Bill Treacher
| Bill Treacher | |
|---|---|
| Born |
4 June 1930 London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1963–2007 |
| Spouse(s) | Katherine Kessey (1971 - present) |
| Children |
Jamie Treacher Sophie Treacher |
Bill Treacher (born 4 June 1930 in London) is a retired English actor. He is best known for playing Arthur Fowler on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, for 11 years from 1985 to 1996, He was also the first person on the show to be cast.
Treacher grew up in the East End of London. After his national service in the Royal Air Force, he worked as a steward with P&O, where he saved enough money to attend drama school.
After graduating from the prestigious Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his West End debut in 1963 with the comedy Shout for Life at The Vaudeville Theatre. Several successful West End roles followed.
Treacher then moved into television drama, making guest appearances in a number of classic series of the 1970s including Grange Hill, Dad's Army, Minder, The Sweeney, The Professionals, Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars and The Agatha Christie Hour.
In late 1984, he was the first actor to be cast in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985 as Arthur Fowler, a role he played for the next 11 years. In fact the co-creators, Tony Holland and Julia Smith, had scripted the character with Treacher in mind. Treacher admitted in 2015 that he was initially relucant to sign up for the show as it meant long hours and a sizeable commute to his family home in Suffolk but that he relented due to the chance of a steady income. He received much critical acclaim for the role, especially for his portrayal of his character's mental decline and subsequent nervous breakdown. The character also endured a succession of misfortunes, a persistent struggle with unemployment, his daughter Michelle's pregnancy at the age of 16, his son Mark's diagnosis with HIV, and a midlife crisis where he had an affair which led to the breakdown of his marriage.
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