David Scarboro

David Timothy Scarboro[1] (3 February 1968 – 27 April 1988) was an English actor who was best known for portraying Mark Fowler in the British soap opera EastEnders from the programme's inception in February until April 1985 before appearing intermittently between 1986 and 1987.

David Scarboro
as Mark Fowler in EastEnders, 1980s
Born(1968-02-03)3 February 1968
Sidcup, London, England
Died27 April 1988(1988-04-27) (aged 20)
Beachy Head, East Sussex, England
Cause of deathSuicide
OccupationActor
Years active1984-1988

Career

Early years

Scarboro made his acting debut in Good Neighbours, a television drama that aired on BBC as part of a series of standalone teleplays for the anthology series Scene. in 1984. That same year he appeared as a student in episodes of the school drama series Grange Hill.

EastEnders

From its inception in February 1985 until April of that same year, Scarboro played the part of Mark Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The actor did not respond well to the sudden fame the role brought him, and later became very concerned when the writers decided that the character of Mark should become a racist.[2]

Things came to a head one day when the script called for a scene where Mark was to deliver racist abuse to Paul J. Medford's character, Kelvin Carpenter. Scarboro firmly refused to play the scene. After this it was decided he should leave the show. His character was abruptly written out of the storyline; one morning his family arose to discover he had secretly moved away during the night. Mark was not seen nor heard from for several months.

In December 1985, Scarboro briefly returned to the series in a storyline where Mark was reunited with his parents. His parents had travelled to visit him in Southend-on-Sea where he had settled with an older woman who had children from an earlier relationship. Scarboro subsequently returned for brief stints in 1986 and 1987, but never returned to the series on a permanent or on-going basis. Scarboro's last appearance in the series was in the episode aired on Christmas Day, 1987.

Personal life

Elements of the UK tabloid press reported that Scarboro had been fired from the show for turning up late for filming and being unco-operative on set. Away from the series Scarboro initiated libel proceedings after several national papers published inaccurate stories about his private life, but the press continued to pursue him and his family. The News of the World discovered that Scarboro was in a psychiatric unit, and published photographs of the place. Scarboro subsequently left the unit because he could no longer get adequate treatment, and inaccurate stories about his condition were being published.[3]

Death

Scarboro was found dead at the bottom of Beachy Head on 27 April 1988. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Tatsfield, Surrey. At the inquest into his death, the coroner gave an open verdict. A 1988 BBC documentary about his life entitled My Brother David was presented by his brother Simon. Scarboro's parents left the UK after their son's death.

References
Specific
  1. England & Wales, Death Index: 1984-2004
  2. Albert Watson (31 December 1985). "Good viewing down to the bells". The Aberdeen Press and Journal. p. 15. Retrieved 9 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Carty's 30 years on TV". BBC News. 4 July 2002. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
General
  • My Brother David, a film presented by David's brother Simon and produced by Roger Tonge for BBC TV
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