EastEnders star Jake Wood has opened up about his contrasting views on family life, admitting that while his own family is a source of happiness, he finds the drama of crime families 'fascinating'. The actor, who plays serial womaniser Max Branning in the BBC soap, spoke candidly on his podcast 'Wood Wehn In The Membrane' with comedian Henning Wehn.
Wood, 53, who rejoined EastEnders last year after a two-year break, said: 'Family is f***ing hell. It's never straightforward, is it? Any family that I know that is large … there is always drama. Every family I can think of has got something, some secret or some trauma.' However, he believes times have changed, and people are no longer expected to tolerate bad behaviour from relatives, adding: 'Fifty, sixty years ago … you were expected to toe the line … regardless of anyone else's behaviour … Now, just because you're family, it's no excuse for being abusive.'
Despite his own stable home life with wife Alison and their two children, Wood is drawn to the Branning clan's turmoil. He said: 'It's fascinating, isn't it? When you get a whole family and then you get generations of criminals going back. It's like the family business … You're sort of born into those families and then you continue the family tradition! I suppose the Sicilians are like the daddies of that.'
Wood, who lives in Hampshire with his family, reflected on how families have evolved, noting that the traditional nuclear family is now outdated. He said: 'It's not that traditional anymore. You get blended families, single parent families, same sex parents … The main thing is, if there's love in a family, that's everything … Love, mutual respect, support.' He also emphasised the importance of being there for his children financially and emotionally, especially as rising costs make independence harder.
