins
). The family were publicised as "troublemakers" who were joining "in order to drum up conflict with existing characters." Louise Berridge said, "This lot are trouble. Even the dog is dodgy [...] They're set to cause havoc all over the square..." The family's introduction in September 2004 followed a survey in The Mirror newspaper which suggested that 57% of EastEnders viewers thought the soap had lost its appeal.
Joe Swash has revealed that giving Mickey a family was not the producers' original plan for the character, but he was pleased when he was told of the development one year prior to their introduction: "Before, I was in and out all the time. I didn't really know where I stood as an actor. Now that the family are here, I feel like Mickey's a more regular character. I'm really happy about it [...] I didn't know exactly what they'd be like until about three or four months ago. They're really different which I think is good. I'm really pleased with them [...] they're really close. They won't hear a bad word said about each other. They'll kid each other in private, but in public they rally round and stick up for each other [...] [Mickey's] a bit of a mummy's boy."
The following year, Mickey's family was completed by the introduction of his elder sister Dawn Swann
(Kara Tointon
), and his con-artist father Mike Swann (a guest character played by Mark Wingett
), who both made their first appearance in a special week of off-set episodes, set in France
in September 2005. In the storyline, Mickey went to France with some of his friends to visit his sister, and was surprised to see his estranged father, who had abandoned him as a child.
(Laila Morse
). Swash has commented, "It's natural for Mickey and Mo to be close because they're so similar. They're into the same things and doing business." Their interaction was mostly used for comedic purposes. In 2004, the duo were featured in a special plot to highlight the BBC's fundraising event, Sport Relief
, which tackles poverty and disadvantage, both in the UK and internationally. On-screen, Mickey competed in the Fitness First Sport Relief Mile, to raise money via sponsoring. As part of the storyline, Mo encouraged Mickey to keep the sponsorship money for himself, though Mickey eventually did "the right thing", donating the money to charity. Commenting on the storyline, Swash said, "Mickey is always trying to make money through some scam or another. But this time he has realised that there are people in this country and around the world who are much worse off than he is and he is determined to do his bit to help raise money for Sport Relief and help improve the lives of others."
Relationships were featured in the character's narrative, initially with Kareena Ferreira (Pooja Shah
), in 2004. Kareena had taken a hiatus from the serial and returned two months later with what was billed as a "sexy new vamp look" — part of the producers attempt to popularise the much-criticised Ferreira family. Despite most of the male characters showing an interest in the new-look Kareena, she opted for Mickey, in what The Sun
newspaper described as a "sizzling storyline". Swash said, "[Mickey]'s always liked [Kareena]. His eyes nearly pop out of his head when she returns! I think they'd make a good couple because they're chalk and cheese." The relationship hit various setbacks. When Mickey discovered Kareena had taken cocaine
, he contemplated finishing with her, leaving Kareena to be comforted by Mickey's business partner and Kareena's drug dealer, Juley Smith (Joseph Kpobie
). Despite weathering these problems, it was a brief reprieve as the relationship ended the episode following their reconciliation in March 2005, when Kareena left the serial with her family. In reality, the entire Ferreira family had been axed by executive producer, Kathleen Hutchison
. Despite promising to stay for Mickey's sake, Kareena changed her mind at the last minute and left. Mickey's next relationship was with "bad girl" Li Chong (Elaine Tan
) in 2007, a fellow wheeler-dealer. The characters' storylines mainly concentrated on money-making schemes, including Li's cannabis
farm, and her attempt to "pimp" Mickey as a male escort; however, the relationship ended when Mickey started getting too serious, and Li left the serial in July 2007 when the character was written out.
