Gus Smith
Encyclopedia
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. This was reported to be a mutual decision between George and the producers.
in May 2002, working for a bed company and met Sonia Jackson
. Gus fell in love with Sonia and they got together after she split up with Jamie Mitchell
. When she and Jamie realised they still had feelings for each other, she broke up with Gus and reconciled with Jamie.
In July, Gus was joined in Walford by his troublesome brother Juley, taking over as local road sweeper, and was given Wellard
the dog when his friend Robbie Jackson
left London
for India
.
When friends Martin
and Vicki Fowler
broke into the Minute Mart, Gus investigated, was caught by police and was left to take the blame. In December 2003, Gus went on a trip to Scotland in a minibus with Zoe Slater
, Kelly Taylor
, Mickey Miller
, Spencer Moon
, Sonia, Martin, Vicki, Tariq Larousi and Ronny and Kareena Ferreira. When the bus crashed on a moor, nearly killing Zoe, Gus and Wellard, managed to find help for his stranded friends.
In 2004, Gus disposed of a handgun he found in Juley's bag. Juley's involvement in crime, including the theft of some charity money, led to his departure from Walford in April 2005, though he returned in September for a trip to France
with Gus, Mickey, Garry Hobbs
and Minty Peterson
. While in France, Gus met Mickey's sister and father Dawn
and Mike Swann. Mike exposed Juley as a con man, despite Juley's claims that he was a reformed character. Gus persuaded Juley to return to Walford permanently to turn over a new leaf.
In late 2005, Wellard bit Ian Beale
, who decided he wanted the dog put down. Wellard was imprisoned impending a trial, and the newly-arrived Deano Wicks
(aided by Dawn) started a campaign to free Wellard, selling t-shirts emblazoned with 'WOOF' (Walford One Owed Freedom) on Alfie Moon
's old stall, despite warnings from market inspector Marie Matthews. Wellard was freed on 12 January 2006, after Ian's partner Jane Collins
and children Peter
and Lucy
gave character witness statements.
When Juley mugged his ex-girlfriend, Ruby Allen
, Jake Moon
threatened to report Juley to the police. Gus helped Juley escape, despite being disgusted at Juley's actions, by stalling Jake and letting Juley out of the back door. Gus was briefly reunited with Sonia when she broke up with girlfriend Naomi Julien
, but she left him to reconcile with Martin.
In April 2008, Gus met and fell for a girl called Keisha (Suzie McGrath) but caught her in bed with Sean Slater
, his lodger who was two months behind on his rent. Sean fooled Keisha into thinking Gus was a womaniser. After announcing what Sean did to everyone in the Queen Vic, including Sean's girlfriend, Roxy Mitchell
, Gus attempted to evict Sean but was kicked out himself. Sean threatened to kill him if he didn't pay the rent, and kept Wellard
. Sean later claimed to want to make amends with Gus, but tricked him into believing he had killed and eaten his dog. On April 28, he was tied to a chair and Sean was about to give him a beating when Stacey Branning walked through the door.
Having been reunited with Keisha, Gus left on May 1 to travel with her band. However, he finally got his revenge on Sean, by exposing him as a cocaine dealer. Gus then left Walford.
. Discussing his character's exit storyline from the soap, George has commented: "Gus is wishing he'd never put himself in the position of sharing a flat with this madman (Sean Slater
). At this point, he's beside himself. Sean's crazy and looking for a target, and there's only one way this situation can end - Gus is convinced that Sean's going to do him in. [...] He goes so far as to barricade himself inside the flat - I think he loses it a bit, to be honest. Gus hasn't really got any friends left in the Square, and all he wants is for somebody to rescue him and take him away from this awful situation." The reappearance of the character's ex-girlfriend Keisha proves conflicting for Gus. "I think Gus is the type of guy who desperately wants to settle down with the girl of his dreams. It's very hard for him when he sees Keisha, because she hurt him so badly with Sean, and that pain hasn't gone away. But Gus is a very forgiving person, so who knows what will happen..."
