Stella Crawford
Encyclopedia
Stella Crawford is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Sophie Thompson
. She left the show on 20 July 2007.
's (Steve McFadden
) new lawyer. They begin dating but Phil's son Ben Mitchell (Charlie Jones
) is unhappy about it. Stella moves in with them and Ben tries breaking them up. Stella tricks him into trusting her, and attempts to end his friendship with Abi Branning
(Lorna Fitzgerald
). After some time, Stella begins physically and mentally abusing Ben. She later forces Ben to get Phil to propose to her, and lies that she has taken a job in Manchester
. Phil proposes and she accepts. She continues tormenting Ben by calling him names, pinching him and manipulating him to confess to things he has not done. She also convinces him that he caused a car accident that he and Phil were involved in. Ben then goes to football camp during the school holidays, upsetting Stella. Ben returns, and Stella creeps into his room and tells him she loves him, knowing Phil is listening outside. This finalises Phil's feelings towards her and he is determined to marry for Ben. Ben tells Abi what is happening, but he believes it is a normal part of growing up that will happen to her too. The pair try to run away from home, but Stella stops them. She smashes a photo of Ben's mother, and says he is too pathetic to be Phil's real son. Abi later realises what Stella is doing and stands up to Stella.
On the day of Phil and Stella's wedding day, Ben tells Stella he does not want her to be his mum and Stella threatens Ben, warning him to keep quiet. Halfway through the ceremony, Ben confesses what Stella has been doing to him. Stella runs home, spills orange juice on Ben's bed and takes a picture of Phil and Ben, tearing Phil out and keeping the piece with Ben tucked in her bra. Ian Beale
(Adam Woodyatt
) sees Stella in shock who says she has discovered something out about Phil. Phil bursts into the Vic and Ian tells Stella to go. She takes the car again and Phil follows her to an abandoned factory, where she locks the gates so Phil cannot get to her. She says that in her childhood, she was always blamed for her sister's death and she felt like she was a ghost in her own home and she feels the same with Phil, and that when she feels like in a dream she sometimes has to pinch herself to wake herself up. Phil, reasoning that Stella is insane, drives his car into the gates and runs after her onto the roof. She threatens to jump off unless Phil says he loves her. Phil answers that he chose her because he thought she was convenient for Ben and would be a good wife. Stella looks down from the roof and then jumps, killing herself instantly.
interviewed Sophie Thompson about the basics of her character Stella. She revealed that even though her character is a very nasty piece of work, nobody has shouted any comments to her on the street. She commented: "I've been pleasantly surprised. Occasionally you get the odd kid laughing and pointing but it's not been unpleasant at all. I've been amazed by the amount of post you get up at Elstree and how thoughtful the correspondence is. It's really nice to read a letter and see how people become engaged and involved in the storylines and want to have a good yarn about them!"
Stella was created solely as a love interest for the character Phil Mitchell
. When Steve McFadden
, who plays Phil, returned to the show in October 2005, a story conference was held between the show's producers, who decided that his relationship with his son Ben would take priority over any new love interests. Another story conference was held in February 2006, where it was decided to introduce a new love interest. EastEnders series story producer, Brigie de Courcy
, said; "To create her, we took all of Phil's past lovers and came up with somebody completely different from them!"
Producers created a "wish list" of actresses they wanted to see. The EastEnders casting director offered the role to Sophie Thompson, who accepted. Producers were so excited that the whole office cheered when they found out that Thompson had accepted the role. Thompson has said of the role that "joining EastEnders is a bit like being welcomed into a really special playground that you never thought you had the chance to play in, and you are rather in awe of all the kids, but very excited."
was an unpleasant and untrustworthy person, probably as a result of poor parenting. Later in the same episode, she picks up a Mother's Day picture that she did with Ben and glares at the word "Mother" before later tearing up the card. It is known that something ghastly happened to Stella's sister for which her parents blamed her. However, it is never revealed what happened to her or how, or if it was Stella's fault. This is later confirmed to be true when she tells Phil Mitchell that as a child she was ignored by her parents and felt like a ghost within her own home.
Stella, at times, gives the impression of being emotionally immature, a frequent side-effect of parental neglect. An interview with Sophie Thompson says that Charlie Jones
who plays Ben mused that her vicious nature is caused by the fact that she had a very unhappy childhood.
included Stella in their feature on bunny boilers. They stated that anyone who falls in love with Phil needs "their head examined". The added that she was manipulative
and "proved to be a basket-case".
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 Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson is an award-winning English actress, best known for playing Stella Crawford in EastEnders.-Early life:...
. She left the show on 20 July 2007.
Storylines
Stella is introduced as Phil MitchellPhil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
's (Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
) new lawyer. They begin dating but Phil's son Ben Mitchell (Charlie Jones
Charlie Jones (actor)
Charlie George Jones is a young English actor. Jones has been a student in the Anna Fiorentini theater and drama school.He is probably best known for his portrayal of Ben Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he played for four years from 2006 to 2010. According to the Internet Movie...
) is unhappy about it. Stella moves in with them and Ben tries breaking them up. Stella tricks him into trusting her, and attempts to end his friendship with Abi Branning
Abi Branning
Abigail "Abi" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006.- Storylines :...
(Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Katie Fitzgerald is a British actress from Northampton. She lives in Hunsbury. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the British soap opera EastEnders.- Personal life :...
