Michael Moon (EastEnders)
Encyclopedia
Michael Moon is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Steve John Shepherd
. The character is a second cousin once removed of Alfie Moon
(Shane Richie
), who first appears on 1 October 2010 after Alfie's return. He is also the father to Tommy Moon, whose mother is Alfie's wife Kat
(Jessie Wallace
). Michael is later joined by his father Eddie Moon
(David Essex
) and half brothers Tyler
(Tony Discipline
) and Anthony
(Matt Lapinskas), and Michael's personality will be further explored with their arrival. Michael is described as a competitive and manipulative risk-taker who lives dangerously. He is a charmer with an eye for the ladies, but is willing to stab anyone in the back. He has a relationship with Roxy Mitchell
(Rita Simons) but is disliked by Roxy's sister Ronnie
(Samantha Womack), because when her son James died, she secretly swapped him with Tommy. He later becomes obsessed with Ronnie and sets her up to make sure she goes to prison. He also had a feud with his father.
for the lease of The Queen Victoria
public house. Alfie's wife Kat
(Jessie Wallace
) is not pleased to see him and insists that she and Alfie pay Michael back the money but Alfie wants to make him a business partner. Michael realises the baby Kat is carrying is his, and tells Alfie that he might find it hard to cope with someone else's child. He also tells Kat that Alfie will not want to raise someone else's child and tells her they would make a good family. Later, Kat thinks Michael has told Alfie it is his child but he has not so Michael says he is planning to go back to Spain. Michael goes to hospital with Kat after a minor incident and before he leaves, he says he has left her some money and a letter in the caravan, but Alfie finds it. Kat later agrees to go to Spain with Michael, but when Alfie tells Michael to look after Kat and the baby, Kat changes her mind. Michael leaves.
He returns a few months later, wanting to see his son Tommy, however, Alfie explains that he died from cot death. Michael leaves and is reunited with Max
(Jake Wood
) and Jack
(Scott Maslen
), with whom he attended school, and stays with Jack, meeting his wife Ronnie
(Samantha Womack). The next day Ronnie's sister Roxy Mitchell
(Rita Simons) takes an interest in Michael and he buys her drinks. Kat tries to get Michael to show his feelings and desperately kisses him, but he rejects her and leaves, not knowing that Alfie has seen this. When Roxy tells Ronnie she and Michael could become a couple and Jack reveals that he and Michael are planning to open a boxing club, Ronnie falsely claims that Michael came onto her, in an attempt to drive him out of Walford
. Jack punches Michael and Roxy tells him to stay away from her, and later Ronnie convinces Jack to buy Michael's half of the lease in the boxing club, but Michael tells him that Ronnie is obsessed with him. When Ronnie's lies are revealed, Michael and Jack reconcile. Michael sleeps with Roxy but is caught by her friend Christian Clarke
(John Partridge
) and his partner Syed Masood
(Marc Elliot). Michael incorrectly assumes that Christian is Roxy's partner, so leaves and meets another woman, Jenny Ashwood (Tracey Pretty), which upsets Roxy.
Michael and Jack open the boxing club. Ronnie attempts to rid Walford of Michael by asking Phil Mitchell
(Steve McFadden
) for help. Phil locks Michael in a van and leaves him at an abandoned warehouse. However, Michael escapes in time for the opening of the club. He starts a proper relationship with Roxy and helps Kat and Alfie reunite when their relationship breaks down. Later, after a night in the pub with Jack, he sees Ronnie and kisses her, thinking that she is playing the chase with him. However, Ronnie rejects him, making him more eager to win her. The next day, Michael sees Ronnie again and makes her feel very uncomfortable. When Ronnie reveals that her son James is in fact Tommy, and she secretly swapped the babies after James died of cot death, Michael shows little emotion and gets on with his everyday life. Jack is angry at him for this as he would love to be Michael as he has a son and Jack does not. They fight, which leads to Michael being hurt. His relationship with Roxy suffers after this, but they soon reconcile, until Michael's father Eddie Moon
(David Essex
) arrives in Walford to visit Alfie. Although Eddie talks to Michael as if there is nothing wrong, Michael repeatedly tells his father to leave Walford and to stay away from him, Tommy and Roxy. Eventually, Michael tells Roxy that Eddie murdered his mother. However, it transpires that she killed herself when Eddie left her alone with a seven-year-old Michael, and Michael blames his father for her death. Eddie's attempts to make amends are all turned down, and Michael rejects his half-brother Tyler
(Tony Discipline) when he arrives in Walford. He then starts sleepwalking and Ronnie helps him when he cuts his hand. The next night, he pretends to sleepwalk and gets into bed with Ronnie. He then starts telling Jack and Ronnie lies about Kat and Alfie and vice versa, leading to Alfie punching Jack. He goes through Ronnie's underwear drawer, and buys Roxy the same perfume as Ronnie, causing an argument when he tries to force her to wear it.