Of his departure, George has said: "I've always been an EastEnders fan, so it has been an honour and pleasure being in the show. And I'm thankful that Gus wasn't overused on screen, as it means that I haven't been typecast I definitely feel ready to step into the shoes of a new character."
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 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...
. 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. This was reported to be a mutual decision between George and the producers.
Storylines
Gus first arrived 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 May 2002, working for a bed company and met Sonia Jackson
Sonia Fowler
Sonia Ann Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on 21 December 1993 and she made her final appearance on 2 February 2007...
. Gus fell in love with Sonia and they got together after she split up with Jamie Mitchell
Jamie Mitchell
Jamie Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jack Ryder, who made his first appearance on 9 November 1998. Ryder decided to leave in 2002, and his final episode aired Christmas Day 2002, when Jamie was killed off....
. When she and Jamie realised they still had feelings for each other, she broke up with Gus and reconciled with Jamie.
In July, Gus was joined in Walford by his troublesome brother Juley, taking over as local road sweeper, and was given Wellard
Wellard
Wellard is a fictional Belgian Tervuren dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He first appeared in the series on 18 October 1994, and became EastEnders longest-serving pet, before being killed off on 15 August 2008. Although the character is male, he has been played primarily by three female...
the dog when his friend Robbie Jackson
Robbie Jackson
Robert "Robbie" Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Dean Gaffney from 1993 to 2003. The character was axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He made brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two family weddings.-Backstory:Robbie was the product of a...
left London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
When friends Martin
Martin Fowler (EastEnders)
Martin Albert Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by James Alexandrou from 1996 to 2007.The role was previously played by Jon Peyton Price from early life as a baby in 1985 to 1996, just before Martin's teenage years began.-Storylines:Martin is the younger son...
and Vicki Fowler
Vicki Fowler
Victoria Louise "Vicki" Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Johnson from 2003 to 2004. The character was born in the serial, conceived in a...
broke into the Minute Mart, Gus investigated, was caught by police and was left to take the blame. In December 2003, Gus went on a trip to Scotland in a minibus with Zoe Slater
Zoe Slater
Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on the 18 September 2000...
, Kelly Taylor
Kelly Taylor (EastEnders)
Kelly Taylor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Brooke Kinsella. The character was introduced by executive producer John Yorke, in 2001...
, Mickey Miller
Mickey Miller
Michael "Mickey" Miller 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...
, 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:...
, Sonia, Martin, Vicki, Tariq Larousi and Ronny and Kareena Ferreira. When the bus crashed on a moor, nearly killing Zoe, Gus and Wellard, managed to find help for his stranded friends.
In 2004, Gus disposed of a handgun he found in Juley's bag. Juley's involvement in crime, including the theft of some charity money, led to his departure from Walford in April 2005, though he returned in September for a trip to 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...
with Gus, Mickey, Garry Hobbs
Garry Hobbs
Garry Pelé Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000...
and 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...
. While in France, Gus met Mickey's sister and father 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 Mike Swann. Mike exposed Juley as a con man, despite Juley's claims that he was a reformed character. Gus persuaded Juley to return to Walford permanently to turn over a new leaf.
In late 2005, Wellard bit 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...
, who decided he wanted the dog put down. Wellard was imprisoned impending a trial, and the newly-arrived Deano Wicks
Deano Wicks
Dean "Deano" Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Matt Di Angelo. He made his first appearance on 2 January 2006. It was announced on 18 August 2007 that the characters of Deano and his sister Carly were being axed by executive producer Diederick Santer...