In February 2008, it was announced that Mickey and his stepfather Keith were being axed from EastEnders. The characters were two of several axed by executive producer Diederick Santer
that year. Others included Gus Smith
, Steven Beale
, and Honey Mitchell
. According to The Sun newspaper, producers told Joe Swash that they had run out of storylines for his character. A friend of Swash was quoted as saying, "Joe was stunned at first. He’s loved playing Mickey and felt the fans still enjoyed watching his antics. But he soon realised if the stories weren’t there, he didn’t want to be just going through the motions." Their axing lead to further disbandment of the Miller/Swann family. Both Mickey and Keith survived the axe in 2006 when Rosie and Demi Miller were written out. Darren Miller and Dawn Swann, the only remaining family members, were kept on.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper in June 2008, Swash has talked about his dissatisfaction with the direction the producers had taken Mickey. In Swash's opinion, Mickey had only been used for "light relief" since September 2005, when Swash was forced to take a three month break from the serial after he contracted meningoencephalitis
— a rare form of viral meningitis, which makes the brain swell up. EastEnders writers were reported to be "frantically reworking scripts" to explain Mickey's sudden disappearance, and according to Swash, this meant that a big storyline concentrating on the relationship between Mickey and his estranged father Mike had to be cut. He has commented, "My illness had a massive impact on my job. When I came back I couldn’t find my feet. New producers came in and brought in new actors and I got lost down the pecking order [...] Ever since I came back, I’ve had nothing regular. As an actor you want storylines to stretch yourself. To be fair, I didn't work as much when the Miller family arrived in 2004. When it was just Mickey, I got really good stuff. I was over the moon about the family but producers needed to concentrate on developing their characters and I had to take a back seat [...] Mickey just became light relief – the joker. That’s all right but I’ve got more ambition. I would have stayed for ages if I had good stuff, but I wasn’t getting the work [...] I wasn't that upset when I was told [about the axing]. I kind of predicted it [...] My character hadn’t been working out for ages [...] it will be a relief not to be Mickey Miller any more!"
After being involved in a high-profile storyline that saw the Millers' home burned down in a gas explosion in June 2008, Mickey departed the serial two weeks later, joining his mother and sister for a new start. He departed on 1 July 2008.
On 17 July 2011, it was reported that Swash would reprise the role of Mickey the following week as part of a storyline focusing on Mickey's brother, Darren (Hawkins). Mickey's reappearance for two episodes was scripted to conincide with Darren's exit storyline. Mickey will appear from 19 September 2011.
newspaper in 2004, Mickey's actor Joe Swash received "1,000 letters a week from besotted girl fans", more than EastEnders "main hunk" Nigel Harman
, who played Dennis Rickman
.
Jaci Stephen, critic for the Daily Mail
described Mickey as "fabulous" in 2004; however, in 2005, critic for The Mirror, Jim Shelley
, branded Mickey a moron and one of EastEnders weakest characters. During a period of heavy media criticism aimed at EastEnders in 2004, Shelley stated that the serial's "Tiresome obsession with petty crime" was one of the reasons for its decline in quality, with Mickey listed as one of the soap's "myriad criminals."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, played by Joe Swash
Joe Swash
Joseph Adam Swash is an English actor and presenter. He once played Mickey Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders. He is the older brother of Shana Swash, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me...
. He made his first appearance on 15 April 2003. Introduced as a guest character, Mickey proved popular and was turned into a regular by executive producer Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge is a British writer of historical fiction. Before she became a novelist, she was best known as a television producer and script editor. The most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's EastEnders between 2002 and 2004...
. The character is portrayed as a wheeler-dealer, involved in various money-making scams. A family was built around the character in 2004 when the other Millers moved to Albert Square
Albert Square
Albert Square is the fictional location of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is ostensibly located in the equally fictional London borough of Walford in London's East End. The square's design was based on the real life Fassett Square in Hackney, and was given the name Albert Square after the real...
. It was announced on 25 February 2008 that the characters of Mickey and his stepfather Keith
Keith Miller (EastEnders)
Keith Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Spinx. He made his first appearance on 6 September 2004. It was announced on 25 February 2008 that the characters of Keith and Mickey had been axed by EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer...
had been axed by EastEnders
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...
