Frankie Pierre
Frankie Pierre | |||||
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EastEnders character | |||||
Syan Blake | |||||
Duration | 1996–1997 | ||||
First appearance | Episode 1306 24 June 1996 | ||||
Last appearance | Episode 1427 25 March 1997 | ||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||
Introduced by | Jane Harris | ||||
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Frankie Pierre is a fictional character from the
Storylines
Frankie first appears in June 1996 as a soul singer in a band with musician
However, Frankie's feelings towards Alan change as soon as he moves in with her. She ends the relationship days after he leaves his wife and family, claiming that the relationship has grown too intense. Stunned, Alan tries to change her mind, but Frankie has lost interest. It emerges that Frankie has a history of chasing attached men only to lose interest as soon as she has succeeded in breaking up their marriage. Her friend, Mick, claims that her deprived childhood and an inability to be loved are the cause of her promiscuous and devious behaviour.
Alan is sympathetic and willing to help Frankie through her psychological problems, but she has already set her sights on a new man,
Character creation
Soul singer Frankie Pierre was introduced in 1996 by the Series Producer of EastEnders, Jane Harris. A previously unknown actress, Syan Blake, was cast in the role. She was initially signed on a 6 months contract, but subsequently had her contract extended.[2]
Blake had auditioned for the minor role of a nurse who treated Kathy Mitchell's baby Ben, after he was involved in a meningitis scare.[2] However, the casting directors saw potential and asked Blake to audition for a far bigger upcoming role as a regular character, Frankie Pierre. Blake said, "I went for the audition and dressed quite sexily. I was a bit confused when they told me there was another regular part going for a soul singer and asked me if I could sing." Even though she confessed that she could not sing very well, they asked her to perform nonetheless and she sang one of her favourite songs, "Harlem On My Mind". Blake was told the following day that her audition had been successful. When asked about her reaction to the news, Blake said, "I put the phone down afterwards and sat on the sofa feeling numb, it just didn't sink in... I just felt stunned. I'd always watched EastEnders but seeing all these famous people in real life and walking onto the set was the most frightening thing I'd ever done. People were really friendly, but I just sat there dreading my first scene in which I had to sing a song in the pub with all those famous faces watching me."[2]
Character development
Frankie's arrival in June 1996 was part of a storyline that broke up the marriage of the characters
Frankie was described as a predatory man-eater, a trouble maker, an unhinged sexpot, and a super-bitch who "seduces men away from their loved ones...then dumps them with a sneer."[2][4] The official EastEnders book Who’s Who states that Frankie "had a carnivorous approach to relationships, hunting down her quarry, devouring her victim in two gulps and then moving onto the next kill."[5] In an article published in The Sunday Mirror in 1997, sex therapist, Anne Hopper, discussed the character of Frankie and the reasons why women like her enjoy luring men away from their partners, and then discard them once they succeed: "women like [...] Frankie have usually been hurt in early childhood or previous relationships. They are low on self-esteem. An affair can make them feel wanted - but keeps the relationship at arm's length."[4] Later confirmed on-screen, Frankie's promiscuous, immoral and devious behaviour was blamed on her deprived childhood, a history of being hurt, lack of trust and insecurities.
Frankie eventually departed the serial in March 1997 amidst a failed attempt at seducing a religious evangelist,
Reception
Blake said that the role of a homewrecker was tough to play, and she was startled by the depth of public feeling towards her character.[2] She admitted that she received hate mail and death threats from scorned female viewers who hated the role that she played. She commented, "one woman wrote to me telling me that her marriage had almost been ruined when someone like Frankie went after her husband. It was a really vicious letter; she threatened to kill me and warned me to watch out. It was very frightening. She started the letter; `Dear Syan, stay away from Alan,' which worried me because she was obviously deluded and thought that I really am Frankie. Another woman stopped me in the street and told me she wanted to kick me. She was only joking – but I realised people really don't like Frankie. I suppose people hate her because she's such a threat, and she's so sexually confident."[2]
Despite the negative reaction from female viewers, Blake claimed that her character was much more popular with men. She commented, "A lot of men write and just ask for my photograph, but some have sent pictures of themselves and asked me out. I've also had poetry sent, which is really sweet."[2]
Actor Howard Antony, who played the popular character Alan Jackson between 1993 and 1997, said in 1997 that he was unhappy with the elements of his character's affair with Frankie.[7] He said this contributed to his decision to quit the soap in 1997. He said that the "final straw" came when his character refused to get back together with screen wife Carol, and instead continued his affair with Frankie, knowing that he was just her plaything: "There are those above me who make decisions for my character and they're not always ones I like. There were certain aspects of the Frankie story I didn't like. I was frustrated with Alan taking so much nonsense. I thought 'Why are you investing time in Frankie when the woman you've been with for nine years wants you back?' As an actor it was a difficult pill to swallow."[7]
References
- ^ "Frankie Pierre". BBC. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hagan, Angela (27 January 1997). "I'd go for a married man, even if he had kids, as long as he was right one for me". The Mirror. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
- ^ Alison Bowyer (8 June 1997). "EastEnder Carol's love life is more complicated than TV soap plot". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
- ^ a b c d Ros (26 January 1997). "The Frankie factor". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-563-55178-2.
- ^ "Once burnt, Syan's shy: Hunted by the media and confused fans". The Voice. 2 June 1997.
- ^ a b "HOWARD'S END". The Mirror. 16 May 1997. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
External links
- Frankie Pierre at BBC Online (archived from the original on 6 August 2001)