Actor Jake Wood in our Greek Street showroom, having a fitting on a suit for his personal collection..
This week we had the pleasure of welcoming Jake Wood back into the studio for a fitting. I took the opportunity to have a quick chat about his Art, EastEnders and Barbara Windsor
Jake’s career has been a journey that started young:
“I started acting when I was ten. I did The Bill, Only Fools and Horses… it all led to EastEnders.”
And now, back on the Square, he’s reminded how powerful the show still is:
“The show works best when there’s a good mix of the old and the new. People tune in to see familiar faces, it gives them something solid to hold onto.”
“You can feel the audience’s love when a character returns. It’s still one of those rare shows where people stop you in the street.”
We also chatted about our mutual friend, Dame Barbara Windsor. A remarkable woman who gave her all to everyone she met. Jake put it beautifully:
“Barbara Windsor dropped her dementia at the theatre door and became Barbara again.”
My father had passed from Alzheimer’s and was good to see that Jake is also a active supporter for Alzheimers Research UK
For his suit, Jake went bold with a blue mohair fabric from Holland & Sherry. Inside, he wanted something truly personal, a lining made from one of his own artworks. Striking, full of energy, and very Jake.
When he’s not on set, Jake’s passion for art is clear. He’s already sold work to the likes of Vinnie Jones and Ray Winstone (but that doesn’t mean you’ve got to be a proper hard man to own a piece of Jake’s art).
But with EastEnders taking up more of his time, the paintbrushes are on pause:
“I should start again really. I’ve got a shed at the end of the garden; the space is there. My mum paints every day, mainly watercolours, it keeps the mind alive.”
We think Jake looks every inch the part, both as Max Branning and as an artist who wears his creativity quite literally on his sleeve. Welcome back, Jake.
Photos of Jake Wood by Kenny McCracken @scottishkenny
By Gresham Blake