Hugh Bonneville was once in EastEnders before TV career exploded

It’s hard to imagine Mister Brown, the awkward yet loveable adoptive dad of Paddington Bear, going toe-to-toe with Phil Mitchell in Albert Square or trading charged glances with Kat Slater in the Cafe.

But it’s true.

Acclaimed British actor Hugh Bonneville was once in EastEnders.

Hugh revealed his surprise Walford appearance during a recent appearance on BBC’s Morning Live, where he was discussing his latest TV series, 2026.

The actor reprises the role of Ian Fletcher – previously seen in BBC comedy series Twenty Twelve and its spinoff W1A – the unflappable yet often overwhelmed, corporate-jargon spouting executive.

While Twenty Twelve saw Ian tasked with organising the Olympics, W1A focused on his struggles as Head of BBC values, in a mockumentary-style format that satirised the British Broadcasting Corporation.

In his latest series, 2026, Fletcher and his team attempt to organise the World Cup in a comedy show that satirises FIFA.

However, the Downton Abbey star once took on a very different role in one of the UK’s most beloved soap opera.

During a chat Morning Live hosts Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones,  via video link on Tuesday, April 14, it wasn’t long before an old clip from early in his career resurfaced.

The clip showed a suited and booted Hugh, aged 32, sharing a screen with Eastenders Legend Pauline Fowler, played by the late Wendy Richard.

Teasing the clip, Gethin said referring to his Ian Fletcher character: “You’re no stranger to this type of role Hugh.

We’ve got something here back in 1995, the iconic Wendy Richard in an episode of EastEnders giving her son’s headmaster a hard time and he’s very familiar.”
Hugh was absolutely delighted by this blast from the past.

‘That’s hilarious, that’s amazing ‘ he laughed.’ the shirt, the suit, the hair and Wendy Richard, that’s amazing.”
He went on to reveal how much he wanted to be in EastEnders, and how a connection with a director got him through the door.

“That’s a very memorable day, I was so naive about being on the telly.

A friend of mine happened to be directing a block of EastEnders and I said ‘look I’m never going to be cast in EastEnders, if you see a tiny part pop up please…’
“Anyway this tiny part of the headmaster popped up and I turned up at the studios and the guy at the gate said ‘oh yes they’re just filming in the Queen Vic at the moment’.

So in my naivity I walked across Albert Square, opened the door to the Queen Vic and was surprised to find a load of scaffolding poles.

I hadn’t really twigged they would actually be in a studio for the interiors.”

Not only did he go head to head with the legendary Pauline Fowler, but another EastEnders Icon made a big impression on Hugh – Cindy Beale.

The actor reveals how meeting one of Walford’s most famous faces influenced the was he would treat younger artists.

“I have to say though my memory of that day was Michelle Collins (Cindy Beale).

I was walking round the corridor clutching my suit bag utterly mystified as to where I was meant to go, what I was meant to do, and she popped her head out of the make up room and sort of said, ‘can I help’ and ‘welcome’ and I’ve never forgotten that and it was incredibly kind of her as I was panicking and worried about how to behave, what to do.

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‘There’s nothing more tense making than being a guest artist on something that is such an iconic machine as that and I’ve never forgotten that.’
This is something that Hugh took to heart and remembers even to this day.

He currently stars in Shadowlands, a play in the West End about the life of CS Lewis.

“We are doing a play in the West End at the moment, Shadowlands, and I always try and remember the team – we are working as a team here – the people who are starting out need as much help as the people who are playing the lead parts.’
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