Sean Slater
Encyclopedia
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. It was announced on 18 January 2008 that Kazinsky would finish filming the show in October 2008, but that the character would remain on screen until New Year. He made his final appearance on 1 January 2009.
. He was joined five years later by a sister Stacey
. He adored his father but had a fractured relationship with his mother due to her suffering from bipolar disorder
. He became rebellious, constantly going out of his way to scare his mother. In December 1999, he had an argument with his father and punching him, causing him to suffer a brain haemmorage and die while working on a building job the next day. Sean panicked and on his sixteenth birthday he ran away, joined the army and had no contact with his family.
on 22 August 2006, to take revenge on the newly arrived Al, who had caused Sean to lose his job in the armed forces. He broke into Al's flat, and later followed him into the Queen Victoria
pub where, by chance, he saw his sister Stacey
, whom he had lost contact with following the death of their father, Brian. After taking revenge on Al, Sean decided to stay in Walford to look after his sister.
Sean immediately began to pursue Tanya Branning
, before deciding to start a relationship with Ruby Allen
after discovering her to be wealthy. Sean proposed to Ruby, but continued to pursue Tanya and slept with numerous other women, including Karin Jones and Preeti Choraria. When Ruby's father died, she became infatuated with Sean, interfering in his relationships with his family, including his bipolar mother Jean
, who Sean could not abide. Sean was furious when Ruby informed Jean that he was back in town; he threw Ruby's father's ashes at her and dumped her.
In 2007, Sean started a relationship with Chelsea Fox
, but slept with her stepsister Carly Wicks
, causing a multitude of rows in the process. Scorned, Chelsea enlisted the help of Carly's brother Deano
and attempted to frame Sean for the assault of shopkeeper Patrick Trueman
. Sean's attempt to escape arrest failed, and only made him look guilty. He was wrongfully imprisoned. From prison, Sean orchestrated an attack on Deano, so Carly broke up with him; however, she later discovered Chelsea in possession of CCTV footage proving Sean was innocent of Patrick's assault. Despite her family's protests, Carly handed the footage into the police. Sean was subsequently released, and Deano and Chelsea were arrested for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Sean took revenge by cutting Chelsea's hair while she slept, and assaulting Deano.
Sean was furious when he discovered that his sister Stacey had been sleeping with Max Branning
, the father of her fiancé Bradley
. He tried to put a stop to Stacey and Bradley's wedding, but eventually allowed it to go ahead. The affair was discovered on Christmas Day 2007, and Sean comforted Max's wife Tanya in her hour of need. They became involved, and Sean confessed to her that he was responsible for his father's death. He had punched his father in the head, and the next day, Brian had collapsed and fallen from some scaffolding. Unable to cope with the guilt, Sean had fled, leaving Stacey to look after their mentally unstable mother.
Shortly after her split from Max, Tanya started a relationship with Sean and he formed an unexpected bond with her children, especially Lauren
who was the one who had shown the family the recording of Max and Stacey. Then in March 2008, they plotted to fake Tanya's reconciliation with Max in order to gain all of his assets then flee the country with the kids.
Tanya pretended to split up with Sean and reunite with Max, but secretly the two conspired to bury her husband alive. Tanya later released Max. Much to Sean's surprise, Tanya scorns and rejects him when he tells her he wants them to be a family. She revealed that she had only used him to get her revenge on Max. Sean threatens to tell the kids about what she had done, but Tanya counters by threatening to tell Stacey that Sean killed their beloved father. Sean keeps quiet.
He took the rejection hard and had another meltdown. He began a casual relationship with Roxy Mitchell
, as well as tormenting his flatmate Gus Smith
. He revealed that he planned to kill Gus and make it look like suicide. Before he could go through with this, he was stopped by Stacey, who decided he would move back in with the Slaters. Roxy and Sean split up, and Gus revealed to the Slaters that Sean was involved in drugs.
