Paul Trueman
Encyclopedia
Paul Trueman is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Gary Beadle
between 2001 and 2004. Gary was introduced as part of the already established Trueman family. He was portrayed as a bad boy. Beadle left the role in 2004, following a suspension, reportedly for failing to learn his lines. In his exit storyline, Paul became a drug dealer, and Beadle has been critical of the storyline, suggesting it played into black, racial stereotyping. It was implied that Paul was killed upon his exit, though his death was not screened.
, abandoned Paul and Paul's younger brother Anthony during their childhood, and remained estranged from them. Paul was rebellious in his teens and engaged in crime, which upset his Christian mother; she believed that Paul would lead Anthony astray. Anthony achieved academically, unlike Paul, so when Anthony had a car crash whilst drunk and crippled a young girl, Paul took the blame and went to prison to save his brother. Audrey was allegedly unaware of this and disowned Paul.
the goods and gambling the money he receives. This fails and he ends up with less money than he began with. When Angel comes to collect his money, Paul fails to pay, so Angel gives him a severe beating and trashes Audrey's bed and breakfast
. After more threats from Angel, Paul blackmails his brother, Anthony, into giving him the money. Anthony has no choice but to oblige; he takes out a loan
and Paul pays Angel.
In September 2001, Audrey is struck by falling debris while walking past some building works. Several days later, after an argument with Paul during which he revealed Anthony was the one who was driving at the time of the accident, Audrey collapses and dies, caused by a delayed reaction to the blow she received earlier. Just before she dies, Audrey tells Paul that she knew about Anthony being the driver and tells Paul to tell Anthony that she loves him. Paul replies "What about me?". Just as Audrey is about to say something to him, she dies. However, everything is left to Paul in Audrey's will. Paul's supposed father Patrick
arrives in Walford for her funeral. Paul initially reacts to Patrick with apprehension but they eventually bond. Both are devastated when Anthony discovers via DNA tests that Patrick is not Paul's biological father. Paul later discovers he is the biological child of Milton Hibbert, Patrick's friend with whom Audrey had been having an affair. Despite this, Patrick and Paul maintain a close relationship.
Angel returns in June 2002 with more orders for Paul. Angel is soon to stand trial for murder and is using his wife, Precious, as a fake alibi. He tells Paul to guard her until she could testify. Paul obliges and Precious moves to Albert Square
. Paul and Precious begin an affair, but both fear repercussions from Angel. Precious refuses to be Angel's alibi, hoping that he will be imprisoned, but he is found not guilty. Paul and Precious make plans to flee the country, but Angel apprehends them
stating that if he ever discovers they have resumed their relationship, he will kill them both. Precious has no choice but to finish with Paul and leave Walford alone.
In 2003, Paul is shocked when an abandoned baby is left on his doorstep. The child is the result of a one-night-stand between Paul and a woman called Amy. Amy dumps her on Paul's doorstep, and he struggles to cope as a single parent. He names the baby Eleanor, after his stepfather, Patrick
's mother. As Paul starts to cope with looking after Eleanor, Amy decides she wants her back and Social Services collect her, leaving Paul heartbroken.
In 2003, Paul begins sleeping with Janine Butcher; they concoct a plan to fleece Barry Evans
of all his money. Janine professes to love Barry while all the time sleeping with Paul. She even marries Barry, thinking he is terminally ill so she can inherit his wealth, but the illness is a false alarm, and following the wedding, Janine confesses their marriage is a sham and pushes Barry away, repulsed; he falls down a ravine to his death. Paul suffers from immense guilt about his involvement in this. He finishes with Janine and in his guilt, makes a conscious effort to support Barry's grieving ex-wife Natalie Evans
. Paul develops feelings for Natalie and they begin a relationship, but he struggles with his guilt. After Natalie grows suspicious of the nature of Paul's relationship with Janine, Paul finally reveals Janine's role in Barry's death and makes a statement to the police. Janine is questioned but released due to lack of evidence. She promptly tells Natalie that Paul had conspired with her to "fleece" Barry from the start, and gloats about getting away with murder. Devastated, and unable to prove Janine's guilt to the police, Natalie leaves Paul and Albert square in Spring 2004.
Paul then decides to leave Walford
and join his brother travelling Europe, but returns to Albert Square
to see Patrick and Yolande
marry and is persuaded to stay in Walford. Paul has a spell working with troubled youth, but begins to get involved in crime again in the latter part of 2004 when he starts drug dealing for Andy Hunter. After being arrested Paul informs the police about Andy's criminal dealings to the police, which proves to be his undoing, as Andy then orders him killed in December 2004. Paul considers escaping, but realises his family would be in danger if he does, so he says a tearful goodbye to Patrick, leaving in a taxi; the driver of the taxi is a hitman, sent by Andy. Paul tells Patrick he is leaving and will not be seen again. Patrick is not aware that Paul is actually leaving to get killed. Paul's last words, while in the taxi, are "Make it quick, mate". A month later, when Patrick wants to find Paul after he fails to get in contact with him, he discovers Paul has been killed, and identifies his corpse. He swears revenge on Andy and eventually gets his wish when Andy is killed in February 2005 by Johnny Allen
.