. Mickey left on 1 July 2008. In July 2011, it was announced Swash would reprise his role for the departure storyline of his screen brother Darren. He appeared for two episodes on 19 and 20 September 2011.
Backstory
Mickey is the son of Mike Swann (Mark WingettMark Wingett
Mark Wingett , is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of Jim Carver in the ITV1 police procedural The Bill.-Career:...
) and Rosie Miller
Rosie Miller
Rosemary "Rosie" Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gerry Cowper. Her first appearance was 9 September 2004 and she was axed in 2006, with her final scenes airing July 2006....
(Gerry Cowper
Gerry Cowper
Geraldine Cowper is an English actress who is best known for playing Rosie Miller in EastEnders. In the mid 1980s she took the part of Clare France in After Henry on BBC radio and also appeared on television as Jim Hacker's daughter in Yes Minister.-Career:Cowper was Clare France, the youngest of...
). Mike left the family when Mickey was just three years old. He grew up with his sister Dawn
Dawn Swann
Dawn Roxanna Swann is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kara Tointon, who first appeared on 26 September 2005...
and later his half siblings Demi
Demi Miller
Demi Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shana Swash. She made her first appearance on 6 September 2004 and made her last on 7 July 2006 when she was axed by EastEnders executive producer Kate Harwood....
(Shana Swash
Shana Swash
Shana Frances Swash is an English actress best known for playing the role Demi Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders...
) and Darren Miller
Darren Miller
Darren Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie G. Hawkins. He made his first appearance on 6 September 2004 and departed in the episode broadcast on 20 September 2011.-Storylines:...
(Charlie G. Hawkins
Charlie G. Hawkins
Charlie George Hawkins is an English actor. He was raised in Islington where he has lived since birth.His most notable role is Darren Miller in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has starred in since 2004, although he has had other roles in films, dramas, documentaries and advertisements...
). He has always considered his mother's long-term partner, Keith Miller
Keith Miller (EastEnders)
Keith Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Spinx. He made his first appearance on 6 September 2004. It was announced on 25 February 2008 that the characters of Keith and Mickey had been axed by EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer...
, to be his father, and uses his surname.
2003–11
Mickey was first seen in WalfordWalford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East...
in 2003, selling dodgy goods to Spencer Moon
Spencer Moon
Spencer Moon is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Christopher Parker between 2002 and 2005. Spencer is the brother of Alfie Moon, played by Shane Richie.-Storylines:...
(Christopher Parker
Christopher Parker
Christopher Parker is an English actor and television presenter.- Early career :Christopher Parker’s career began at an early age as a model appearing in print campaigns and TV commercials. . He progressed onto small roles in TV dramas such as The Bill, London's Burning and Judge John Deed...
) and he was later involved in similar money-making scams with fellow wheeler-dealer, Mo Harris
Mo Harris
Maureen "Big Mo" Harris is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who has been in the series since 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo is also played by Lorraine Stanley in a soap 'bubble' Pat and Mo, delving into her past with Pat Evans, which aired in 2004...
(Laila Morse
Laila Morse
Laila Morse is an English actress, best known for playing Mo Harris in BBC series EastEnders and Janet in the 1997 movie Nil by Mouth ."Laila Morse" is an anagram of an Italian phrase for "my sister" - a name she...
). To earn extra money, he has worked as a builder and sold trinkets on Bridge Street market, aided by his business partner, Juley Smith (Joseph Kpobie
Joseph Kpobie
Joseph Kpobie is a British actor, who plays Juley Smith in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He joined the show in 2002 and was axed in early 2005 after his character was criticised for being too stereotypical...
). Mickey began a relationship with Kareena Ferreira (Pooja Shah
Pooja Shah
Pooja Shah is a British Asian actress and model of Kenyan-Asian descent. Her grandparents migrated to Kenya from Gujarat in Western India and so her ancestral roots are there....
) in 2004. Mickey fell for Kareena, but he was incensed in 2005 when he discovered that she had been using cocaine, supplied by Juley Smith. When Kareena saw Stacey Slater
Stacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
(Lacey Turner
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner is an award-winning English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role for which she has won 33 awards...
