Michael French


Michael French is an English actor, known for his roles as David Wicks in EastEnders, and consultant Nick Jordan in Casualty and former cardiothoracic registrar in its spin-off series Holby City.

Early life

French was born Michael Clark in Bow, London. He appeared in school productions and shows put on by the local drama club.
At the age of 20, French worked as an entertainer at the Holiday Club International in Majorca. When he returned to Britain, at the age of 22, French got his first acting break in the musical Godspell at the Kenneth More Theatre in Ilford, Essex. Bit parts on stage followed, including playing the Genie in Aladdin in a Christmas pantomime. He spent the next three years touring in small productions, before becoming disillusioned with his lack of success and taking a job as an air steward for British Airways. Later, French quit his job with British Airways and began studying acting at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and graduated in 1992.

Career

French appeared in West End musicals such as West Side Story, Chicago, Joseph and Les Misérables. An agent saw him perform in Les Misérables and cast him in a role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1993 to 1996. He went on to appear as Nick Jordan in Casualty in 1998–2000 and 2008–13 and its spin-off programme, Holby City, in 1999–2000, 2006 and 2010. He also appeared as Detective Sergeant Alexander Murchison in The Fabulous Bagel Boys ; as Gary Lescott in Dalziel and Pascoe ; Jeff Slade in Crime Traveller and Tom Gilder in Born and Bred. French returned to EastEnders as David Wicks in 2012 after more than 15 years away for the departure of Pam St Clement, who played his on-screen mother, Pat Butcher. He returned to EastEnders for a few episodes in January 2012 and left the Casualty show in early February 2013. French returned to EastEnders in September 2013 and left again in May 2014.
His other stage credits include Art as Marc and Sacred Heart as Jerry. He also replaced John Barrowman as Billy Flynn in the London run of Chicago from 13 December 2004, but resigned in May 2005.

Filmography