Scott Maslen

**Scott Maslen** (born 25 June 1971) is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's The Bill and Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap EastEnders. He has also taken part in the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing. He plays the role of James Holloway on E!'s The Royals.

## **Early & Personal Life**

Maslen was born in Woolwich, London, England on 25 June 1971. As a young boy Maslen admired the Royal Marines and attended Bromley Marine Cadets on a Monday and a Thursday at T.S. Narvik in Bromley Common. He was brought up in Woolwich and signed up to join the Royal Marines with his school friends, Marcus Marnham and Simon Farnham at the age of 16. He later sustained an injury whilst doing the PRMC (Potential Royal Marines Course), resulting in him not gaining entry to the Recruit training course. He has been a vegetarian since the age of 18; he discussed this on appearances on both The Paul O'Grady Show and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. In 2009, he was voted as PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian alongside singer Leona Lewis.

He is married to Estelle Maslen (née Rubio), who is the mother of his son Zak Alexander Maslen (born January 2001). The couple were together for nine years before they were married on 6 September 2008. Several of Maslen's co-stars were in attendance at his wedding, including: Samantha Womack, Rita Simons, Charlie Clements, Jo Joyner, Steve McFadden, Barbara Windsor, Patsy Palmer, Diane Parish and Perry Fenwick.

He is best friends with his EastEnders co-star Samantha Womack, whom he has known since they were teenagers, and her husband Mark Womack. He is also godfather to their two children, Lily-Rose and Benjamin Womack. Benjamin is also best friends with Maslen's son Zak.

Maslen is a keen carp fisherman, and has been involved in many charity events.

Maslen has admitted that he once feared that he killed a man during a street fight. Maslen said that the incident happened after he went to help a friend who had phoned Maslen to say that he was being racially abused. Of the incident, Maslen said:

"I met him there and he knocked on their door. He received a complete tirade of racist abuse from this 40-something geezer, the father of some of the boys. We were just 16. I was about 15st and had just been sitting on the wall listening. Suddenly it had all gone off and turned very nasty. The father went back in the house, I thought to call the police, but actually came back outside with a baseball bat. One of the kids pulled a bit of steel piping from a nearby skip. He swung it into my ribs, then into the side window of a car. I was an animal trapped up a dead end street. Somehow I grabbed the piping, went back up the street and whacked the dad. We ran off. It was a mad two minutes. I stayed up that night studying for my O level history exam the next day but all the time in the back of my mind thinking 'maybe I killed him'."
Maslen has also been attacked twice, once by a football hooligan and once after he started a fight. Of the attacks Maslen said:

"Following West Ham I remember getting a boot in the face at Crystal Palace's ground. I was only about 14. Personally, I overstepped the mark just once. I started taking the p\*\*\* but picked the wrong bloke. I thought it had all died down but an hour later in the toilets he hit me in the back of the head with a cosh and then spun me around and struck me again. I knew I just had to take it as a weapon was involved. I think that what's saved me."
Maslen has said that it was these incidents that made him turn his life around.?

In April 2015, Maslen admitted that he had rejected the chance to return to EastEnders saying "I didn't want to go back just 18 months after leaving. There is an element of snobbery with soaps. It means people in the industry don't see you as an actor, they see you as a commodity."

## **Career**

At age 18 he went to Miami and was spotted by photographer Bruce Weber. As a result of this encounter he began a career as an international model. Five years later, he turned to acting. After training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama he landed a role in the successful television series Lock, Stock... in 2000. He has also played the live action rendition of Claude Speed in DMA Design's promotional video and opening sequence for Grand Theft Auto 2. After a few more television and film roles he landed his part in The Bill in 2002.

On 13 July 2007 it was announced that Maslen would be leaving The Bill and joining the cast of EastEnders as regular character Jack Branning. His love interest was Ronnie Mitchell, played by best friend Samantha Womack. Both actors commented that they were uncomfortable doing love scenes since they have known each other most of their lives and are like brother and sister. Maslen left EastEnders on 15 October 2013.

Maslen performed in the pantomime Aladdin at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth over the Christmas/New Year period of 2013/14. He will perform the same pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury over the Christmas/New Year period of 2014/15. He will perform it again at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley over Christmas/New Year 2015/16.

## **Strictly Come Dancing**

Maslen participated in the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing with professional dancer Natalie Lowe and his performances were favourably received by the judges. He was the 2nd celebrity of 2010 to score a 10 from the judges, following fellow EastEnders actress Kara Tointon scoring a 10 for her Pasodoble in week 5, the same week where Maslen scored three 10s for his Viennese Waltz. In week 7 he also received three 10s for his Jive, with Bruno stating that it was the best Jive since former EastEnders star Jill Halfpenny's in Series 2, and received just one point less. Maslen showed a natural talent for dancing, topping the leaderboard on many occasions, however was eliminated in week 11 of the series.