Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and the brother of April Branning (Debbie Arnold), Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson), Derek (Jamie Foreman), Suzy (Maggie O'Neill) and Max Branning (Jake Wood). The character was introduced to the show during a period when EastEnders was being routinely criticised in the media for its reliance on resurrecting old characters. The casting of Maslen provoked some controversy, being the first time an actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. It was quickly established that Jack is a morally ambiguous character with a murky past in the police force resulting in the paralysis of his young daughter, Penny (Mia McKenna-Bruce). On 1 July 2019, Maslen filmed his 1,000th episode as Jack.
Maslen took a two-month break from the role in October 2010 to participate in the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing, returning in December 2010. Maslen made an indefinite departure from the role on 15 October 2013 after six years on the show. Having turned down a chance to return to the role in April 2015, Jack made a previously unannounced return on 24 December 2015, before leaving once again on 1 January 2016. Maslen returned to filming during the same month and Jack returned on-screen on 1 March 2016.
Jack has been involved in several key storylines and has embarked on feuds with his brothers, Max Branning (Jake Wood) and Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman), as well as Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky), Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd), Charlie Cotton (Declan Bennett), Hunter Owen (Charlie Winter), Ray Kelly (Sean Mahon), Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) and Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway). Since returning in 2016, his storylines have included reuniting with Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack), gaining custody of his son Ricky Mitchell (Henri Charles/Frankie Day), finding out Ronnie had drowned on their wedding day and his subsequent grief over her death, a custody battle with Charlie Cotton (Declan Bennett) over his stepson Matthew Mitchell Cotton, supporting his great-niece Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith) over her rape and confronting her attacker, rejoining the police force, relationships with Mel Owen (Tamzin Outhwaite) and Denise Fox (Diane Parish), discovering that Amy has been self-harming, dealing with his son Ricky becoming a father at twelve-years-old, an affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), helping The Six conceal their involvement in the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), dealing with Amy being temporarily paralysed after a crush at Peggy's Nightclub, framing Penny (now Kitty Castledine) for causing the crush, and being blackmailed by Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway), splitting and being divorced from Denise but later reconciling, unintentionally shooting Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), and coping with Denise's diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer.
Creation
Background Jack Branning was one of several new characters to join the EastEnders cast in the second half of 2007. At a time when the show was undergoing media criticism for its resurrection of old characters, John Yorke, the BBC's controller of drama production, defended the show's ability to create interesting, new characters. He praised the show's executive producer Diederick Santer for his development of new, "strong characters", including Jack Branning and Roxy (Rita Simons) and Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack). Speaking of this new wave of characters, he stated: "It feels like a new dynasty is emerging, which is important."
Prior to his introduction in October 2007, the character was referred to once, a week before his arrival. He is a member of the soap's Branning family; his sister Carol first appeared in the serial in 1993, while father Jim had debuted in 1996, and Jack's brother Max and his own family were introduced in June 2006.
Casting Scott Maslen was cast in the role of Jack. Previously best known for his role as DS Phil Hunter in ITV police drama The Bill, the media were quick to pick up on the fact his new role was notably similar – with TV critic Jane Simon sarcastically commenting: "What a relief it must be for actor Scott Maslen to get a role that allows him to show off his incredible versatility." Maslen himself pointed out that the character of Jack was actually higher ranking than Phil Hunter, joking: "I've been promoted from playing a DS in Sun Hill!" Maslen's casting marked the first time an established actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. Speaking for the first time about his new role, Maslen said: "I was very sad to leave The Bill but after five years I wanted to explore new opportunities. The Bill afforded me some fantastic storylines. I'm really looking forward to playing Jack. He's an extremely competitive man who likes to win in business and in pleasure!"
Development Upon announcing his casting, Maslen described the character of Jack as "an extremely competitive man who always likes to win in business and in pleasure". He mentioned that there would be an "instant attraction" between Jack and fellow newcomer Ronnie Mitchell, and explained that he already had a longstanding friendship with Samantha Womack who plays Ronnie, having known her since he was 16 years old, and being godfather to her children.
The relationship between the two characters developed quickly from friendship to romance, with Womack commenting that due to her friendship with Maslen; "Our first kissing scene felt really uncomfortable, it was terrible, but we're over it now." Several media publications commented on the fact that the attraction between the two characters had been obvious, and bound to develop into more than a professional relationship.
As the character's personality developed, questions were raised over whether his intentions and motivations were good or bad, with Maslen explaining: "I call him amoral; neither good nor bad. He gets what he wants out of the situation but that isn’t necessarily just a selfish thing. He's not an evil character, but if there are people that are threatening him, his business or his family, he will do whatever he needs to do to eliminate that problem."