Ronnie tells Michael that he is the only person who understands her, and he tries to kiss her but she rejects him. Michael sees Jay Mitchell
(Jamie Borthwick
) and Abi Branning
(Lorna Fitzgerald
) leaving The Queen Victoria after breaking into it, but tells Kat, Alfie and Eddie that he saw Ronnie running from the scene. Ronnie confronts Michael about this, and asks him to tell Roxy the truth about everything. However, everyone believes Michael when he takes Ronnie's locket and pretends to find it in Tommy's pram. He then takes Roxy's phone and offers to look after Tommy, so he can text Ronnie from the phone asking to meet Roxy at the playground, where he leaves Tommy. He then calls Kat who finds Ronnie holding the baby. Roxy refuses to believe Ronnie until she sees the text message on Ronnie's phone, and Michael admits to setting Ronnie up after Roxy confronts him, saying that he needed to make sure that Ronnie went to prison. Roxy ends their relationship and tells Jack, who punches Michael. When Eddie's stock is burnt, he accuses Michael, who remains poker-faced. Eddie then suggests to Jack that Michael and Ronnie had sex, leading to Jack beating Michael, which Eddie witnesses, but walks away. Eddie and Michael seemingly make amends, but Eddie is unaware that it is part of a scheme, which includes paying a boxer to allow Tyler to believe he is a talented boxer.
When Michael sees Vanessa Gold
(Zöe Lucker
) ejected by her fiancé Max Branning
's (Jake Wood
) family, he watches as Eddie helps Vanessa. Michael and Vanessa later talk, and he offers to pay Vanessa to break Eddie's heart in revenge for destroying his mother's life. Meanwhile, when going through Eddie's things, he finds a photo of a young Eddie and a woman, holding a baby, with the name Craig and the date 13/3/1976 written on the back. Michael sets up an unlicenced boxing match between Tyler and a superior boxer, Artie Stiller (Maurice Lee), and convinces Tyler he can win. Vanessa finds out about this and wonders what Michael is trying to do, and he explains that his mother died on a particular date when Tyler's boxing match will be, the date he wants Carol to break up with Eddie. He threatens Vanessa so she will continue with the plan. Michael then convinces his other brother Anthony
) (Matt Lapinskas), who has had a gambling problem in the past, to place a bet on Tyler, and he takes £8000 from Eddie's safe to do so. Eddie discovers about the fight, but Michael assures him it will be fine as there will be a doctor and a proper referee. He also promises Jack he will find a new opponent. However, he does not do so, and also does not find a doctor. Michael is pleased when Jack sees Vanessa and Eddie together and tells Carol about it. During the fight, Tyler is knocked down several times during the fight but continues to get up and eventually wins, but then collapses and has a seizure. Anthony then confesses to Eddie that he took the money to bet against Tyler, so has lost it all.
At the hospital, Michael is angry at Eddie and laments him for being such a terrible father, before telling him he knows that he cheated on his mother as he has discovered he has a half-brother. Eddie tells him he has got it wrong and takes Michael to see Craig Moon (Elliott Rosen), who has Down's Syndrome, and Eddie reveals is his full-brother, who he placed into a care home. After talking with Craig, Michael accuses Eddie of rejecting him but Eddie reveals the truth about Michael's mother's suicide, informing Michael that she used him to get back at Eddie. After this, Michael apologises to Eddie and the two reconcile. Vanessa pays Michael a visit for her money but he said the deals off. Vanessa threatens to reveal the deal to Eddie so he pays her as long as she keep away from his family. Vanessa ignores this however, and reveals Michael's scheming to Eddie. Eddie then exposes Michael's actions to his brothers before leaving Walford, leaving Michael utterly devastated and entirely rejected by his family. At his lowest point, he has sex with Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
), regains his composure, and the couple embark on a relationship. When Janine discovers her father kept a huge secret from her when he was alive, she tells Michael it must be because she is unloveable, to which Michael says he loves her.
