Although he only joined EastEnders back in June, George Knight has already had to navigate plenty of drama, including the return of ex-wife Cindy Beale. Meanwhile, offscreen his counterpart has led a very interesting life indeed

Ever since first setting foot on the Square back in June, barman George Knight (Colin Salmon) has had to deal with plenty of family drama, including the explosive return of his ex-wife Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins). As a fiercely loyal family man, George has been busily securing a mystery buyer for his Marbella bar, helping to pave the way for a happy future in Walford alongside daughters Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford), and fiancée Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe).

Of course, as any long-time EastEnders fan will surely guess, it's unlikely that George's business plans will go without a hitch, and viewers are already predicting a twist on the horizon. Away from the Queen Vic, actor Colin has certainly led a full life, with an impressive résumé away from the world of soap.

Colin has some very impressive film and TV credits to his name (

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Punk rock roots and passion for music

Bethnal Green-born Colin discovered a passion for music at a young age, which he channelled into drumming for punk rock band the Friction in the mid-1970s alongside three of his pals from Ashcroft High School. The band were regular performers around the Luton area in 1979 and 1980, and even released their own 7-inch EP, a live cassette, and a cassette-EP.

The multi-talented 61-year-old also played with another punk band, the Tee Vees, for a brief period of time, and, back in the mind-1980s, he joined Luton-based band Catch as a singer and trumpeter. Although he's concentrated more on acting in recent years, Colin still plays the trumpet in a jazz quartet, and has performed at various events, including the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

Speaking with Blues & Soulahead of the Cheltenham gig, Colin revealed that music had to take "a back seat" after he started a family and began to enjoy success in his acting career. Colin, who has a little more time to spare now his children are older, explained: "We've mostly just done very occasional performances - usually at very special events. You know, keeping a consistent band going is a bit like getting the Aston Martin out the garage - you have to run it every now and then!"

The thespian also went on to share that he's previously performed at a dinner event for his good friend and former James Bond co-star Dame Judi Dench at London's Dorchester Hotel, leaving her with "tears in her eyes".

Colin has a passion for music (

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He chose to join the cast of EastEnders for a touching reason (

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Hollywood blockbusters and James Bond role

Before joining EastEnders, Colin was perhaps best known for playing MI6 aide and deputy chief of staff Charles Robinson in three consecutive James Bond films: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002). The world of 007 aside, Colin also has a number of impressive Hollywood credits to his name, including Resident Evil (2000) and Resident Evil: Retribution (2012), which saw him play soldier James "One" Shade.

Colin has also clocked up a number of significant TV role over the years. He's previously played Sergeant Bob Oswald in the acclaimed TV mini-series Prime Suspect 2, and was also cast as Dr Rowan Dunlop in popular prison drama Bad Girls.

35-year marriage and touching reason he joined EastEnders

Colin has been married to visual artist and author Fiona Hawthorne for 35 years, with the couple tying the knot back in 1988. The couple have three daughters named Rudi, Sasha, and Eden Salmon, and a son called Ben. In an interview with PA News Agency, Colin opened up about the touching reason why he joined EastEnders, explaining: "My wife's not well, so I can't be far from home…and the universe has brought (me) something quite extraordinary."

In a separate interview with Hello!magazine, Fiona, whose work includes portraits of the Royal Family, revealed that she had been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease, a rare lung condition that left her reliant on an oxygen tank, adding that she was "finding ways to live with it positively". Showing great admiration for his wife, who declared that she doesn't want her illness to "define" her, Colin told the publication: "Fiona is an inspiration, an example to us all. Her spirit is unstoppable."

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