User:Bluebolt94/Julie Perkins

Julie Perkins
EastEnders character
Portrayed by	Cathy Murphy
Duration	2010–11
First appearance	14 October 2010
Last appearance	5 August 2011
Classification	Former; regular
Introduced by	Bryan Kirkwood
In-universe information Occupation Cleaner (2010-11) Flower stall worker (2011) Sons Dan Pearce Granddaughters Lola Pearce

Julie Perkins, played by Cathy Murphy, is a woman from Billy Mitchell's (Perry Fenwick) past. She made her first appearance on 14 October 2010.

Storylines

When Billy is visited by police, it is revealed that Julie became pregnant by Henry Mason (Brian Hibbard), a paedophile who worked at the children's home where Julie and Billy lived during their childhood. Julie arrives in Walford the following week and surprises Billy by coming to his door. Julie says she does not want to testify against Henry, and leaves when Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) return home. She telephones Billy asking him to meet her at the café, where she reveals that even though Henry Mason raped her, they always used contraception, and the only time she did not was when she had sex with Billy. She tells Billy that he has an adult son. She explains that he was taken away from her a week after he was born, and says he probably had a better life. However, Billy gets angry, saying a child should know his parents and tells Julie she should never have come, so she leaves. However, Billy soon contacts Julie again, and she helps him sell stock on his market stall. He invites her round the next week, and Jay notes that she has made an effort to look good for Billy. They go to a party where Billy invites Julie to his relative Ronnie Mitchell's (Samantha Womack) wedding and she accepts. She later sees Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner) taking off her high heel stilettos and steals them, leaving her own shoes behind. When Billy realises Julie has gone, he phones her and she says she felt unwell.

Julie arrives for Ronnie's wedding where £20,000 goes missing. Ronnie's sister Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) accuses Julie of stealing it, though she did not. At the reception, Stacey sees Julie wearing her shoes and confronts her, and Roxy empties Julie's bag looking for the money, revealing Julie has filled it with food. Julie runs off and Billy catches up to her. She reveals she is wearing an electronic tag and is under curfew as she is staying in a hostel and she is trying to make her room feel like her own. Billy says this does not matter to him. Julie is accused again when she wears an expensive coat that she found, that the real thief, Shirley Carter (Linda Henry), bought. Julie spends the day helping Dot Branning (June Brown) at the laundrette and they become friends. However, Julie leaves embarrassed after Mo Harris (Laila Morse) reveals to Dot that Julie is wearing the tag. She later gets a job from Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace), cleaning at The Queen Victoria but she accidentally disconnects the beer pumps. Kat sacks her but Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) and Billy persuade her to give Julie another chance. When Julie asks to store some things around Billy's house, he discovers some photos of a man. Thinking Julie is in a relationship, he confronts her, but she explains that they are pictures of their son, Roger Green (Daniel Brocklebank). Billy wants to see Roger, but Julie warns it is too late. However, Billy finds his address in Julie's belongings and goes to visit him. Once at the house, Billy announces that he is his father. Roger denies this, and Julie turns up and pulls Billy away. She explains that she could not trace their real son, so fantasised that Roger, her former boss, was their son instead. Billy forgives Julie, but informs her that he has contacted an adoption agency about their son. Billy and Julie then start a proper romantic relationship as a couple and after her tag is removed she moves in with him, as well as getting a job on the flower stall. She befriends Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) after Heather catches her stealing and then writing a birthday card to her son, forcing her to reveal that she gave him up for adoption.

Julie asks Kat to come with her to the park as she is meeting Billy's son, William Mitchell (Toby Warpole), for the first time and is worried that she is not ready to be a stepmother. However, as they play in the park, it goes well and Julie thanks Kat for coming. Billy discovers the name of his and Julie's son is Dan Pearce. They go to visit him but find out he died three months previously. However, they discover they have a granddaughter, Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold). Billy and Julie visit Lola in care and Billy bonds with her, but Julie feels she is trouble and not their problem when she continues to visit Billy. Lola tells Julie that she will win if Billy is forced to choose between them, so Julie calls the police to have Lola taken back into care. She later admits to Billy that she did this, however, she later allows Lola to move in with her and Billy. She is angry with Billy when he refuses to discipline Lola, and worries when a social worker allows Lola to stay though they are squatting and the social worker will want to see a tenancy agreement.

Julie takes the blame when Lola accidentally injures Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) while he is working in the Arches. The accident occurs when Lola begins working for Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) but he fires her after catching her stealing. Lola, in a fit of rage, smashes up the Arches and kicks a piece of heavy equipment down into the pit, which hits Jay and knocks him unconscious. Lola goes back to the care home when Jay gives her a day to confess the truth, and is persuaded to come back by Billy. She tells Julie that she will win if Billy is forced to choose, and Julie, realising she and Lola have no future together, leaves after saying an emotional farewell to Billy.

Development

Described as a feisty character who is an "antidote to the snarling women of Albert Square", Julie's arrival leaves Billy shocked and turns his life upside down. The character is also described as a "cockney geezer bird [who] is more at home down the pub with the boys but underneath her robust layer, there's a little girl abandoned by her mum wanting to be loved." Her profile on the EastEnders website additionally describes her as straight talking, good, tough, kind-hearted with a good sense of humour and vulnerable. She tells the truth and is not intentionally malicious, and deals with the world by putting up a barrier. She never complains, gets on well with children and young people, has a firm sense of morality and questions everything around her. Speaking about the role, Murphy said: "Like our characters, I've known Perry since I was 16 and he is a brilliant actor. We've never worked together before so I am looking forward to getting stuck into our fantastic rollercoaster of a story." Julie is Murphy's third role in the soap, having appeared in 1991 as Lorna and again as Trisha Taylor in 2005. Julie made her first appearance on 14 October 2010.

An EastEnders spokesperson commented on Julie's storyline: "Julie and Billy have a real connection despite being out of each others lives since they were teenagers. She's a true Cockney sparrow and tells it like it is. However, Billy is staggered to learn he may have more skeletons in the closet waiting to be discovered." Fenwick discussed the storyline saying, "They were both 15 when Julie got pregnant, but Billy, like everyone else in the children's home, thought it was this carer who knocked him and the other kids about. But when she explains it wasn't her fault and they took the baby away from her, he shifts his anger to the authorities. They haven't told me exactly what's going to happen, but I know they're going to be really clever with this story. There'll be lots of twists and turns..."

In June 2011, it was announced that Danielle Harold had joined the cast, playing Julie and Billy's 15-year-old granddaughter Lola Pearce. It was reported that Billy and Julie would be shocked to learn of Lola's existence, not knowing the son they once gave up for adoption had a daughter, but would decide to track her down and find her living in a care home. On 21 June 2011, it was revealed that Murphy had left EastEnders. Digital Spy reported that she had finished filming and her last scenes would air over the following weeks. Julie's exit is sparked by the arrival of her granddaughter and when Lola gets into trouble, Julie takes the blame and leaves.

External links

Bluebolt94/Julie Perkins at BBC Online

Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2010 Category:EastEnders characters