). After some time, Stella begins physically and mentally abusing Ben. She later forces Ben to get Phil to propose to her, and lies that she has taken a job in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Phil proposes and she accepts. She continues tormenting Ben by calling him names, pinching him and manipulating him to confess to things he has not done. She also convinces him that he caused a car accident that he and Phil were involved in. Ben then goes to football camp during the school holidays, upsetting Stella. Ben returns, and Stella creeps into his room and tells him she loves him, knowing Phil is listening outside. This finalises Phil's feelings towards her and he is determined to marry for Ben. Ben tells Abi what is happening, but he believes it is a normal part of growing up that will happen to her too. The pair try to run away from home, but Stella stops them. She smashes a photo of Ben's mother, and says he is too pathetic to be Phil's real son. Abi later realises what Stella is doing and stands up to Stella.
On the day of Phil and Stella's wedding day, Ben tells Stella he does not want her to be his mum and Stella threatens Ben, warning him to keep quiet. Halfway through the ceremony, Ben confesses what Stella has been doing to him. Stella runs home, spills orange juice on Ben's bed and takes a picture of Phil and Ben, tearing Phil out and keeping the piece with Ben tucked in her bra. Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
(Adam Woodyatt
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor and media personality, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
) sees Stella in shock who says she has discovered something out about Phil. Phil bursts into the Vic and Ian tells Stella to go. She takes the car again and Phil follows her to an abandoned factory, where she locks the gates so Phil cannot get to her. She says that in her childhood, she was always blamed for her sister's death and she felt like she was a ghost in her own home and she feels the same with Phil, and that when she feels like in a dream she sometimes has to pinch herself to wake herself up. Phil, reasoning that Stella is insane, drives his car into the gates and runs after her onto the roof. She threatens to jump off unless Phil says he loves her. Phil answers that he chose her because he thought she was convenient for Ben and would be a good wife. Stella looks down from the roof and then jumps, killing herself instantly.
Creation and development
In July 2007, the entertainment website Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
interviewed Sophie Thompson about the basics of her character Stella. She revealed that even though her character is a very nasty piece of work, nobody has shouted any comments to her on the street. She commented: "I've been pleasantly surprised. Occasionally you get the odd kid laughing and pointing but it's not been unpleasant at all. I've been amazed by the amount of post you get up at Elstree and how thoughtful the correspondence is. It's really nice to read a letter and see how people become engaged and involved in the storylines and want to have a good yarn about them!"
Stella was created solely as a love interest for the character Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
. When Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
, who plays Phil, returned to the show in October 2005, a story conference was held between the show's producers, who decided that his relationship with his son Ben would take priority over any new love interests. Another story conference was held in February 2006, where it was decided to introduce a new love interest. EastEnders series story producer, Brigie de Courcy
Brigie de Courcy
Brigie de Courcy is a television producer.Graduating from University College Dublin with a PhD in Drama, she began working for Radio Telefís Éireann as an assistant script editor on the Irish soap Fair City. After a promotion to Script Editor and successful stints as Story Editor and Producer on...
, said; "To create her, we took all of Phil's past lovers and came up with somebody completely different from them!"
Producers created a "wish list" of actresses they wanted to see. The EastEnders casting director offered the role to Sophie Thompson, who accepted. Producers were so excited that the whole office cheered when they found out that Thompson had accepted the role. Thompson has said of the role that "joining EastEnders is a bit like being welcomed into a really special playground that you never thought you had the chance to play in, and you are rather in awe of all the kids, but very excited."
Personality
When she was first introduced, Stella appeared to be a scatterbrained but well-meaning character who lived on her own and had developed something of a drink problem when Phil first met her. She dryly comments on this, saying "You're getting a basic picture of a spinster here, aren't you? You're probably wondering if I've got any cats." However, as the show went on and her relationship with Phil's son, Ben, was explored, it became clear that Stella was a deranged and mentally unstable character, who psychologically and physically abused Ben whilst manipulating him in her attempts to improve her relationship with his father. Supposedly, Stella's instability is a result of parental neglect. This is hinted at by her telling Ben that his friend Abi BranningAbi Branning
Abigail "Abi" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006.- Storylines :...
was an unpleasant and untrustworthy person, probably as a result of poor parenting. Later in the same episode, she picks up a Mother's Day picture that she did with Ben and glares at the word "Mother" before later tearing up the card. It is known that something ghastly happened to Stella's sister for which her parents blamed her. However, it is never revealed what happened to her or how, or if it was Stella's fault. This is later confirmed to be true when she tells Phil Mitchell that as a child she was ignored by her parents and felt like a ghost within her own home.
Stella, at times, gives the impression of being emotionally immature, a frequent side-effect of parental neglect. An interview with Sophie Thompson says that Charlie Jones
Charlie Jones (actor)
Charlie George Jones is a young English actor. Jones has been a student in the Anna Fiorentini theater and drama school.He is probably best known for his portrayal of Ben Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he played for four years from 2006 to 2010. According to the Internet Movie...
who plays Ben mused that her vicious nature is caused by the fact that she had a very unhappy childhood.
Reception
Radio TimesRadio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
included Stella in their feature on bunny boilers. They stated that anyone who falls in love with Phil needs "their head examined". The added that she was manipulative
Psychological manipulation
Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
and "proved to be a basket-case".
External links
- Stella Crawford at BBC Online