When Max and Jack's brother Derek Branning
(Jamie Foreman
) arrives in Walford, Michael is fearful of him.
explained that he had been a fan of Shepherd for many years, adding: "He's a fantastic signing for EastEnders, an exciting addition to the Moon family, and is set to cause a big splash in Albert Square
from the moment he arrives." Shepherd's contract was a long-running negotiation and he received confirmation whilst filming Waking the Dead
. His first appearance on screen was on 1 October 2010.
that Michael can be mercenary and has a cruel streak, but "there's darkness and light to him, really. Some moments you can see him being really quite cruel and then the next he can be quite compassionate and thoughtful." He told We Love Telly that "[Michael] takes pride in the way he dresses and he's always been quite successful with the ladies." Daniel Kileklly from Digital Spy
called Michael "enigmatic", and said he has a nasty side. Kirkwood compared Michael to Ronnie and Roxy's father, Archie Mitchell
(Larry Lamb
), saying they approach life and treat people in similar ways. The EastEnders website additionally calls Michael a "sinister", "flashy" and "jealous" man who "wouldn't think twice about screwing people over—even those he loves".
On 24 January 2011, it was announced that David Essex
had joined the cast as Michael's father, Eddie
, with whom Michael has a "fractured relationship". Shepherd said that Eddie's arrival will allow the reasons behind Michael's behaviour and his personality to be explored. Shepherd explained that animosity between Michael and Eddie exists because of "something dark and it's still very raw for Michael. It's made him the person he is today. It's why he is so damaged. And dangerous." He added that Eddie's return would stir up bad memories which could have a "damaging effect on Michael's relationships with the people around him". It was announced on the 10 May 2011 that Michael's half brothers were being introduced; Tony Discipline
playing Tyler Moon
, and Matt Lapinskas playing Anthony Moon
. Kirkwood said, "The Moon clan are on their way to becoming an established family in the Square." It was revealed by Inside Soap
that the rift between the two is because Michael's mother committed suicide and Michael found her body but he is convinced that Eddie killed her.
In May 2011, it was reported that Michael would develop an obsession with Ronnie and start to stalk her, with scenes including him sneaking into her bedroom to watch her sleep and going through her underwear drawer. It was also reported that Michael would spread lies about Ronnie, and ask Roxy to wear the same perfume as her sister. A source told the Daily Star, "Everyone knows Michael has a mean streak but he is set to get a whole lot worse. He's trying to meddle in as many people's lives as possible. It seems he wants Ronnie all to himself. But what exactly is he up to?" The storyline is reportedly being filmed as of May 2011.
. In May 2011, Shepherd was nominated in the Best Soap Newcomer category at the 2011 TV Choice Awards for his portrayal of Michael.
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 Steve John Shepherd
Steve John Shepherd
-Career:Shepherd first became known in 1996, when he played the role of Jo, the law clerk, in the critically acclaimed BBC drama This Life. He remained in the role for two series...
. The character is a second cousin once removed of 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...
(Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
), who first appears on 1 October 2010 after Alfie's return. He is also the father to Tommy Moon, whose mother is Alfie's wife 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...
(Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace is an English actress best known for her portrayal as Kat Moon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...
). Michael is later joined by his father Eddie Moon
Eddie Moon
Edward "Eddie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Essex. Eddie is the father of Michael Moon , Tyler Moon and Anthony Moon . Along with his children, Eddie was introduced to bring a "new generation" of the Moon family to the programme...
(David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
) and half brothers Tyler
Tyler Moon
Tyler Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Tony Discipline. Tyler is the son of Eddie Moon , half brother of Michael and Craig Moon , brother of Anthony Moon and cousin of Alfie Moon...
(Tony Discipline
Tony Discipline
Tony Discipline is an English actor. His best known role to date is the character of Tyler Moon, the youngest son of already established character Eddie Moon and on-screen brother of Anthony and Michael Moon .-Career:Discipline has had only one major role to date, Tyler Moon...
) and Anthony
Anthony Moon
Anthony Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Matt Lapinskas. Anthony is the son of Eddie Moon , half brother of Michael Moon and Craig Moon , brother of Tyler Moon , and cousin of Alfie Moon...
(Matt Lapinskas), and Michael's personality will be further explored with their arrival. Michael is described as a competitive and manipulative risk-taker who lives dangerously. He is a charmer with an eye for the ladies, but is willing to stab anyone in the back. He has a relationship with 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...
