EastEnders' James Farrar says Zack faces "painful" reactions to his HIV diagnosis

This week, viewers will see Zack open up to his sister Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and best friend Martin Fowler (James Bye) about his HIV status.

The character previously opened up to his friend and former flame Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) about his diagnosis, before eventually coming clean to Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) after they terminated their pregnancy following baby Peach being diagnosed with Edward's Syndrome.

Now, next week, Zack opens up about his diagnosis in an unexpected but public way following a run-in with a troubled Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) in the Queen Vic pub.

Actor James Farrar - who has recently been nominated for Best Lead Performer in the British Soap Awards 2023 longlist - has now discussed this monumental week for Zack and how he feels after going public with his HIV status.

Last week, Zack finally opened up to his family about his HIV diagnosis. How is he feeling?

Hopeful and lighter. He feels like he can start building his life again. The reaction that Zack had when he was diagnosed with HIV is similar to how other members of the community react. Their reactions come from a place of possible ignorance and not knowing that individuals can lead a healthy and happy life once on the right medication.

Sharon and Martin both immediately bring Zack in and assure him that there is nothing to worry about. The lack of judgement from them both leaves him so optimistic when it comes to breaking the news to the rest of Walford.

Having reconciled with Whitney, Zack is keen to start a family and has big plans. Can you explain this in more detail?

Zack is very optimistic and I feel like he constantly wants to try and fix things. Zack wants to jump straight into planning a family and a future together with Whitney. That’s how Zack feels will help him deal with the pain of recent events and he thinks it will help things get a little bit easier for his relationship with Whitney. They’ve both said that they love each other which is beautiful, and Zack and Whitney have fallen in love as a result of the trauma.

Ben goads Zack in The Vic by asking why he didn’t fight. Can you explain what happens in more detail?

It starts with Zack backing his best mate Martin and his male ego, which Ben Mitchell is the king of. Zack is just trying to play things down and explains that he openly turned the fight down because he doesn’t feel the need to prove himself.

Through Ben’s ability to get under people’s skin, his selfishness, and his ability to think that his problems are bigger than everyone else’s problems, Zack flips and ends up announcing his HIV diagnosis to The Vic in a moment of impulse.

Because of the reaction that Sharon and Martin gave Zack only a week prior, I think he was hoping that people would side with him but we will see how that unfolds.

Essentially, it’s through goading that Zack finally announces his diagnosis as he explains to Ben that he didn’t fight him as he wanted to protect him.

How do the residents of Walford react to Zack’s news?

It's painful and there are some ignorant comments from the residents of Walford. Zack experiences all of these judgements for the first time and it breaks him down through the lack of understanding, but it helps him filter out the people he doesn’t need in his life.

That must have been a big moment for Zack. How did you approach those scenes?

In all honestly, I’ve had to forget how much James knows. I’ve done so much research on how individuals deal with a diagnosis, how families with a loved one might change their dynamics as well as research into the virus itself and what it means to get a diagnosis. However, I have to remember that Zack hasn’t done the research into it and he is constantly catastrophising and burying his head in the sand a little bit, so it’s all fresh for him at the moment.

What’s the fan reaction been like?

I love the fact that we can see statistics that there has been a rise in testing. I’m not sure if that’s completely down to the show but I like to think that we’ve played a part in opening up that conversation again. It fills me with absolute joy because that’s what this is all for; it’s for us to raise awareness so that when you are with your mates, you can hopefully understand more than you did before. It’s good to continue that conversation, and hopefully, we can break down some of those stigmas and taboos which are unfortunately still prevalent.

Martin shares some wise words with Zack about his relationship with Whitney. Does Zack rely on Martin heavily for support?

Definitely, Martin has lived through losing a family member as a result of HIV as his brother Mark’s HIV progressed to AIDS, so his ability as a man to own it and tell Zack that he has nothing to be ashamed of helps Zack process things immeasurably. Martin helps to simplify it for him in his head.

What is it like working with James Bye?

He’s the funniest, most intelligent comedian, but at the same time when I’m in a scene with him, I believe every second because we’re such good mates in real life. I hope the viewers can see how close our relationship is through our scenes as Martin and Zack.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One and episodes are released at 6am on BBC iPlayer.

Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.

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