In April 2011, it was reported that Jack would have a one-night stand in May after trying to get over the loss of his son, and bed Tanya's sister, Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks).
Departure (2013) In February 2013, it was announced that Maslen had quit his role as Jack and would leave the show later in the year at the end of his current contract. Maslen said, "I've loved playing Jack, and who wouldn't want to work on one of the most successful British TV series, but I've been offered many other roles and just not been able to explore them in the past, simply because of time and commitments to EastEnders, and so now it feels like the time to tread a new path for a while. I've played Jack for five and a half years and had some fantastic storylines, but it's now time to have a break from him and try something different. I'm incredibly attached to Jack, his family and EastEnders, but as an actor I'd like to take on some new challenges for a bit. EastEnders is just incredible, it's phenomenally rewarding and I love working here, but now it's time to move on to pastures new." Executive producer Lorraine Newman said, "Since October 2007, Scott Maslen has brought the wonderful Jack Branning to life on our screens. From Scott's heart-wrenching portrayal of a grieving father, to Jack's determination in the coming week to take on Phil Mitchell, the variety in Scott's material shows his fabulous range as an actor. Scott will remain on your screens until late in the year, and there is plenty more drama to be played out before his departure."
Reintroduction (2015) Maslen made a surprise return as Jack on 24 December 2015 and departed once again on 1 January 2016. He returned full-time on 1 March 2016. Maslen said: "I'm looking forward to working with Dominic Treadwell-Collins. I worked with him before when he was a storyliner there. I'm really looking forward to working with him and the newer faces. There's so many exciting things going on at the minute. It was like I hadn't left. It felt a bit strange because there are new characters who I don't know – but that fits with the story. When you go away for a while and come back, there's always new people you gotta [sic] get to know and that's part of the fun of it. It felt great!" Storylines
Backstory Jack is the youngest child of Jim (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and brother of Derek Branning (Terence Beesley/ Jamie Foreman), Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson), April (Debbie Arnold), Suzy (Julie Christian-Young; Maggie O'Neill) and Max Branning (Jake Wood). Having grown up in a large family in a poor area of East London, Jack regularly fought his older brother, Max, for the attentions of his father who was an alcoholic. He was very close friends with Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd), another local East End boy who went to school with him and had a closer relationship with him than he did with his brothers. As a teenager, Jack stole his grandfather's World War II medal, knowing that it was Jim's prized possession as his father had died in combat when he was only six years old, and blamed Max, causing a huge rift between Jim and Max and resulting in Max walking out in 1989. Despite Max and Jack being arch-rivals, they kept in touch as Jack was present at Max's wedding to Tanya Cross (Jo Joyner) in 1994 and watched his nieces Lauren (Madeline Duggan; Jacqueline Jossa) and Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) grow up.
Jack settled down with Selina (Daisy Beaumont) and, after they married, they had a daughter, Penny (Mia McKenna-Bruce). Jack built a career in the police force, but got involved in criminal activities and when they backfired, one of Jack's informants knocked Selina and Penny down in revenge for being accidentally sent down. Penny's spinal cord was severed, putting her in a wheelchair and, in the aftermath, Jack and Selina divorced and he retired from the police force.
2007–2013 Jack comes to Walford for his nephew Bradley Branning's (Charlie Clements) wedding to Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner). Upon his arrival, Jack soaks Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) when driving through a puddle, so she soaks him with her water bottle. A fight with Max leads to Jack's wedding invitation being revoked, so he stays at The Queen Victoria public house and helps Ronnie's sister Roxy (Rita Simons) prepare for the reception. Deciding to stay, Jack comes between Ronnie and Roxy when he buys Scarlet Nightclub and offers Ronnie a partnership. Jack causes more disruption in the Mitchell family when he sets up Ronnie's cousin, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), by taping him confessing to his part in Kevin Wicks' (Phil Daniels) death. Jack blackmails Phil with this, demanding the car lot for his silence, which he then rents to Pat Evans (Pam St Clement). Despite the Mitchells' animosity, Jack develops an attraction to Ronnie and a relationship starts. The other Mitchells, particularly Roxy, try to end the relationship. Jack's ex-wife, Selina, reappears briefly and they have sex, which Roxy discovers and she tells Ronnie, who is due to live with Jack. Ronnie ends the relationship. They reconcile, but Ronnie does not trust Jack and struggles to bond with his daughter, Penny. Jack and Roxy have sex while drunk. They agree to conceal this, but Roxy is pregnant and later gives birth to daughter Amy Mitchell (Amelie Conway).