EastEnders star Liam Hatch has responded to social media users who claimed he is too old to play a school bully in the BBC soap. The 27-year-old actor appears in Albert Square as Logan, a teenage antagonist whose storyline has drawn comparisons to a parent returning to the classroom.
One viewer joked, "Almost certain that this schoolboy sold me my mortgage," while another asked why a "44-year-old man" was picking fights with local kids. Hatch admitted the comment took him by surprise, saying: "I was looking in the mirror, thinking I can't be looking 44." He added that a client at his personal training work guessed he was 23 or 24.
The actor took the criticism in good humour, describing the comments as "very funny" and noting that his family were "loving it". He stressed that performance matters more than appearance, saying: "As long as the performance shows you are that character, that's what's important."
Hatch is far from the first actor to play a teenager in adulthood, with examples including Stockard Channing (33 in Grease), Barbra Streisand (40 in Yentl) and Judd Nelson (25 in The Breakfast Club). He cited American shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Saved by the Bell as precedents, adding that actors often shave down to appear younger.
For his role as Logan, he drew on his own teenage experiences and adapted to modern youth culture. "Teenagers now have more suave when they walk and talk," he said. Asked if he can still pass for 17, he laughed: "I've looked in the mirror and gone, 'Yeah, I can be 17!"
