EastEnders legend Rudolph Walker recalls saving Elizabeth Taylor from choking

The star, known for starring arsenic Patrick Trueman successful BBC's EastEnders, has spoken astir the acquisition successful his caller publication Walking With Dignity

Rudolph Walker has been lighting up our screens for much than 50 years and worked with a fig of beardown women, specified arsenic Elizabeth Taylor and… EastEnders ’ Pat Butcher.

And aft 23 years of playing Patrick Trueman successful the BBC soap, Rudolph, 85 this month, has nary volition of retiring conscionable yet.

With his autobiography, Walking With Dignity, acceptable for merchandise adjacent week, here, Trinidadian Rudolph shares immoderate highlights from his singular career…

It was coming up to my 62nd day successful September 2001 erstwhile I had a telephone from my cause saying Mr John Yorke, enforcement shaper of EastEnders, would similar to spot me.

John and I talked astir the benignant of quality I’d similar to play – a existent Trinidadian of the aged school, who had travelled the world, got into each sorts of trouble… a lovable rogue.

I felt the quality would beryllium a large mode to bring a spot of drama into the show. And so, I said yes!

I suggested Patrick should person a golden bony – a trademark of immoderate older Trinidadian men.

At the time, determination were stalls successful Shepherd’s Bush marketplace wherever you could bargain clip-on golden teeth, truthful I tried 1 retired and it was agreed this would beryllium portion of Patrick’s wardrobe.

Sometimes I permission my dressing country aft filming, get location and realise I’m inactive wearing it.

As with each occupation successful the past, I person thrown 150% effort into the amusement and enjoyed what small publication I person made to the continued occurrence of EastEnders.

Storylines included an aboriginal matrimony to Yolande, played by Angela Wynter, an matter with Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement), the nonaccomplishment of a lad to drugs, much affairs and, recently, the accidental to play a much confused Patrick aft helium suffers a bid of mini-strokes.

Through it all, I’ve kept Patrick’s favourite saying: ‘Yeah, man!’

Over the years, I’ve been blessed successful that each 1 of the actors I worked with were fantastic. I admired Barbara Windsor (Peggy Mitchell) for her grace, June Brown (Dot Cotton) was conscionable perfectly superb, John Bardon (Jim Branning) was precise nonrecreational and moving with Pam St Clement was a joy.

That country wherever I near my chapeau astatine the ft of Pat’s furniture was hilarious and her timing, the twinkle successful her oculus erstwhile we were doing our flirting scenes and her enactment from time 1 was invaluable.

I was besides honoured by being awarded an OBE successful the 2006 Birthday Honours for services to play and charity, and a CBE successful the 2020 New Year’s Honours.

I collected it astatine St James’s Palace from Prince Charles (soon to beryllium King Charles) and arsenic we were talking, helium referred to Coronation Street alternatively of EastEnders. I corrected him – me, a once-poor lad from Trinidad correcting a aboriginal king – and invited him to sojourn the acceptable aft helium talked astir however some helium and his parent had visited the acceptable of the bluish serial drama.

Apparently, this invitation was noted and some helium and his woman Camilla turned up successful Elstree. We past filmed a country successful the marketplace wherever Camilla is offered a tot of rum by Patrick.

All alcoholic drinks connected the acceptable are usually conscionable watered-down cola oregon acold beverage but connected this occasion, successful honour of the royal visit, existent intoxicant was connected offer.

The time I saved Elizabeth Taylor

In 1972, I spent 2 weeks with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor connected determination successful Germany and Italy filming Divorce His, Divorce Hers.

On the archetypal day, Elizabeth made a peculiar petition to person a photograph taken with me. I was amazed and flattered. And connected the 3rd oregon 4th day, Elizabeth asked: “Would you similar to travel implicit to person meal with us?”

She arranged a small, informal meal astatine their apartment. I was sat adjacent to Elizabeth – thing of a pinch yourself infinitesimal – and astatine immoderate constituent she started choking and asked maine to pat her back. I dutifully complied but gently, astir gingerly… this was Elizabeth Taylor aft all.

My effort to assistance proved unsuccessful arsenic she was inactive coughing erstwhile from crossed the table, Richard commanded successful that booming voice: “Thump the woman, for damn sake!”

An amusing incidental involving my security institution happened galore years later. I was discussing options for conveyance security and asked the assessor wherefore the quoted estimates helium had fixed maine were truthful high.

His answer: “Well, you’re an histrion and could person immoderate mishap astatine immoderate clip with immoderate large prima successful your car specified as, erm…” and aft casting astir for a suitably starry name, helium alighted connected Elizabeth Taylor. That gave maine a bully laugh.

• To work much of Rudolph’s communicative you tin bargain his autobiography “ Walking With Dignity ” released September 26, 2024, by Chronos Publishing, priced £12.99 and disposable from each bully bookstores and Amazon