(Rita Simons) but is disliked by Roxy's sister Ronnie
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. Ronnie and her sister Roxy were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007; Ronnie is the "ice" to Roxy's "fire"...
(Samantha Womack), because when her son James died, she secretly swapped him with Tommy. He later becomes obsessed with Ronnie and sets her up to make sure she goes to prison. He also had a feud with his father.
Storylines
Michael arrives in Albert Square to loan money to his cousin Alfie MoonAlfie 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...
for the lease of The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
public house. Alfie's wife 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...
(Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace is an English actress best known for her portrayal as Kat Moon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...
) is not pleased to see him and insists that she and Alfie pay Michael back the money but Alfie wants to make him a business partner. Michael realises the baby Kat is carrying is his, and tells Alfie that he might find it hard to cope with someone else's child. He also tells Kat that Alfie will not want to raise someone else's child and tells her they would make a good family. Later, Kat thinks Michael has told Alfie it is his child but he has not so Michael says he is planning to go back to Spain. Michael goes to hospital with Kat after a minor incident and before he leaves, he says he has left her some money and a letter in the caravan, but Alfie finds it. Kat later agrees to go to Spain with Michael, but when Alfie tells Michael to look after Kat and the baby, Kat changes her mind. Michael leaves.
He returns a few months later, wanting to see his son Tommy, however, Alfie explains that he died from cot death. Michael leaves and is reunited with Max
Max Branning
Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
(Jake Wood
Jake Wood
Jake Dylan Wood is an English actor, best known in his homeland for playing Max Branning on "EastEnders" and in the United States as the current voice of the GEICO gecko.-Biography:...
) and Jack
Jack Branning
Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim and Reenie Branning and the brother of April Branning, Carol Jackson, Derek Branning, Suzy Branning and Max Branning...
(Scott Maslen
Scott Maslen
Scott Alexander Maslen is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's The Bill and now Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap EastEnders.-Early and personal life:...
), with whom he attended school, and stays with Jack, meeting his wife Ronnie
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. Ronnie and her sister Roxy were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007; Ronnie is the "ice" to Roxy's "fire"...
(Samantha Womack). The next day Ronnie's sister 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...
(Rita Simons) takes an interest in Michael and he buys her drinks. Kat tries to get Michael to show his feelings and desperately kisses him, but he rejects her and leaves, not knowing that Alfie has seen this. When Roxy tells Ronnie she and Michael could become a couple and Jack reveals that he and Michael are planning to open a boxing club, Ronnie falsely claims that Michael came onto her, in an attempt to drive him out of 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...
. Jack punches Michael and Roxy tells him to stay away from her, and later Ronnie convinces Jack to buy Michael's half of the lease in the boxing club, but Michael tells him that Ronnie is obsessed with him. When Ronnie's lies are revealed, Michael and Jack reconcile. Michael sleeps with Roxy but is caught by her friend Christian Clarke
Christian Clarke
Christian Clarke is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Partridge. He made his first appearance on 17 January 2008.-Storylines:...
(John Partridge
John Partridge (performer)
John Partridge is an English actor, singer, dancer, panelist and television presenter, who is probably best known for the role of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC television soap opera EastEnders, having joined the cast in January 2008...
) and his partner Syed Masood
Syed Masood
Syed Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Marc Elliott, and first appeared on screen on 21 April 2009. Syed is the eldest son of Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood , and brother of Tamwar and Shabnam and Kamil Masood...
(Marc Elliot). Michael incorrectly assumes that Christian is Roxy's partner, so leaves and meets another woman, Jenny Ashwood (Tracey Pretty), which upsets Roxy.
Michael and Jack open the boxing club. Ronnie attempts to rid Walford of Michael by asking 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...
(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:...
) for help. Phil locks Michael in a van and leaves him at an abandoned warehouse. However, Michael escapes in time for the opening of the club. He starts a proper relationship with Roxy and helps Kat and Alfie reunite when their relationship breaks down. Later, after a night in the pub with Jack, he sees Ronnie and kisses her, thinking that she is playing the chase with him. However, Ronnie rejects him, making him more eager to win her. The next day, Michael sees Ronnie again and makes her feel very uncomfortable. When Ronnie reveals that her son James is in fact Tommy, and she secretly swapped the babies after James died of cot death, Michael shows little emotion and gets on with his everyday life. Jack is angry at him for this as he would love to be Michael as he has a son and Jack does not. They fight, which leads to Michael being hurt. His relationship with Roxy suffers after this, but they soon reconcile, until Michael's father Eddie Moon
Eddie Moon
Edward "Eddie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Essex. Eddie is the father of Michael Moon , Tyler Moon and Anthony Moon . Along with his children, Eddie was introduced to bring a "new generation" of the Moon family to the programme...
