Asher Levi | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders: E20 character | |||||
Portrayed by | Heshima Thompson | ||||
Appears in | Series 2 | ||||
Created by | EastEnders: E20 writers team | ||||
Classification | Regular | ||||
Profile | |||||
Home | 10a Turpin Road | ||||
|
Mother | Caroline Levi |
---|---|
Brothers | Sol Levi |
Asher Levi is a fictional character from EastEnders: E20, an Internet spin-off of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Played by Heshima Thompson, Asher is a main character in series two. He is a charismatic street dancer, who uses his talent to escape from his criminal past. As a father-figure to his younger brother Sol Levi (Tosin Cole), Asher occasionally resorts to stealing in order to provide for them both. He is willing to go to extreme lengths to protect Sol, including being stabbed by their schizophrenic mother. Over the course of the series, Asher betrays Sol by sleeping with his girlfriend, Naz Mehmet (Emaa Hussen). The two are ultimately able to reconcile, and Asher makes amends by encouraging his brother's dancing talent.
The character was created by the programme's team of thirteen writers, alongside the series' other main characters: Sol, Naz, and their friend Stevie Dickinson (Amanda Fairbank-Hynes). Thompson appreciated that the role allowed him to combine his love of acting and dancing. It brought him public recognition, and led fans of the series to hope that he and the other main characters would appear in the parent show, EastEnders.
After being evicted by their mother Caroline (Sandra Yaw), Asher and his younger brother Sol (Tosin Cole) move in with Walford resident Stevie Dickinson (Amanda Fairbank-Hynes). The brothers attend a dance audition, at which Asher is successful but Sol fails. Asher offers the judge a bribe on his brother's behalf, and is witnessed doing so by Fatboy (Ricky Norwood). He threatens him with a knife, revealing a stab wound on his abdomen, but disposes of the weapon when Fatboy leaves. While practicing dancing in the local community centre, Asher is mistaken for a Latin dance class instructor and steals the group's money. Though he attempts to find legitimate work, he is turned down due to having a criminal record, and again resorts to stealing.