(aided by Dawn) started a campaign to free Wellard, selling t-shirts emblazoned with 'WOOF' (Walford One Owed Freedom) on Alfie Moon
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 old stall, despite warnings from market inspector Marie Matthews. Wellard was freed on 12 January 2006, after Ian's partner Jane Collins
Jane Collins
Lesley Jane Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Laurie Brett since her first appearance on 22 June 2004. Brett took maternity leave in 2011 and departed on 19 May. Brett returned on 8 November the same year but on a temporary basis for three months. She...
and children Peter
Peter Beale
Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was played by Thomas Law from 2006 until 2010. The character has previously been portrayed by James Martin, Joseph Shade, Alex Stevens and Francis Brittin-Snell. Law took over the role on 31 August 2006...
and Lucy
Lucy Beale
Lucy Katherine Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Eva Brittin-Snell from 1993 to 1996, Casey Anne Rothery from 1996 until 2004, Melissa Suffield from 2004 to 2010 and Hetti Bywater from 2012 onwards. Lucy was introduced in December 1993 as the newborn baby...
gave character witness statements.
When Juley mugged his ex-girlfriend, Ruby Allen
Ruby Allen
Ruby Allen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Louisa Lytton. Her first appearance was on 18 March 2005 and her last was on 23 November 2006....
, Jake Moon
Jake Moon
Jacob "Jake" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Joel Beckett, who appeared from 30 December 2004 as a regular character.-Storylines:...
threatened to report Juley to the police. Gus helped Juley escape, despite being disgusted at Juley's actions, by stalling Jake and letting Juley out of the back door. Gus was briefly reunited with Sonia when she broke up with girlfriend Naomi Julien
Naomi Julien
Naomi Julien is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Petra Letang. She first appeared in the show in the episode broadcast on 15 August 2005. The character was axed in January 2007 and her final scenes were broadcast on 24 May 2007...
, but she left him to reconcile with Martin.
In April 2008, Gus met and fell for a girl called Keisha (Suzie McGrath) but caught her in bed with 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...
, his lodger who was two months behind on his rent. Sean fooled Keisha into thinking Gus was a womaniser. After announcing what Sean did to everyone in the Queen Vic, including Sean's girlfriend, Roxy Mitchell
Roxy Mitchell
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two...
, Gus attempted to evict Sean but was kicked out himself. Sean threatened to kill him if he didn't pay the rent, and kept Wellard
Wellard
Wellard is a fictional Belgian Tervuren dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He first appeared in the series on 18 October 1994, and became EastEnders longest-serving pet, before being killed off on 15 August 2008. Although the character is male, he has been played primarily by three female...
. Sean later claimed to want to make amends with Gus, but tricked him into believing he had killed and eaten his dog. On April 28, he was tied to a chair and Sean was about to give him a beating when Stacey Branning walked through the door.
Having been reunited with Keisha, Gus left on May 1 to travel with her band. However, he finally got his revenge on Sean, by exposing him as a cocaine dealer. Gus then left Walford.
Development
George originally auditioned for EastEnders as a member of the Trueman family, but was deemed by producers to be too young to play either Anthony or PaulPaul Trueman
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...
. Discussing his character's exit storyline from the soap, George has commented: "Gus is wishing he'd never put himself in the position of sharing a flat with this madman (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...
). At this point, he's beside himself. Sean's crazy and looking for a target, and there's only one way this situation can end - Gus is convinced that Sean's going to do him in. [...] He goes so far as to barricade himself inside the flat - I think he loses it a bit, to be honest. Gus hasn't really got any friends left in the Square, and all he wants is for somebody to rescue him and take him away from this awful situation." The reappearance of the character's ex-girlfriend Keisha proves conflicting for Gus. "I think Gus is the type of guy who desperately wants to settle down with the girl of his dreams. It's very hard for him when he sees Keisha, because she hurt him so badly with Sean, and that pain hasn't gone away. But Gus is a very forgiving person, so who knows what will happen..."
Of his departure, George has said: "I've always been an EastEnders fan, so it has been an honour and pleasure being in the show. And I'm thankful that Gus wasn't overused on screen, as it means that I haven't been typecast I definitely feel ready to step into the shoes of a new character."