Anton Meyer
| Anton Meyer | |
|---|---|
| Holby City character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | "Whose Heart Is It Anyway?" 12 January 1999 |
| Last appearance | "Pawns In The Game: Part 1" 20 August 2002 |
| Created by |
Tony McHale Mal Young |
| Portrayed by | George Irving |
| Spinoff(s) | Casualty, 2002 |
| Information | |
| Occupation |
Consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Clinical Chairman Head of cardiothoracic surgery |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
Anton Meyer is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor George Irving. He appeared in the series from its first episode, broadcast on 12 January 1999, until series four, episode 46, broadcast on 20 August 2002. His role in the show is that of consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and head of the cardiothoracic surgery department at Holby General. Irving had considerable input in creating the character, who was initially envisioned by the series producers as an Iranian surgeon named Hussein. At Irving's suggestion, Meyer became Hungarian, an emigrant to Britain following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Little of the backstory created for Meyer was ever revealed on-screen, as part of a deliberate bid to present the character as enigmatic, allowing viewers to project their own imagination onto him.
Meyer is a driven, arrogant surgeon, with high expectations of his colleagues. His major storylines see him operate on his own sister, fear that he may have Motor Neurone Disease, lose his spleen after being shot in a road rage incident, and ultimately depart from Holby for Michigan when the hospital Board make impositions on his autonomy. Irving made the decision to leave the series as he struggled to set the character aside outside of work, which had a negative impact on his personal life. He ruled out the possibility of returning to Holby City in future, preferring his memory of Meyer to remain untarnished.
Meyer proved popular with viewers and critics. Following the series launch, he was described by Jaci Steph of the Daily Mail as the series' "only distinctive character". Peter Paterson, also of the Daily Mail, deemed Meyer an asset to the show, which he finds "feeble" in Meyer's absence.Jim Shelley of The Mirror described Meyer as "one of the best characters on television in recent years". Meyer was particularly well received by female fans, attaining sex-symbol status, described by journalist Lynda Lee-Potter as "the kind of domineering, unsmiling hero who made Mills & Boon heroines swoon."
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