) attempting to seduce Mickey, she turned to Juley for comfort, and a fight broke out when Mickey caught Juley attempting to kiss her. Mickey and Kareena managed to work through their problems, but shortly after Kareena left Walford with the rest of her family, despite previously promising Mickey that she would stay with him.
When Mickey went to visit his sister Dawn in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 2005, he was surprised to discover that she was living with their biological father, Mike. Mickey was unimpressed with his father's sudden return; he refused to forgive Mike for his prior neglect, and they fought when Mike made derogatory comments about Rosie. Mike tried to make excuses for his absence, but Mickey refused to believe him. They eventually called an uneasy truce, but Mike alienated his son further when he tried to con his friend Minty Peterson
Minty Peterson
Richard "Rick" Peterson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Cliff Parisi. He made his first appearance on 11 March 2002. His nickname was given to him because he was always late for work, turning up "after eight" when he was an apprentice mechanic...
(Cliff Parisi
Cliff Parisi
Cliff Parisi is an English actor of Italian descent, largely recognised for his performance as Rick 'Minty' Peterson in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
) out of his life savings. Mickey entered into a relationship with Li Chong (Elizabeth Tan
Elizabeth Tan
Elizabeth Tan is a British actress of Chinese descent. Known for a number of BBC television series, she was cast to appear in the long-running ITV Soap Opera, Coronation Street, as the show's first regular Chinese character, making her first appearance in February 2011. She departed the show in...
) in 2007, and they eventually both moved into Gus Smith
Gus Smith
Augustus "Gus" Smith is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mohammed George. He made his first appearance on 28 May 2002. It was announced on 18 January 2008 that Gus would leave the show later in 2008...
's (Mohammed George
Mohammed George
Mohammed "Mo" George is an actor who played Gus Smith on the soap opera EastEnders from 2002 to 2008. Before appearing in EastEnders, George made guest appearances in Holby City, Bottom and The Last Detective...
) flat. Li often tested the relationship, infuriating Mickey by growing cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
in their closet, and then involving him in a money-making scam by advertising him as a male escort without his consent. With persuasion, Mickey agreed to do the male escorting, but Li proved too jealous of his flirtations with other women, so their scam soon ended. Li abruptly ended the relationship when Mickey started getting too serious for her.
Mickey became the victim of bullying from Sean Slater
Sean Slater
Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Robert Kazinsky. Sean left the Square temporarily on 27 March 2007, as Kazinsky was suspended from work for two months. He returned on 28 May 2007...
(Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearances as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009.-Background:Kazinsky was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, the son of...
) in May 2008, who did such things as assaulting Mickey and vandalising his property. Mickey was too scared to take any action against Sean, and relied on his sister's boyfriend, Jase Dyer
Jase Dyer
Jason "Jase" Dyer is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Stephen Lord between 2007 and 2008. The character was killed off in the serial, making his final credited appearance on 29 August 2008.-Storylines:...
, for protection. On June 18, 2008, he was knocked out when May Wright (Amanda Drew
Amanda Drew
Amanda Drew is a British actress. Drew is best known for her role as the psychotic Dr. May Wright in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Biography:...
) hit him over the head with a crowbar, whilst trying to steal Dawn's baby, Summer. When Micky awoke, he managed to stop May from absconding with Summer, but she subsequently caused a gas explosion, and the Millers' house went up in flames. Mickey, Dawn and Summer were trapped in a first floor bedroom. When Mickey attempted to pass Summer out the window to the awaiting crowd below, he passed out and dropped her, though she was caught by Jase. Dawn pushed an unconscious Mickey out the window, saving his life. May was killed in the explosion. Mickey discovered a letter from Rosie, offering Keith a job as a concierge
Concierge
A concierge is an employee who either works in shifts within, or lives on the premises of an apartment building or a hotel and serves guests with duties similar to those of a butler. The position can also be maintained by a security officer over the 'graveyard' shift. A similar position, known as...
at her home in the Cotswolds. All of the Millers were angry at him for not acknowledging the letter, and Mickey decided to take the job instead as he said there was nothing left for him in Walford. Later, along with Keith and their dog Genghis, Mickey left Walford after an emotional farewell at the Queen Vic.
