‘EastEnders’ star Zack Morris was pulled over by police on the day he filmed a wrongful arrest storyline.
The 21-year-old actor was stopped by police who suspected his car was stolen after filming scenes where his character Keegan Baker was wrongfully arrested because he "fitted the description".
Speaking to Stacey Dooley on tonight’s (10.08.20) episode of ‘Secrets From The Square’, Zack says: "This story is something that is personal and close to my heart myself. I filmed a scene where Keegan got arrested for something he hadn’t done because he fitted the description.
"I was driving home and I was pulled over by police, same day. And they said, ‘Well this is a nice car.’ There were two cars in front of me and they drove off and his excuse was that he thought I was part of a convoy and my car was stolen.
"That just goes to show it’s a reflection of real life. This stuff is still going on. It’s a massive eye opener for everyone."
Zack added that conversations about unfair treatment by police are still common in black households.
He says: "These are conversations that are still being held in black households. I’ve had them a few times and you almost become accustomed to it.
"It’s just a part of being a black person. But now more than ever, we can’t just forget it and say it’s OK – because it’s not OK."
Zack, who will appear on the episode along with on-screen wife Maisie Smith (Tiffany Butcher) and on-screen mum Lorraine Stanley (Karen Taylor), revealed there will be "spurts of anger" from his character as he grapples with racism in future episodes.
He adds: "He has the implications of being a black man in a modern-day society which I can personally relate with, which is something I’m glad ‘EastEnders’ has touched upon.
"You do still get the spurts of anger and frustration but there’s more justification for it now. He’s definitely a complex and interesting character."