Sean was stunned to discover Roxy was pregnant, and assumed that he was the father, unaware she had also slept with Jack Branning
. He offered to support her, but was rebuked by Roxy, who left Walford for Ibiza. Sean too departed from Albert Square temporarily, returning in July. He discovered Roxy was now staying in Weymouth with her father. He travelled to Weymouth where Roxy had been staying with her father Archie
and having a casual relationship with his gardener. However, after being discouraged by her father to return with Sean, after gathering her sister's support she and Sean returned to Walford where Roxy moved in with him. After Roxy’s sister Ronnie Mitchell
thought that Sean was involved in drugs, she disproved of their relationship, but came to support them when Sean and Roxy married in August. Sean had an antagonistic relationship with Roxy's father Archie Mitchell
, disliking having to accept money from him for a deposit on a flat. On 13 November 2008 when Roxy went into premature labour with their daughter, Archie pretended to, but did not actually inform Sean, who consequently did not arrive at the hospital until after Roxy had given birth. She named the baby Amy Slater, after Ronnie Mitchell
's daughter, Danielle Jones
, who was originally named Amy and was given up for adoption.
On 3 December 2008, Jack Branning asked Roxy for a paternity test. She received the results on 12 December 2008 but hid them after she goes to help her cousin, Billy Mitchell
, who is injured when crates fall on top of him. Roxy recovered the results, but not before Archie found them and made a copy. A few weeks later, Sean secured a deposit on a flat, but it was in Dagenham
. This infuriated Archie and had led him to plot to reveal the DNA results with the help of Suzy Branning
.
On 25 December 2008, Sean read the results of the DNA test which Suzy planted in Ben Mitchell's (Charlie Jones
) home made Christmas Crackers. Sean was devastated and attacked Jack Branning
(who was the father of Amy), then went on the rampage, kidnapping baby Amy.
On 1 January 2009, Sean gave Amy to Stacey and asked her to look after her for a few days, but she couldn't do it and gave Amy back to the Mitchells. Sean returned to the Vic and convinced Roxy to leave with him and Amy, but drove them to an icy lake with Ronnie and Jack in pursuit with the intention of driving into the water and drowning as a family. Roxy quickly got out of the car but Amy was still strapped in. When Ronnie and Jack arrived, Roxy coaxed Sean out onto the ice to allow Amy to be rescued. With Ronnie and Jack watching, the ice broke and the pair go under. Sean freed Roxy from the weeds in which she was entangled as Ronnie dived into the water to rescue her. Roxy and Ronnie escaped the frozen lake, but there was no sign of Sean. Roxy saw Sean crawling out of the water while Ronnie and Jack were warming up back at the car. She urged him to flee, and Sean walked away into the darkness.
and mother Jean
. He was first mentioned on 9 December 2005 when his sister, Stacey, unfolded a family picture to reveal a fourth member (Sean). It was first announced on 13 April 2006 that the character would be joining EastEnders in the coming months, with the revelation made that: "He's going to enter the Square with a bang and will be at the centre of some of the biggest storylines of the year." A month later, on 18 May 2006, it was announced that Rob Kazinsky had been cast in the role of Sean. Kazinsky said of his casting: "I've grown up with EastEnders so I can't quite believe I'll soon be part of the Slater family."
Kazinsky has also spoken extensively on several of his character's romantic relationships, declaring in August 2007 that: "Until he knows himself and can forgive himself and actually let his guard down, he’s never going to be in a position where he can give to anybody other than himself. At the moment he’s a completely selfish, self-serving character." At the time, he speculated that "There’s not a single woman who can bring him out of himself, because he’s plagued by inner turmoil. Women can have a tempestuous fling with Sean, but they can’t ever have love with him, because he doesn’t love himself." This idea was expanded on during the character's relationship with Tanya Branning
, of which Kazinsky explained: "I don't believe he loves Tanya, I think he's obsessed with her which is a different thing entirely. I think that unconsciously he wants to pay homage to his dad Brian by being the father that he was. And stepping into Max's shoes and taking over his family would have helped him to do that. It's all to do with the guilt he felt over killing his father which is silly really. He didn't stick a knife in him or anything. He hit him and the next day he died of an aneurysm
. But as a 16-year-old boy Sean blamed it on himself."
In January 2007, Kazinsky was suspended from the show for a period of two months, following allegations he had sent raunchy, inappropriate text messages to a model. The character was temporarily written out of the soap, with a statement released by the BBC
which explained: "Following the story in the Sunday People on 7 January 2007, EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer has taken the decision to suspend Robert Kazinsky from early February for a period of two months. In addition, Robert Kazinsky would like to apologise for any offence caused to EastEnders' viewers and for bringing the show into disrepute."
