Paul J. Medford
Encyclopedia
Paul J. Medford is a British
actor
and performer of Barbadian
descent. He is best known for playing the role of Kelvin Carpenter
in the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
from the show's inception in 1985 to 1987. He has since appeared in numerous West End
musicals
, including a long stage run in the hit show Five Guys Named Moe
.
for ten years. After graduating he appeared in several feature films and television prgrammes, which included Return of the Saint
(1978) and The Professionals
(1983).
In 1985 Medford became one of the original cast of the BBC's new soap opera, EastEnders. He played Kelvin, the son of Tony Carpenter
(Oscar James
), for over two years. During his stint on EastEnders Medford managed minor musical chart success with fellow 'EastEnder' Letitia Dean
who played Sharon Watts. A song penned for the pair as part of a plotline in the show prompted them to release a single entitled "Something Outa Nothing
", which made number 12 in the UK singles chart in November 1986.
Kelvin was one of the more popular characters in the show's early years and Medford remained in the serial following the departures of all of his on-screen family. He eventually quit the role in 1987 in order to follow his ambition of becoming a singer/dancer.
Medford is a trained singer with a High Baritone range and his dancing repertoire includes tap
, ballet
, jazz
, contemporary
and Latin. Following his departure from EastEnders, Medford found success on stage. He has appeared in several West End
musicals, including The Lion King
as 'Banzai'; as Little Mo in Five Guys Named Moe; as Fitzroy in The Queen And I and as Hud in Hair
among others. Medford earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 1991 for Best Actor in the Musical
Five Guys Named Moe and in 1995 he received the Society of Black Arts Achievement Award.
Medford's other television credits include: This Life
(1997), Invasion: Earth
(1998); Casualty (2003) and as the presenter 'Blake Wordsworth' in the children's BBC programme The Story Makers
(2002).
Medford was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical by whatsonstage.com in 2010. Results will be announced in Feb 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and performer of Barbadian
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
descent. He is best known for playing the role of Kelvin Carpenter
Kelvin Carpenter
Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul J. Medford.Kelvin was a bright spark and full of initiative. He opened several businesses in Albert Square and even formed a band. He was a bit of a heartbreaker in EastEnders early years, but he ended up...
in 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...
from the show's inception in 1985 to 1987. He has since appeared in numerous West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, including a long stage run in the hit show Five Guys Named Moe
Five Guys Named Moe
Five Guys Named Moe is a musical with a book by Clarke Peters and lyrics and music by Louis Jordan and others. The musical originated in the UK in 1990 at Theatre Royal Stratford East, running for over four years in the West End, and then premiering on Broadway in 1992...
.
Career
Medford attended the Barbara Speake stage school and the Italia Conti AcademyItalia Conti Academy
The Italia Conti Academy is a theatre arts training school based in London. It was founded in 1911 by actress Italia Conti...
for ten years. After graduating he appeared in several feature films and television prgrammes, which included Return of the Saint
Return of the Saint
Return of the Saint was a British action-adventure television series that aired for one season in 1978 and 1979 in Britain on ITV, and was also broadcast on CBS in the United States...
(1978) and The Professionals
The Professionals (TV series)
The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
(1983).
In 1985 Medford became one of the original cast of the BBC's new soap opera, EastEnders. He played Kelvin, the son of Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Oscar James.Happy go lucky Tony tried to carve himself a successful business and steady home for his family, but nothing he did was ever good enough for his nagging wife.-Storylines:Trinidadian born Tony, married...
(Oscar James
Oscar James
Oscar James is a Trinidadian actor, who is based in the United Kingdom. He has had a long and varied career, but is best known for appearing on British television, in particular the BBC soap opera EastEnders, where he played original character, Tony Carpenter, for over two years...
), for over two years. During his stint on EastEnders Medford managed minor musical chart success with fellow 'EastEnder' Letitia Dean
Letitia Dean
Letitia Dean is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Sharon Watts in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, who was one of the serial's original characters. Dean was part of the original cast in 1985 and remained in the series until 1995...
who played Sharon Watts. A song penned for the pair as part of a plotline in the show prompted them to release a single entitled "Something Outa Nothing
Something Outa Nothing
"Something Outa Nothing" is a song written by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James, for the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It featured in an EastEnders storyline in 1986 and was recorded by actors Letitia Dean and Paul J. Medford...
", which made number 12 in the UK singles chart in November 1986.
Kelvin was one of the more popular characters in the show's early years and Medford remained in the serial following the departures of all of his on-screen family. He eventually quit the role in 1987 in order to follow his ambition of becoming a singer/dancer.
Medford is a trained singer with a High Baritone range and his dancing repertoire includes tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, jazz
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
, contemporary
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
and Latin. Following his departure from EastEnders, Medford found success on stage. He has appeared in several West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
musicals, including The Lion King
The Lion King (musical)
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well...
as 'Banzai'; as Little Mo in Five Guys Named Moe; as Fitzroy in The Queen And I and as Hud in Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
among others. Medford earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 1991 for Best Actor in the Musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Five Guys Named Moe and in 1995 he received the Society of Black Arts Achievement Award.
Medford's other television credits include: This Life
This Life
This Life is a BBC television drama that was produced by World Productions and screened on BBC Two. Two series were broadcast in 1996 and 1997 and a reunion special in 2007....
(1997), Invasion: Earth
Invasion: Earth (TV series)
Invasion: Earth is a BBC science fiction TV series. It was made in collaboration with the Sci Fi Channel, and released in 1998 as six fifty minute episodes.-Creation and production:...
(1998); Casualty (2003) and as the presenter 'Blake Wordsworth' in the children's BBC programme The Story Makers
The Story Makers
The Story Makers is a children's television programme broadcast on the BBC's pre-school digital television network, CBeebies. The Story Makers is set in a children’s library, and encourages literacy and creativity.-The programme:...
(2002).
Medford was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical by whatsonstage.com in 2010. Results will be announced in Feb 2011.