(David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
) arrives in Walford to visit Alfie. Although Eddie talks to Michael as if there is nothing wrong, Michael repeatedly tells his father to leave Walford and to stay away from him, Tommy and Roxy. Eventually, Michael tells Roxy that Eddie murdered his mother. However, it transpires that she killed herself when Eddie left her alone with a seven-year-old Michael, and Michael blames his father for her death. Eddie's attempts to make amends are all turned down, and Michael rejects his half-brother Tyler
Tyler Moon
Tyler Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Tony Discipline. Tyler is the son of Eddie Moon , half brother of Michael and Craig Moon , brother of Anthony Moon and cousin of Alfie Moon...
(Tony Discipline) when he arrives in Walford. He then starts sleepwalking and Ronnie helps him when he cuts his hand. The next night, he pretends to sleepwalk and gets into bed with Ronnie. He then starts telling Jack and Ronnie lies about Kat and Alfie and vice versa, leading to Alfie punching Jack. He goes through Ronnie's underwear drawer, and buys Roxy the same perfume as Ronnie, causing an argument when he tries to force her to wear it.
Ronnie tells Michael that he is the only person who understands her, and he tries to kiss her but she rejects him. Michael sees Jay Mitchell
Jay Brown
James "Jay" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jamie Borthwick. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 14 December 2006.-Backstory:...
(Jamie Borthwick
Jamie Borthwick
Jamie Simon Borthwick is a British actor.-Career:Borthwick portrays Jay Brown in EastEnders, though his first appearance on mainstream television was as an orphan in the Celebrate 'Oliver!' musical alongside Shane Richie and Joseph McManners...
) and 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 :...
) leaving The Queen Victoria after breaking into it, but tells Kat, Alfie and Eddie that he saw Ronnie running from the scene. Ronnie confronts Michael about this, and asks him to tell Roxy the truth about everything. However, everyone believes Michael when he takes Ronnie's locket and pretends to find it in Tommy's pram. He then takes Roxy's phone and offers to look after Tommy, so he can text Ronnie from the phone asking to meet Roxy at the playground, where he leaves Tommy. He then calls Kat who finds Ronnie holding the baby. Roxy refuses to believe Ronnie until she sees the text message on Ronnie's phone, and Michael admits to setting Ronnie up after Roxy confronts him, saying that he needed to make sure that Ronnie went to prison. Roxy ends their relationship and tells Jack, who punches Michael. When Eddie's stock is burnt, he accuses Michael, who remains poker-faced. Eddie then suggests to Jack that Michael and Ronnie had sex, leading to Jack beating Michael, which Eddie witnesses, but walks away. Eddie and Michael seemingly make amends, but Eddie is unaware that it is part of a scheme, which includes paying a boxer to allow Tyler to believe he is a talented boxer.
When Michael sees Vanessa Gold
Vanessa Gold
Vanessa Gold is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She is portrayed by Zöe Lucker, and has appeared in EastEnders since 4 June 2010. A "dynamic and assured" businesswoman, Vanessa was created by series consultant Simon Ashdown to be "a Zöe Lucker-type"...
(Zöe Lucker
Zöe Lucker
Zöe Elizabeth Lucker is an English actress best known for playing the roles of Tanya Turner on ITV's Footballers' Wives and Vanessa Gold in EastEnders.-Career:...
) ejected by her fiancé Max Branning
Max Branning
Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
's (Jake Wood
Jake Wood
Jake Dylan Wood is an English actor, best known in his homeland for playing Max Branning on "EastEnders" and in the United States as the current voice of the GEICO gecko.-Biography:...