, reportedly for not learning his lines. A source told the press, "He should be thankful he still has his job. Gary is a good actor - this must be why producers decided to give him a second chance."
in 2004, Beadle stated that the storyline had a negative effect on his private life, with public shouting at him in the street things such as 'Drug dealer' or 'Sell me some drugs'. Beadle suggested that the storyline was "about a very deep subject and if you are going to write about that subject then you need to explain it completely. I'm just talking about believability. You need to show the beginning, the middle and the end, otherwise it looks negative." Beadle also said that he was disappointed that Paul was not shown to die on-screen - his death was implied not screened.
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 Gary Beadle
Gary Beadle
Gary Beadle is an English actor, best known for playing Paul Trueman in EastEnders and Gary Barwick in Operation Good Guys....
between 2001 and 2004. Gary was introduced as part of the already established Trueman family. He was portrayed as a bad boy. Beadle left the role in 2004, following a suspension, reportedly for failing to learn his lines. In his exit storyline, Paul became a drug dealer, and Beadle has been critical of the storyline, suggesting it played into black, racial stereotyping. It was implied that Paul was killed upon his exit, though his death was not screened.
Backstory
Born in 1969, Paul was the eldest son of Audrey Trueman. The man he thought was his father, Patrick TruemanPatrick Trueman
Patrick Neville Loftus Alfonso Trueman is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.-Backstory:...
, abandoned Paul and Paul's younger brother Anthony during their childhood, and remained estranged from them. Paul was rebellious in his teens and engaged in crime, which upset his Christian mother; she believed that Paul would lead Anthony astray. Anthony achieved academically, unlike Paul, so when Anthony had a car crash whilst drunk and crippled a young girl, Paul took the blame and went to prison to save his brother. Audrey was allegedly unaware of this and disowned Paul.
2001-2004
Paul follows his mother and brother to Walford in 2001 after being estranged for them for some time. Audrey rejects him, but he decides to stay, blackmailing Anthong for money in exchange for keeping his drink-driving secret. Paul started playing in Steve Owen's poker games, when an old acquaintance of his, Angel Hudson, joins a game and instanty recognises Paul. It transpires that Paul owes Angel money, and Angel threatens Paul's life unless he pays up. Paul tries to get the money by stealing property from his mother, Audrey Trueman, pawningPawnbroker
A pawnbroker is an individual or business that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral...
the goods and gambling the money he receives. This fails and he ends up with less money than he began with. When Angel comes to collect his money, Paul fails to pay, so Angel gives him a severe beating and trashes Audrey's bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
. After more threats from Angel, Paul blackmails his brother, Anthony, into giving him the money. Anthony has no choice but to oblige; he takes out a loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
and Paul pays Angel.
In September 2001, Audrey is struck by falling debris while walking past some building works. Several days later, after an argument with Paul during which he revealed Anthony was the one who was driving at the time of the accident, Audrey collapses and dies, caused by a delayed reaction to the blow she received earlier. Just before she dies, Audrey tells Paul that she knew about Anthony being the driver and tells Paul to tell Anthony that she loves him. Paul replies "What about me?". Just as Audrey is about to say something to him, she dies. However, everything is left to Paul in Audrey's will. Paul's supposed father Patrick
Patrick Trueman
Patrick Neville Loftus Alfonso Trueman is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.-Backstory:...
arrives in Walford for her funeral. Paul initially reacts to Patrick with apprehension but they eventually bond. Both are devastated when Anthony discovers via DNA tests that Patrick is not Paul's biological father. Paul later discovers he is the biological child of Milton Hibbert, Patrick's friend with whom Audrey had been having an affair. Despite this, Patrick and Paul maintain a close relationship.
Angel returns in June 2002 with more orders for Paul. Angel is soon to stand trial for murder and is using his wife, Precious, as a fake alibi. He tells Paul to guard her until she could testify. Paul obliges and Precious moves 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...
. Paul and Precious begin an affair, but both fear repercussions from Angel. Precious refuses to be Angel's alibi, hoping that he will be imprisoned, but he is found not guilty. Paul and Precious make plans to flee the country, but Angel apprehends them
stating that if he ever discovers they have resumed their relationship, he will kill them both. Precious has no choice but to finish with Paul and leave Walford alone.