On 18 January 2008, it was announced that the character was to be written out of EastEnders following Kazinsky's decision to quit the soap. The actor said of his decision: "If I had done everything I wanted to do as an actor before I joined EastEnders I would have wanted to stay forever. I have really enjoyed my time with the show - it's such a wonderful place to work and it's become more like a second home to me. I'll be sad to leave." In December 2009, Diederick Santer was asked if anything in the year had not gone as he expected it to. He replied: "[F]or whatever reason, I don't think Sean's exit on New Year's Day was our finest moment. Unusually for EastEnders, we peaked Christmas and New Year with the story and the same bunch of characters and by the time we got to New Year it had rather played out."
In May 2009, Kazinsky revealed that he would return to EastEnders if Roxy was leaving and would be part of her leaving storyline. Talking to Digital Spy
he said, "I've always said that whatever happens if Rita ever leaves, I want to be in her exit storyline... I'd love to do that."
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 Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearances as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009.-Background:Kazinsky was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, the son of...
. Sean left the Square temporarily on 27 March 2007, as Kazinsky was suspended from work for two months. He returned on 28 May 2007. It was announced on 18 January 2008 that Kazinsky would finish filming the show in October 2008, but that the character would remain on screen until New Year. He made his final appearance on 1 January 2009.
Backstory
Sean was born on Christmas Day 1983, to Brian and Jean SlaterJean Slater
Jean Elaine Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. She appeared in December 2004 briefly and in December 2005. She returned as a recurring character in June 2006 and returned again as a regular character from November 2006...
. He was joined five years later by a sister Stacey
Stacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
. He adored his father but had a fractured relationship with his mother due to her suffering from bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. He became rebellious, constantly going out of his way to scare his mother. In December 1999, he had an argument with his father and punching him, causing him to suffer a brain haemmorage and die while working on a building job the next day. Sean panicked and on his sixteenth birthday he ran away, joined the army and had no contact with his family.
2006–09
Sean 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...
on 22 August 2006, to take revenge on the newly arrived Al, who had caused Sean to lose his job in the armed forces. He broke into Al's flat, and later followed him into 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:...
pub where, by chance, he saw his sister Stacey
Stacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
, whom he had lost contact with following the death of their father, Brian. After taking revenge on Al, Sean decided to stay in Walford to look after his sister.
Sean immediately began to pursue Tanya Branning
Tanya Branning
Tanya Lauren Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. She left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave and returned for one episode on 23 June 2010. She made her full-time return on...
, before deciding to start a relationship with 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....
after discovering her to be wealthy. Sean proposed to Ruby, but continued to pursue Tanya and slept with numerous other women, including Karin Jones and Preeti Choraria. When Ruby's father died, she became infatuated with Sean, interfering in his relationships with his family, including his bipolar mother Jean
Jean Slater
Jean Elaine Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. She appeared in December 2004 briefly and in December 2005. She returned as a recurring character in June 2006 and returned again as a regular character from November 2006...
, who Sean could not abide. Sean was furious when Ruby informed Jean that he was back in town; he threw Ruby's father's ashes at her and dumped her.
In 2007, Sean started a relationship with Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tiana Benjamin. She first appeared on 5 May 2006 and was joined by her mother Denise and her half sister Libby. Benjamin announced her departure from the show in April 2010...
, but slept with her stepsister Carly Wicks
Carly Wicks
Carly Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Shirley, and by Michaela Stephen in a home movie the Wickses watched on 23 April 2007. She made her first appearance on 17 February 2006. Carly was axed from the serial after Phil Daniels quit. Carly is...
, causing a multitude of rows in the process. Scorned, Chelsea enlisted the help of Carly's brother Deano
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...
and attempted to frame Sean for the assault of shopkeeper Patrick Trueman
Patrick Trueman
Patrick Neville Loftus Alfonso Trueman is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.-Backstory:...
. Sean's attempt to escape arrest failed, and only made him look guilty. He was wrongfully imprisoned. From prison, Sean orchestrated an attack on Deano, so Carly broke up with him; however, she later discovered Chelsea in possession of CCTV footage proving Sean was innocent of Patrick's assault. Despite her family's protests, Carly handed the footage into the police. Sean was subsequently released, and Deano and Chelsea were arrested for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Sean took revenge by cutting Chelsea's hair while she slept, and assaulting Deano.
Sean was furious when he discovered that his sister Stacey had been sleeping with 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...
, the father of her fiancé Bradley
Bradley Branning
Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010. Clements has won multiple awards for his portrayal....
