Not only are we big fans of Eastenders, we have a soft spot for Michael as we know how brilliant he is at playing poker! It’s been over two decades since Beppe DeMarco graced our screens on EastEnders, but if soap fans are expecting a return from the much-loved character anytime soon, actor Michael Greco says to think again.

Ahead of the show’s 40th anniversary special next week, Michael has opened up about his time on Albert Square, including how he really felt about his exit and the chances of returning, which he says are slim.

In an exclusive interview with us at FruitySlots.com, Michael – who has since turned to poker following his time on the BBC One show – also discusses what makes a great player, his celebrity encounters at the table, and the ‘dangers’ of winning big.

How did you cope with the nerves and maintain a poker face during a game?
“Poker face is a realistic term. Your eyes give away a lot, even in everyday life. If you’re bluffing for a lot of money and you don’t want the person to call you bluff and you’re sweating, the only way I can describe it is like a swan on a lake, it’s all calm and serene on top but on the bottom your legs are going. You have to keep your exterior completely still and relaxed. A lot of poker players wear sunglasses because your eyes give away a lot. You can tell if someone is lying as they’ll eventually give it away, just by a pulse in their neck, a twitch or if they say something.”

What other traits do you think make a good player?
“There are quite a few but one of the top is you don’t necessarily worry about losing the money in front of you. I know a lot of the top players now who are very wealthy are being backed by hedge funders and god knows what. If they lose, they just go on to the next one. Or they have millions anyway so they can afford to take risks. In poker there is a lot of luck but also there is a lot of skill. You have to put people to the test and be able to bluff. People bluff in life. In all walks of life. Be brave and enjoy it. People can play poker for small amounts of money.”

Poker can be quite male dominated. Do you think the industry needs to be more welcoming to female players?
“I understand why women wouldn’t feel so comfortable in the environment. I go to a certain casino, which will remain nameless, that even I feel uncomfortable with some of the characters that are sat around. There are very few women there. Maybe they’ve been there a long time and people know them.”

Have you ever felt a little vulnerable in a casino after a big win?
“Yes, I have. Most casinos have taxis waiting outside so unless you have someone following your cab, you can leave fast and just get home. I remember winning a huge amount of money in Vegas and just putting it in my rucksack and walking up the Vegas strip back to my hotel. That was so dangerous because if someone saw me leave with the money, they could have easily hit me over the head. You don’t know the people you’re playing against.

“You’ve got to have some decorum when you win a lot of money. Take it quietly and be modest – be quiet basically! Poker has fantastic memories but it does bring back memories of some dubious, unsavoury characters. Money brings the worst out in people and if someone is being cocky about it, you don’t know what could happen.”

You’ve previously spoken about playing poker with Bill Gates – what other celebrities have you come into contact with on the poker table?
“There’s loads! I remember Shane Warne the cricketer was one of the loveliest men I’ve ever met. I don’t think he knew who I was because I don’t think he ever watched EastEnders. I remember playing at the World Series in Vegas and sitting at a table with him and Liz Hurley, who was on another table waiting for him. She was waiting patiently for him, then there was a break and they’d go out. Playing with him and seeing Liz sitting there anonymously, that was great.

“I remember when the first Hangover movie came out, Todd Phillips, he was the director. I remember I saw it and thought what a great film it was, then I was sitting at a private game in Los Angeles and he was sitting at the same table. James Woods, who was one of my favourite actors, was at the table with me once, so I was just enjoying his banter.”

How do you think you would have juggled your acting and poker career?
“I gave up acting for a good six or seven years because I was flown around the world playing poker, and I loved it. I was earning good money, I had a great lifestyle, it was really good fun. Then I got bored of poker. I remember going to a cinema one day in Los Angeles and I thought, I want to get back into acting. I was sat in casinos night after night after night, chasing money and being surrounded by people who didn’t have my best intentions. I wanted to get back to what I loved doing, which was acting.”

Have you ever had a Sliding Doors moment in acting?
“I’ve had quite a few with certain roles I was up for. Many in LA with films where I was up to star in a Brad Pitt or George Clooney film. It wasn’t the money, it was about the character and the quality of the writing. When you’re up for a huge role and don’t get it it’s a huge Sliding Doors moment that gets slammed in your face constantly. It hurts. It’s like going on a date with 10 people and every one of them says no. You do start to wonder if you’re not good looking enough, not talented enough. Those films that I didn’t get the part in, I never went to see. Why go to the cinema to watch someone do the job you should be doing?”