In 2003, Paul is shocked when an abandoned baby is left on his doorstep. The child is the result of a one-night-stand between Paul and a woman called Amy. Amy dumps her on Paul's doorstep, and he struggles to cope as a single parent. He names the baby Eleanor, after his stepfather, Patrick
Patrick Trueman
Patrick Neville Loftus Alfonso Trueman is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.-Backstory:...
's mother. As Paul starts to cope with looking after Eleanor, Amy decides she wants her back and Social Services collect her, leaving Paul heartbroken.
In 2003, Paul begins sleeping with Janine Butcher; they concoct a plan to fleece Barry Evans
Barry Evans (EastEnders)
Barry Evans is a fictional character played by Shaun Williamson. He appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders between 1994 and 2004. The character was portrayed as a "buffoon." Williamson controversially left the serial after ten years in 2003 after executive producer Louise Berridge refused to...
of all his money. Janine professes to love Barry while all the time sleeping with Paul. She even marries Barry, thinking he is terminally ill so she can inherit his wealth, but the illness is a false alarm, and following the wedding, Janine confesses their marriage is a sham and pushes Barry away, repulsed; he falls down a ravine to his death. Paul suffers from immense guilt about his involvement in this. He finishes with Janine and in his guilt, makes a conscious effort to support Barry's grieving ex-wife Natalie Evans
Natalie Evans
Natalie Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lucy Speed between 1994 and 2004. Natalie first appeared in January 1994, depicted initially as an unhappy, insecure teenager; she was among various regular characters brought in to increase the cast following the...
. Paul develops feelings for Natalie and they begin a relationship, but he struggles with his guilt. After Natalie grows suspicious of the nature of Paul's relationship with Janine, Paul finally reveals Janine's role in Barry's death and makes a statement to the police. Janine is questioned but released due to lack of evidence. She promptly tells Natalie that Paul had conspired with her to "fleece" Barry from the start, and gloats about getting away with murder. Devastated, and unable to prove Janine's guilt to the police, Natalie leaves Paul and Albert square in Spring 2004.
Paul then decides to leave Walford
Walford
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...
and join his brother travelling Europe, but returns 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...
to see Patrick and Yolande
Yolande Trueman
Yolande Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Angela Wynter. The character made her final appearance on 3 October 2008.-Storylines:...
marry and is persuaded to stay in Walford. Paul has a spell working with troubled youth, but begins to get involved in crime again in the latter part of 2004 when he starts drug dealing for Andy Hunter. After being arrested Paul informs the police about Andy's criminal dealings to the police, which proves to be his undoing, as Andy then orders him killed in December 2004. Paul considers escaping, but realises his family would be in danger if he does, so he says a tearful goodbye to Patrick, leaving in a taxi; the driver of the taxi is a hitman, sent by Andy. Paul tells Patrick he is leaving and will not be seen again. Patrick is not aware that Paul is actually leaving to get killed. Paul's last words, while in the taxi, are "Make it quick, mate". A month later, when Patrick wants to find Paul after he fails to get in contact with him, he discovers Paul has been killed, and identifies his corpse. He swears revenge on Andy and eventually gets his wish when Andy is killed in February 2005 by Johnny Allen
Johnny Allen (EastEnders)
Jonathan "Johnny" Allen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Billy Murray.-Storylines:Johnny Allen was a businessman and retired gangster, who grew up in Walford but moved away to start up an empire of his own which he named J.A. Enterprises...
.
Creation and development
It was reported in March 2004 that Beadle had been suspended for two months by executive producer Louise BerridgeLouise 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...
, reportedly for not learning his lines. A source told the press, "He should be thankful he still has his job. Gary is a good actor - this must be why producers decided to give him a second chance."
Reception
Gary Beadle was critical of his exit storyline, accusing EastEnders of racial stereotyping for turning his character into a drug dealer. He commented to The Mirror: "I hate the storyline, I'm really not happy about it. It's so unimaginative, full of stereotypes - black people and drugs, blah, blah, blah. Any scenes involving drugs, you can rest assured I hated filming them. I just knew Paul wouldn't do that - it's not his style. Once they started hanging my character so dramatically, I knew I'd made the right decision to leave." Speaking to BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in 2004, Beadle stated that the storyline had a negative effect on his private life, with public shouting at him in the street things such as 'Drug dealer' or 'Sell me some drugs'. Beadle suggested that the storyline was "about a very deep subject and if you are going to write about that subject then you need to explain it completely. I'm just talking about believability. You need to show the beginning, the middle and the end, otherwise it looks negative." Beadle also said that he was disappointed that Paul was not shown to die on-screen - his death was implied not screened.