. He tried to put a stop to Stacey and Bradley's wedding, but eventually allowed it to go ahead. The affair was discovered on Christmas Day 2007, and Sean comforted Max's wife Tanya in her hour of need. They became involved, and Sean confessed to her that he was responsible for his father's death. He had punched his father in the head, and the next day, Brian had collapsed and fallen from some scaffolding. Unable to cope with the guilt, Sean had fled, leaving Stacey to look after their mentally unstable mother.
Shortly after her split from Max, Tanya started a relationship with Sean and he formed an unexpected bond with her children, especially Lauren
Lauren Branning
Lauren Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006 played by Madeline Duggan, was absent from 23 June to 27 September 2010, and returned as played by Jacqueline Jossa.-Storylines:...
who was the one who had shown the family the recording of Max and Stacey. Then in March 2008, they plotted to fake Tanya's reconciliation with Max in order to gain all of his assets then flee the country with the kids.
Tanya pretended to split up with Sean and reunite with Max, but secretly the two conspired to bury her husband alive. Tanya later released Max. Much to Sean's surprise, Tanya scorns and rejects him when he tells her he wants them to be a family. She revealed that she had only used him to get her revenge on Max. Sean threatens to tell the kids about what she had done, but Tanya counters by threatening to tell Stacey that Sean killed their beloved father. Sean keeps quiet.
He took the rejection hard and had another meltdown. He began a casual 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...
, as well as tormenting his flatmate Gus Smith
Gus Smith
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...
. He revealed that he planned to kill Gus and make it look like suicide. Before he could go through with this, he was stopped by Stacey, who decided he would move back in with the Slaters. Roxy and Sean split up, and Gus revealed to the Slaters that Sean was involved in drugs.
Sean was stunned to discover Roxy was pregnant, and assumed that he was the father, unaware she had also slept with Jack Branning
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...
. He offered to support her, but was rebuked by Roxy, who left Walford for Ibiza. Sean too departed from Albert Square temporarily, returning in July. He discovered Roxy was now staying in Weymouth with her father. He travelled to Weymouth where Roxy had been staying with her father Archie
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...
and having a casual relationship with his gardener. However, after being discouraged by her father to return with Sean, after gathering her sister's support she and Sean returned to Walford where Roxy moved in with him. After Roxy’s sister Ronnie Mitchell
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"...
thought that Sean was involved in drugs, she disproved of their relationship, but came to support them when Sean and Roxy married in August. Sean had an antagonistic relationship with 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...
, disliking having to accept money from him for a deposit on a flat. On 13 November 2008 when Roxy went into premature labour with their daughter, Archie pretended to, but did not actually inform Sean, who consequently did not arrive at the hospital until after Roxy had given birth. She named the baby Amy Slater, after Ronnie Mitchell
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"...
's daughter, Danielle Jones
Danielle Jones (EastEnders)
Danielle Jones is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lauren Crace. The character appeared between 18 August 2008 and 3 April 2009. Crace's casting in the role was announced in July 2008, when she was described as a love interest for fellow new character Callum Monks...
, who was originally named Amy and was given up for adoption.
On 3 December 2008, Jack Branning asked Roxy for a paternity test. She received the results on 12 December 2008 but hid them after she goes to help her cousin, Billy Mitchell
Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)
William "Billy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Perry Fenwick, who made his first appearance on 2 November 1998. Billy was seen when Phil went to visit his godson Jamie. However, he didn't arrive in the Square until 2 August 1999, almost a year after...
, who is injured when crates fall on top of him. Roxy recovered the results, but not before Archie found them and made a copy. A few weeks later, Sean secured a deposit on a flat, but it was in Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
. This infuriated Archie and had led him to plot to reveal the DNA results with the help of Suzy Branning
Suzy Branning
Suzy Branning is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Maggie O'Neill, but was played by Julie Christian-Young for a brief appearance in 1996. O'Neill began filming in May 2008, and she made her first on-screen appearance on 8 July 2008....
.
On 25 December 2008, Sean read the results of the DNA test which Suzy planted in Ben Mitchell's (Charlie Jones
Charlie Jones
Charles "Charlie" Jones was a Welsh international footballer.Born in Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Tydfil, Jones started his career at Cardiff City, but was released in the summer of 1921 after just one appearance, a 1-0 defeat to Stoke City...
) home made Christmas Crackers. Sean was devastated and attacked Jack Branning
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...