EastEnders fans would love to see you back – would you return?
“I’d never shut any doors. There’s a few jobs I’ve been auditioning for and if I get one of them, it would be my dream. It’s a musical at the National Theatre.”

Have you been approached to return? The show’s 40th anniversary is coming up…
“No, never. I left over 20 years ago and there hasn’t been a day they’ve contacted my agent to ask me to come back. That’s fine. I don’t have any ties to any of the characters. There’s no link to bring me back. If the writers wanted you back they would create something.

“They’ve brought back a lot of people for the 40th anniversary just to dip their toe in. I haven’t been asked so if it was going to happen, it would have. I don’t think it ever will. Everyone over the age of 27 or 28 knows me as Beppe and the amount of people that stop me in the street to ask me when I’m going back. Everyday. It’s one of those things that it would be great to go back but I don’t see it happening.”

Was there ever an emotional scene on EastEnders that really affected you?
“Yeah, I did one scene with Martine McCutcheon. She had to tell me that she loved me but she couldn’t leave Grant. Actors have these things called tear sticks that can make you shed tears but I wanted to do it myself and I got really emotional in the scene and was crying. After they called cut they wanted to shoot again but I needed five minutes to gather myself.”

Do you think your character deserved a more dramatic send-off?
“There were circumstances that prevented me from having a bigger send off, I won’t go into them as it’s water under the bridge. But I just left in a cab, didn’t I? I said goodbye to Lynn in the cafe and then had a packet of crisps and drove to Leicester. “

People often assume because you’re on their screens, you’re a millionaire. Is that a big misconception of the acting world?
“When I was on EastEnders back in the day we had the omnibus on Sundays, so we used to get paid for that. That was 80% on top of our weekly wages. That was scrapped for EastEnders and all the soaps a while after I left. Everyone was up in arms. So EastEnders wages back when I was on the show were probably better than they are for the current cast today.”

Do you ever feel appearing on EastEnders prevented you from getting other roles?
“Yeah it’s a shame. A lot of soap actors came from theatre like me, I had a great background and three years of drama school. But I definitely feel like a lot of doors have been closed because I was Beppe in EastEnders. That’s a shame because there are a lot of ex-soap stars that are fantastic. There are times when you don’t want to be known as that person but sometimes it works in your favour as well.”

You’ve also hardly aged so you still look the same…
“I was thinking that the other day! I should have put on loads of weight, not done anything to my complexion, not drank water and not gone to the gym and I might have looked ten years older and got roles because people didn’t recognise me as Beppe.

“I’m more physically active now than I’ve ever been. There’s a lot of things I do to stay looking good. I’ve never had Botox. I’m an actor so I need my face to move. But I have good Italian genes, I eat very healthily and I don’t smoke. I don’t party so I have more time to focus on taking care of myself.”

Your goatee was also famous. Was that weird for you?
“In the late 90s early noughties the Beppe goatee was everywhere. I used to get guys come up to me and say their misses had made them get one because they loved me. Or women would come up to me and go ‘guess what, I got my husband to grow a goatee because I fancy you.’ I was the goatee king.

“I still get a lot of attention. Hand on hand I dismiss it because I’m very happy with my partner and our family. I used to get knickers sent to me during EastEnders. They were clean, thankfully. They just wanted me to sign them. I had a few bras, too!”

Did the EastEnders casting directors like the goatee?
“I had it before EastEnders because I was on tour with a Shakespeare play. They loved it. They said if we offer you this role, can you keep this goatee beard because we love it!”

Have you ever had a meaningful fan encounter?
“I remember a couple of years after I left EastEnders a young girl was in a car crash with her friends in North London where I used to live and her auntie saw me in the street and said she was a massive fan of mine and she was in a coma. She asked me to do her a massive favour and go and see her. I went to visit her with a signed Albert Square sign and sat with her for a few hours and went back a couple of times after and she eventually woke up. Me doing that for them had a big impact on their lives, so that felt amazing to do.”

Were you a party lover back in the EastEnders heyday?
“Oh yeah, it was a really fun set. We were the golden era of the show and back in the late 90s, to be on EastEnders was like being a rock star. The show had an impact on everyone, young and old so our fans were diverse but I had Paul McCartney come up to me at an awards bash and say he was a fan. That was certainly a pinch me moment!”

We hope you enjoyed this exclusive interview with Michael Greco. We are always looking for content that could be deemed interesting to our Fruity Slots community. Please feedback via our online casino forum for other past celebs you would like us to speak with!