In September 2011, Mickey returned for Darren's wedding to Jodie Gold
Jodie Gold
Jodie Gold is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kylie Babbington. She first appeared on screen on 7 June 2010. On 24 October 2011, it was announced Babbington's contract would not be renewed and Jodie departed on 14 November 2011, along with Poppy Meadow...
(Kylie Babbington
Kylie Babbington
Kylie Jane Babbington is a British actress.Babbington was born in Havering, London in 1987. She studied acting and musical theatre at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and appeared in productions of Assassins, Elergies, Essex Girls and Odin.In 2010 she was cast in the BBC soap opera...
). He attended stag night and flirted with Jodie's friend Poppy Meadow
Poppy Meadow
Poppy Meadow is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rachel Bright. She was introduced on 11 January 2011 as the best friend of established character Jodie Gold , in several scenes which filled in for those cut from a controversial baby-swap storyline...
(Rachel Bright
Rachel Bright
Rachel Bright is a British actress.-Career:Bright graduated from the Birmingham School of Acting in 2007 and has since been based in London...
) and accidentally revealed to her that Darren had slept with bridesmaid Lauren Branning
Lauren Branning
Lauren Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006 played by Madeline Duggan, was absent from 23 June to 27 September 2010, and returned as played by Jacqueline Jossa.-Storylines:...
(Jacqueline Jossa
Jacqueline Jossa
Jacqueline Mary Jossa is an English actress from Bexley, London, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Lauren Branning.Jossa was born in the London Borough of Bexley...
). Mickey helped Darren prepare for the wedding the following day and arranged for a car to drive them to the registry office. But Darren's guilt over sleeping with Lauren caused him to call the wedding off. Mickey went for drinks in the Vic with Darren and his wedding guests. He told Darren that he had grown into a young man and was proud of him, before leaving.
Creation
The role of Mickey Miller was played by Joe SwashJoe Swash
Joseph Adam Swash is an English actor and presenter. He once played Mickey Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders. He is the older brother of Shana Swash, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me...
. The actor had originally auditioned for the part of Spencer Moon
Spencer Moon
Spencer Moon is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Christopher Parker between 2002 and 2005. Spencer is the brother of Alfie Moon, played by Shane Richie.-Storylines:...
, which was eventually cast to Christopher Parker
Christopher Parker
Christopher Parker is an English actor and television presenter.- Early career :Christopher Parker’s career began at an early age as a model appearing in print campaigns and TV commercials. . He progressed onto small roles in TV dramas such as The Bill, London's Burning and Judge John Deed...
. However, the BBC bosses saw potential, and six months later, Swash was offered the part of Spencer's friend, Mickey.
The character was originally supposed to appear in only six episodes, but Mickey proved so popular with viewers that the soap's executive producer, Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge is a British writer of historical fiction. Before she became a novelist, she was best known as a television producer and script editor. The most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's EastEnders between 2002 and 2004...
, decided to make him into a regular character. Swash has commented, "I'm pleased it happened that way, I have done it on my own merit rather than coming in as part of a family. It's a bit more special."
The BBC has described Mickey as a "lovable character" and "a happy-go-lucky wide boy
Wide boy
Wide boy is a British term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it is synonymous with spiv. The word 'wide' is in this sense means wide-awake or sharp-witted...
." They continued, "Mickey is always on the look-out for a scam and a chance to make some easy money".