) family, he watches as Eddie helps Vanessa. Michael and Vanessa later talk, and he offers to pay Vanessa to break Eddie's heart in revenge for destroying his mother's life. Meanwhile, when going through Eddie's things, he finds a photo of a young Eddie and a woman, holding a baby, with the name Craig and the date 13/3/1976 written on the back. Michael sets up an unlicenced boxing match between Tyler and a superior boxer, Artie Stiller (Maurice Lee), and convinces Tyler he can win. Vanessa finds out about this and wonders what Michael is trying to do, and he explains that his mother died on a particular date when Tyler's boxing match will be, the date he wants Carol to break up with Eddie. He threatens Vanessa so she will continue with the plan. Michael then convinces his other brother Anthony
Anthony Moon
Anthony Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Matt Lapinskas. Anthony is the son of Eddie Moon , half brother of Michael Moon and Craig Moon , brother of Tyler Moon , and cousin of Alfie Moon...
) (Matt Lapinskas), who has had a gambling problem in the past, to place a bet on Tyler, and he takes £8000 from Eddie's safe to do so. Eddie discovers about the fight, but Michael assures him it will be fine as there will be a doctor and a proper referee. He also promises Jack he will find a new opponent. However, he does not do so, and also does not find a doctor. Michael is pleased when Jack sees Vanessa and Eddie together and tells Carol about it. During the fight, Tyler is knocked down several times during the fight but continues to get up and eventually wins, but then collapses and has a seizure. Anthony then confesses to Eddie that he took the money to bet against Tyler, so has lost it all.
At the hospital, Michael is angry at Eddie and laments him for being such a terrible father, before telling him he knows that he cheated on his mother as he has discovered he has a half-brother. Eddie tells him he has got it wrong and takes Michael to see Craig Moon (Elliott Rosen), who has Down's Syndrome, and Eddie reveals is his full-brother, who he placed into a care home. After talking with Craig, Michael accuses Eddie of rejecting him but Eddie reveals the truth about Michael's mother's suicide, informing Michael that she used him to get back at Eddie. After this, Michael apologises to Eddie and the two reconcile. Vanessa pays Michael a visit for her money but he said the deals off. Vanessa threatens to reveal the deal to Eddie so he pays her as long as she keep away from his family. Vanessa ignores this however, and reveals Michael's scheming to Eddie. Eddie then exposes Michael's actions to his brothers before leaving Walford, leaving Michael utterly devastated and entirely rejected by his family. At his lowest point, he has sex with Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
Charlie Brooks
Charlene "Charlie" Brooks is a Welsh actress, best known for playing Janine Butcher on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Acting career:...
), regains his composure, and the couple embark on a relationship. When Janine discovers her father kept a huge secret from her when he was alive, she tells Michael it must be because she is unloveable, to which Michael says he loves her.
When Max and Jack's brother Derek Branning
Derek Branning
Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 onwards. Derek is the eldest child of Jim and Reenie Branning . He made his first appearance on 29 April 1996 and departed not long after...
(Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in Layer Cake and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist . He played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth and also featured in Elizabeth , Gangster No. 1 and Sleepy Hollow...
) arrives in Walford, Michael is fearful of him.
Casting and introduction
Shepherd's casting in the role of Michael was announced on 28 July 2010. Shepherd said of his casting: "I can vividly remember watching the first ever episode of EastEnders and I'm very excited to be joining such a fantastic and iconic programme. Michael Moon will be an exciting character to play". Executive producer Bryan KirkwoodBryan Kirkwood (producer)
Bryan Kirkwood is a Scottish-born British television producer. He was the producer of teen Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and has been the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders since 2010.- Personal life :...
explained that he had been a fan of Shepherd for many years, adding: "He's a fantastic signing for EastEnders, an exciting addition to the Moon family, and is set to cause a big splash in 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...
from the moment he arrives." Shepherd's contract was a long-running negotiation and he received confirmation whilst filming Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead (TV series)
Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series produced by the BBC featuring a fictional Cold Case Unit comprising CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode aired in September 2000 and there have been a total of nine series...
. His first appearance on screen was on 1 October 2010.
Personality
Michael is described as a competitive and manipulative risk-taker who lives dangerously, and a charmer with an eye for the ladies, but he is willing to stab anyone in the back. Shepherd said that "on the surface he's a loveable, cheeky chappy, but underneath he has hidden depths which will be exciting to explore." Shepherd opined that viewers would be unlikely to vote for him in polls such as 'sexiest male' because his character is "duplicitous": "I think viewers tend to fall in love with the character you play, and if they go for a duplicitous rogue, I'd be very surprised!" He told What's on TVWhat's On TV
What'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...
that Michael can be mercenary and has a cruel streak, but "there's darkness and light to him, really. Some moments you can see him being really quite cruel and then the next he can be quite compassionate and thoughtful." He told We Love Telly that "[Michael] takes pride in the way he dresses and he's always been quite successful with the ladies." Daniel Kileklly from Digital Spy
Digital 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....
called Michael "enigmatic", and said he has a nasty side. Kirkwood compared Michael to Ronnie and Roxy's father, Archie Mitchell
Archie Mitchell
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Larry Lamb.The character of Archie is the father of already established characters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell , and a member of the Mitchell family, who have appeared in the soap since 1990...
