Who is EastEnders' Teddy Mitchell? Everything you need to know about Football Factory icon Roland Manookian
Walford will welcome three new faces in next weeks EastEnders episodes as Stevie's secret family are revealed. The Football Factory icon Roland Manookian will transform into Stevie's son Teddy, the half-brother of Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick), making his debut on Tuesday, May 25.
Teddy turns up in Albert Square looking for Stevie (Alan Ford) with his two sons including his older boy Harry (Elijah Holloway) and younger son Barney (Lewis Bridgeman). Once the family are reunited, Stevie is forced to tell Billy he has a siblings that he'd never met.
Speaking about joining the BBC One soap as Teddy Mitchell, Roland said: "I've been watching EastEnders my whole life, so being part of it is amazing. Coming in as a Mitchell means you've got big shoes to fill, but it's a challenge that I'm happy to accept."
The new Mitchells will arrive in EastEnders next week
Praising his co-stars, he added: "It's a privilege to have the chance to work with the likes of Perry Fenwick [Billy], Steve McFadden [Phil], and the legendary Alan Ford [Stevie] – what amazing company to keep. Teddy is an enigmatic sort of fella with old-school principles, but he's tuned into modernity, too. It's a lovely part to get my teeth into."
Roland is no stranger to the small screen with appearance in other popular shows including The Bill, The Vice, Oliver Twist, Dunkirk (TV series) and Great Expectations. But he's also worked alongside some huge names in Hollywood.
Where have I Roland Manookian before?
Roland Manookian pictured in 2005
Roland, 45, was born in Bermondsey, South London, and arrived on screen as Justin in the movie Goodbye Charlie Bright in 2001. He starred alongside ex-EastEnders stars Danny Dyer, Paul Nicholls as Charlie, and Jamie Foreman.
But the actor is perhaps best known for his role as ‘Zebedee’ in popular British hooligan film The Football Factory, alongside Dyer for a second time. The movie was released in 2004 follows 'typical' football hooligans and the trials and tribulations of their private lives.
A year later Roland had another outing with Dyer and actor Tamer Hassan as they all starred in The Business, which was also written and directed by Nick Love. In 2008, Roland played the role of Bandy in Guy Ritchie's action thriller RocknRolla alongside Gerard Butler, Idris Elba and Tom Hardy.
The actor, who is a dedicated Millwall supporter, has also starred in the collection of the Rise of the Footsoldier films. He went on to reprise his role of Craig Rolfe multiple times, appearing in the original film in 2007, followed by the sequel in 2012 - which followed the aftermath of the 1995 murders.
However the franchise continued with Roland's role at the centre, as a string of prequels were released - Rise of the Foot Soldier: The Pat Tate Story (2017), Rise of the Foot Soldier: Marbella (2019) and Rise of the Foot Soldier Origins (2021). His other credits include London Hiest, Big Fat Gypsy Ganster, Oh Marbella.
Want more Albert Square gossip from MyLondon? Sign up to our daily EastEnders newsletters for all the latest and greatest from Walford here.