Introducing Mickey's family
For his first year in the soap, little was known about the character's background, which Swash commented on in an interview with the Sunday MirrorSunday Mirror
The Sunday Mirror is the Sunday sister paper of the Daily Mirror. It began life in 1915 as the Sunday Pictorial and was renamed the Sunday Mirror in 1963. Trinity Mirror also owns The People...
in February 2004: "It's weird because we don't know anything about Mickey's background. I was filming Kat
Kat Moon
Kathleen "Kat" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001. She appeared in the show from September 2000 to November 2004, then returned in May 2005...
and Alfie
Alfie Moon
Alfred William "Alfie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005...
's wedding and I thought, 'Hang on, where's my family? Why have I abandoned them on Christmas Day to go to some wedding?' But I'm sure it'll all become clear. I think they're going to get in some other characters around Mickey, some family and friends, so we'll find out more about him."
In April 2004, it was announced that Mickey's family would be introduced and the casting team held workshops, screen tests and script readings with the potential actors. Shana Swash
Shana Swash
Shana Frances Swash is an English actress best known for playing the role Demi Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders...
, the sister of Joe Swash, was cast as Mickey's younger half sister Demi Miller
Demi Miller
Demi Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shana Swash. She made her first appearance on 6 September 2004 and made her last on 7 July 2006 when she was axed by EastEnders executive producer Kate Harwood....
. Other family members included stepfather Keith
Keith Miller (EastEnders)
Keith Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Spinx. He made his first appearance on 6 September 2004. It was announced on 25 February 2008 that the characters of Keith and Mickey had been axed by EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer...
(David Spinx
David Spinx
David Spinx is an English actor, probably best known for playing Keith Miller in the BBC television soap opera EastEnders since 2004. He has previously appeared in EastEnders as a guest character in an episode in 1999 as the cellmate of Steve Owen and provided the voices on the radios in Barry...
), mother Rosie
Rosie Miller
Rosemary "Rosie" Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gerry Cowper. Her first appearance was 9 September 2004 and she was axed in 2006, with her final scenes airing July 2006....
(Gerry Cowper
Gerry Cowper
Geraldine Cowper is an English actress who is best known for playing Rosie Miller in EastEnders. In the mid 1980s she took the part of Clare France in After Henry on BBC radio and also appeared on television as Jim Hacker's daughter in Yes Minister.-Career:Cowper was Clare France, the youngest of...
) and half brother Darren
Darren Miller
Darren Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie G. Hawkins. He made his first appearance on 6 September 2004 and departed in the episode broadcast on 20 September 2011.-Storylines:...
(Charlie G. Hawkins
Charlie G. Hawkins
Charlie George Hawkins is an English actor. He was raised in Islington where he has lived since birth.His most notable role is Darren Miller in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has starred in since 2004, although he has had other roles in films, dramas, documentaries and advertisements...
). The family were publicised as "troublemakers" who were joining "in order to drum up conflict with existing characters." Louise Berridge said, "This lot are trouble. Even the dog is dodgy [...] They're set to cause havoc all over the square..." The family's introduction in September 2004 followed a survey in The Mirror newspaper which suggested that 57% of EastEnders viewers thought the soap had lost its appeal.
The following year, Mickey's family was completed by the introduction of his elder sister Dawn Swann
Dawn Swann
Dawn Roxanna Swann is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kara Tointon, who first appeared on 26 September 2005...
(Kara Tointon
Kara Tointon
Kara Louise Tointon is a British actress, best known for playing Dawn Swann in BBC soap opera EastEnders. Tointon was the 2010 winner of BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing.-Early life:...
), and his con-artist father Mike Swann (a guest character played by Mark Wingett
Mark Wingett
Mark Wingett , is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of Jim Carver in the ITV1 police procedural The Bill.-Career:...
), who both made their first appearance in a special week of off-set episodes, set in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in September 2005. In the storyline, Mickey went to France with some of his friends to visit his sister, and was surprised to see his estranged father, who had abandoned him as a child.
Development
As a "wheeler-dealer", Mickey bonded particularly well with another dodgy dealer on the Square, Mo HarrisMo Harris
Maureen "Big Mo" Harris is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who has been in the series since 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo is also played by Lorraine Stanley in a soap 'bubble' Pat and Mo, delving into her past with Pat Evans, which aired in 2004...