(Larry Lamb
Larry Lamb (actor)
Lawrence Douglas "Larry" Lamb is an English actor who has worked frequently in television. He is best known for playing one of the greatest villains of British soap Archie Mitchell in the BBC television soap EastEnders, Michael Shipman in the BBC television show Gavin & Stacey and Mischievous...
), saying they approach life and treat people in similar ways. The EastEnders website additionally calls Michael a "sinister", "flashy" and "jealous" man who "wouldn't think twice about screwing people over—even those he loves".
Storyline development
Although Michael leaves Walford when he is rejected by Kat, he returns to see his son, Tommy. Shepherd told Buzz magazine that Michael has feelings for Kat but respects the fact she is married, though finds it hard to resist temptation. He is also attracted to Roxy but does not want to be tied down. When Alfie sees Kat kissing Michael, he feels embarrassed and shocked, but also concerned about Alfie and Kat's marriage, which Shepherd said shows a new side to Michael. After going on a date with Roxy, Shepherd said that Michael likes her no-nonsense, feisty nature and her wild side, adding that they make a good couple. Kirkwood said that "Roxy's a little girl lost and Michael could be the worst possible man for her. But how long will it take her to realise that?" Speaking of Ronnie's dislike of Michael, Shepherd said "He can't work out why Ronnie doesn't like him, so he assumes she must fancy him."On 24 January 2011, it was announced that David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
had joined the cast as Michael's father, Eddie
Eddie Moon
Edward "Eddie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Essex. Eddie is the father of Michael Moon , Tyler Moon and Anthony Moon . Along with his children, Eddie was introduced to bring a "new generation" of the Moon family to the programme...
, with whom Michael has a "fractured relationship". Shepherd said that Eddie's arrival will allow the reasons behind Michael's behaviour and his personality to be explored. Shepherd explained that animosity between Michael and Eddie exists because of "something dark and it's still very raw for Michael. It's made him the person he is today. It's why he is so damaged. And dangerous." He added that Eddie's return would stir up bad memories which could have a "damaging effect on Michael's relationships with the people around him". It was announced on the 10 May 2011 that Michael's half brothers were being introduced; Tony Discipline
Tony Discipline
Tony Discipline is an English actor. His best known role to date is the character of Tyler Moon, the youngest son of already established character Eddie Moon and on-screen brother of Anthony and Michael Moon .-Career:Discipline has had only one major role to date, Tyler Moon...
playing Tyler Moon
Tyler Moon
Tyler Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Tony Discipline. Tyler is the son of Eddie Moon , half brother of Michael and Craig Moon , brother of Anthony Moon and cousin of Alfie Moon...
, and Matt Lapinskas playing Anthony Moon
Anthony Moon
Anthony Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Matt Lapinskas. Anthony is the son of Eddie Moon , half brother of Michael Moon and Craig Moon , brother of Tyler Moon , and cousin of Alfie Moon...
. Kirkwood said, "The Moon clan are on their way to becoming an established family in the Square." It was revealed by Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
that the rift between the two is because Michael's mother committed suicide and Michael found her body but he is convinced that Eddie killed her.
In May 2011, it was reported that Michael would develop an obsession with Ronnie and start to stalk her, with scenes including him sneaking into her bedroom to watch her sleep and going through her underwear drawer. It was also reported that Michael would spread lies about Ronnie, and ask Roxy to wear the same perfume as her sister. A source told the Daily Star, "Everyone knows Michael has a mean streak but he is set to get a whole lot worse. He's trying to meddle in as many people's lives as possible. It seems he wants Ronnie all to himself. But what exactly is he up to?" The storyline is reportedly being filmed as of May 2011.
Reception
Michael was called "creepy and a bit slimy" by a writer for website Holy SoapHoly Soap
Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas Home and Away and Neighbours, which are broadcast on the channel...
. In May 2011, Shepherd was nominated in the Best Soap Newcomer category at the 2011 TV Choice Awards for his portrayal of Michael.