Natalie Evans | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Lucy Speed | ||||||||||||||
Duration | 1994–1995, 1999–2004 | ||||||||||||||
First appearance | Episode 936 18 January 1994 |
||||||||||||||
Last appearance | Episode 2726 10 May 2004 |
||||||||||||||
Introduced by |
Leonard Lewis (1994) Matthew Robinson (1999) |
||||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||
Profile | |||||||||||||||
Other names | Natalie Price | ||||||||||||||
Occupation |
|
||||||||||||||
|
Father | Dave Price |
---|---|
Mother | Andrea Price |
Brothers |
Jack Price Kevin Price |
Sisters | Susie Price |
Husband | Barry Evans (1999–2003) |
Sons | Jack Evans |
Nephews | Chris |
Natalie Evans (also Price) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lucy Speed between 18 January 1994 and 10 May 2004. Natalie first appeared in January 1994, depicted initially as an unhappy, insecure teenager; she was among various regular characters brought in to increase the cast following the BBC's decision to increase episode output to 3 per week. She featured most often with the characters Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) and Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer); Natalie's affair with Ricky ending his relationship with Bianca was one of the prominent storylines aired in the Winter of 1995. Despite producers offering to extend Speed's contact, she opted to leave the serial in 1995.
Executive producer Matthew Robinson reintroduced the character in 1999 as a business woman and a love interest for Barry Evans (Shaun Williamson). Speed left once again in 2004, with Natalie departing in the wake of Barry's murder by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks).
Natalie's parents separated early in her childhood and she took it badly. She lived with her mother Andrea (Cindy O'Callaghan) in Walford, but she had been closer to her father, Dave, and missed him terribly. Andrea favoured her other children, especially her older daughter Susie (Viva Duce), over Natalie. She was highly critical of Natalie and blamed her for the breakdown of her marriage (the unwanted pregnancy had ruined her figure and singing career, causing her husband to leave her). Andrea and Susie ridiculed Natalie for missing her father and wanting to keep in touch; Andrea claimed that Dave had no interest in Natalie.