(Laila Morse
Laila Morse
Laila Morse is an English actress, best known for playing Mo Harris in BBC series EastEnders and Janet in the 1997 movie Nil by Mouth ."Laila Morse" is an anagram of an Italian phrase for "my sister" - a name she...
). Swash has commented, "It's natural for Mickey and Mo to be close because they're so similar. They're into the same things and doing business." Their interaction was mostly used for comedic purposes. In 2004, the duo were featured in a special plot to highlight the BBC's fundraising event, Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
, which tackles poverty and disadvantage, both in the UK and internationally. On-screen, Mickey competed in the Fitness First Sport Relief Mile, to raise money via sponsoring. As part of the storyline, Mo encouraged Mickey to keep the sponsorship money for himself, though Mickey eventually did "the right thing", donating the money to charity. Commenting on the storyline, Swash said, "Mickey is always trying to make money through some scam or another. But this time he has realised that there are people in this country and around the world who are much worse off than he is and he is determined to do his bit to help raise money for Sport Relief and help improve the lives of others."
Relationships were featured in the character's narrative, initially with Kareena Ferreira (Pooja Shah
Pooja Shah
Pooja Shah is a British Asian actress and model of Kenyan-Asian descent. Her grandparents migrated to Kenya from Gujarat in Western India and so her ancestral roots are there....
), in 2004. Kareena had taken a hiatus from the serial and returned two months later with what was billed as a "sexy new vamp look" — part of the producers attempt to popularise the much-criticised Ferreira family. Despite most of the male characters showing an interest in the new-look Kareena, she opted for Mickey, in what The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper described as a "sizzling storyline". Swash said, "[Mickey]'s always liked [Kareena]. His eyes nearly pop out of his head when she returns! I think they'd make a good couple because they're chalk and cheese." The relationship hit various setbacks. When Mickey discovered Kareena had taken cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, he contemplated finishing with her, leaving Kareena to be comforted by Mickey's business partner and Kareena's drug dealer, Juley Smith (Joseph Kpobie
Joseph Kpobie
Joseph Kpobie is a British actor, who plays Juley Smith in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He joined the show in 2002 and was axed in early 2005 after his character was criticised for being too stereotypical...
). Despite weathering these problems, it was a brief reprieve as the relationship ended the episode following their reconciliation in March 2005, when Kareena left the serial with her family. In reality, the entire Ferreira family had been axed by executive producer, Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison is a British television producer, whose credits include Playing the Field, Holby City and Casualty @ Holby City.-EastEnders:...
. Despite promising to stay for Mickey's sake, Kareena changed her mind at the last minute and left. Mickey's next relationship was with "bad girl" Li Chong (Elaine Tan
Elaine Tan
Elaine Tan is a British actress. She is of Chinese Descent.She attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School at an early age and appeared in commercials, TV, film, and stage productions, including West End productions of South Pacific and The King and I.She graduated in Law from the University of...
) in 2007, a fellow wheeler-dealer. The characters' storylines mainly concentrated on money-making schemes, including Li's cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
farm, and her attempt to "pimp" Mickey as a male escort; however, the relationship ended when Mickey started getting too serious, and Li left the serial in July 2007 when the character was written out.
In February 2008, it was announced that Mickey and his stepfather Keith were being axed from EastEnders. The characters were two of several axed by executive producer Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...
that year. Others included Gus Smith
Gus Smith
Augustus "Gus" Smith is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mohammed George. He made his first appearance on 28 May 2002. It was announced on 18 January 2008 that Gus would leave the show later in 2008...
, Steven Beale
Steven Beale
Steven Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1996, Edward Savage from 1997 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2008...
, and Honey Mitchell
Honey Mitchell
Susan "Honey" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emma Barton. She made her first appearance in the show on 22 November 2005. It was reported on 19 April 2008 that she had been axed from EastEnders, and her last appearance was on 2 September 2008...