(who was the father of Amy), then went on the rampage, kidnapping baby Amy.
On 1 January 2009, Sean gave Amy to Stacey and asked her to look after her for a few days, but she couldn't do it and gave Amy back to the Mitchells. Sean returned to the Vic and convinced Roxy to leave with him and Amy, but drove them to an icy lake with Ronnie and Jack in pursuit with the intention of driving into the water and drowning as a family. Roxy quickly got out of the car but Amy was still strapped in. When Ronnie and Jack arrived, Roxy coaxed Sean out onto the ice to allow Amy to be rescued. With Ronnie and Jack watching, the ice broke and the pair go under. Sean freed Roxy from the weeds in which she was entangled as Ronnie dived into the water to rescue her. Roxy and Ronnie escaped the frozen lake, but there was no sign of Sean. Roxy saw Sean crawling out of the water while Ronnie and Jack were warming up back at the car. She urged him to flee, and Sean walked away into the darkness.
Creation
Sean was created as an addition to the soap's existing Slater family - comprised initially of sister Stacey SlaterStacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
and mother Jean
Jean Slater
Jean Elaine Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. She appeared in December 2004 briefly and in December 2005. She returned as a recurring character in June 2006 and returned again as a regular character from November 2006...
. He was first mentioned on 9 December 2005 when his sister, Stacey, unfolded a family picture to reveal a fourth member (Sean). It was first announced on 13 April 2006 that the character would be joining EastEnders in the coming months, with the revelation made that: "He's going to enter the Square with a bang and will be at the centre of some of the biggest storylines of the year." A month later, on 18 May 2006, it was announced that Rob Kazinsky had been cast in the role of Sean. Kazinsky said of his casting: "I've grown up with EastEnders so I can't quite believe I'll soon be part of the Slater family."
Development
Kazinsky has described his character as "a raging psychopath". Explaining in greater detail his understanding of Sean's personality, he has expanded:Kazinsky has also spoken extensively on several of his character's romantic relationships, declaring in August 2007 that: "Until he knows himself and can forgive himself and actually let his guard down, he’s never going to be in a position where he can give to anybody other than himself. At the moment he’s a completely selfish, self-serving character." At the time, he speculated that "There’s not a single woman who can bring him out of himself, because he’s plagued by inner turmoil. Women can have a tempestuous fling with Sean, but they can’t ever have love with him, because he doesn’t love himself." This idea was expanded on during the character's relationship with Tanya Branning
Tanya Branning
Tanya Lauren Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. She left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave and returned for one episode on 23 June 2010. She made her full-time return on...
, of which Kazinsky explained: "I don't believe he loves Tanya, I think he's obsessed with her which is a different thing entirely. I think that unconsciously he wants to pay homage to his dad Brian by being the father that he was. And stepping into Max's shoes and taking over his family would have helped him to do that. It's all to do with the guilt he felt over killing his father which is silly really. He didn't stick a knife in him or anything. He hit him and the next day he died of an aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
. But as a 16-year-old boy Sean blamed it on himself."
In January 2007, Kazinsky was suspended from the show for a period of two months, following allegations he had sent raunchy, inappropriate text messages to a model. The character was temporarily written out of the soap, with a statement released by 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...
which explained: "Following the story in the Sunday People on 7 January 2007, EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer has taken the decision to suspend Robert Kazinsky from early February for a period of two months. In addition, Robert Kazinsky would like to apologise for any offence caused to EastEnders' viewers and for bringing the show into disrepute."
On 18 January 2008, it was announced that the character was to be written out of EastEnders following Kazinsky's decision to quit the soap. The actor said of his decision: "If I had done everything I wanted to do as an actor before I joined EastEnders I would have wanted to stay forever. I have really enjoyed my time with the show - it's such a wonderful place to work and it's become more like a second home to me. I'll be sad to leave." In December 2009, Diederick Santer was asked if anything in the year had not gone as he expected it to. He replied: "[F]or whatever reason, I don't think Sean's exit on New Year's Day was our finest moment. Unusually for EastEnders, we peaked Christmas and New Year with the story and the same bunch of characters and by the time we got to New Year it had rather played out."
In May 2009, Kazinsky revealed that he would return to EastEnders if Roxy was leaving and would be part of her leaving storyline. Talking to 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....
he said, "I've always said that whatever happens if Rita ever leaves, I want to be in her exit storyline... I'd love to do that."