. According to The Sun newspaper, producers told Joe Swash that they had run out of storylines for his character. A friend of Swash was quoted as saying, "Joe was stunned at first. He’s loved playing Mickey and felt the fans still enjoyed watching his antics. But he soon realised if the stories weren’t there, he didn’t want to be just going through the motions." Their axing lead to further disbandment of the Miller/Swann family. Both Mickey and Keith survived the axe in 2006 when Rosie and Demi Miller were written out. Darren Miller and Dawn Swann, the only remaining family members, were kept on.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper in June 2008, Swash has talked about his dissatisfaction with the direction the producers had taken Mickey. In Swash's opinion, Mickey had only been used for "light relief" since September 2005, when Swash was forced to take a three month break from the serial after he contracted meningoencephalitis
Meningoencephalitis
Meningoencephalitis is a medical condition that simultaneously resembles both meningitis, which is an infection or inflammation of the meninges, and encephalitis, which is an infection or inflammation of the brain.-Causes:...
— a rare form of viral meningitis, which makes the brain swell up. EastEnders writers were reported to be "frantically reworking scripts" to explain Mickey's sudden disappearance, and according to Swash, this meant that a big storyline concentrating on the relationship between Mickey and his estranged father Mike had to be cut. He has commented, "My illness had a massive impact on my job. When I came back I couldn’t find my feet. New producers came in and brought in new actors and I got lost down the pecking order [...] Ever since I came back, I’ve had nothing regular. As an actor you want storylines to stretch yourself. To be fair, I didn't work as much when the Miller family arrived in 2004. When it was just Mickey, I got really good stuff. I was over the moon about the family but producers needed to concentrate on developing their characters and I had to take a back seat [...] Mickey just became light relief – the joker. That’s all right but I’ve got more ambition. I would have stayed for ages if I had good stuff, but I wasn’t getting the work [...] I wasn't that upset when I was told [about the axing]. I kind of predicted it [...] My character hadn’t been working out for ages [...] it will be a relief not to be Mickey Miller any more!"
After being involved in a high-profile storyline that saw the Millers' home burned down in a gas explosion in June 2008, Mickey departed the serial two weeks later, joining his mother and sister for a new start. He departed on 1 July 2008.
On 17 July 2011, it was reported that Swash would reprise the role of Mickey the following week as part of a storyline focusing on Mickey's brother, Darren (Hawkins). Mickey's reappearance for two episodes was scripted to conincide with Darren's exit storyline. Mickey will appear from 19 September 2011.
Reception
The character, originally intended for one week's worth of episodes, proved popular with viewers, and was turned into a regular because of this. According to an article in The SunThe Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper in 2004, Mickey's actor Joe Swash received "1,000 letters a week from besotted girl fans", more than EastEnders "main hunk" Nigel Harman
Nigel Harman
Nigel Derek Harman is an English actor, most famous for his role as Dennis Rickman in the UK soap opera EastEnders. He has worked extensively in theatre, with the stage being described as his "first love"...
, who played Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nigel Harman. He entered the show on 14 April 2003 and made his last appearance on 30 December 2005, when he was fatally stabbed as the midnight fireworks began. He is part of the Watts family, though his...
.
Jaci Stephen, critic for the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
described Mickey as "fabulous" in 2004; however, in 2005, critic for The Mirror, Jim Shelley
Jim Shelley (TV critic)
Jim Shelley is a British television critic who writes a column for the Daily Mirror each Monday titled Shelleyvision. Prior to writing for the Daily Mirror he wrote for The Guardian and his collection of reviews "Interference: Tapehead vs. Television" was published by Atlantic Books...
, branded Mickey a moron and one of EastEnders weakest characters. During a period of heavy media criticism aimed at EastEnders in 2004, Shelley stated that the serial's "Tiresome obsession with petty crime" was one of the reasons for its decline in quality, with Mickey listed as one of the soap's "myriad criminals."
External links
- Mickey Miller at What's on TVWhat's On TVWhat's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-Overview:What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and competitions...