Ava Hartman
Ava Hartman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Clare Perkins. Perkins' casting was announced in September 2012 and she made her first appearance on 20 November 2012. Ava had previously been mentioned in 2012 as the long-lost daughter of established character Cora Cross and the half-sister of Tanya Branning, who never knew she had another sibling. Cora initially claims that Ava died shortly after birth, but she actually was forced to give her up for adoption. When Tanya discovers the truth, she tracks Ava down and Ava ends up meeting Cora. Ava and her son Dexter Hartman end up moving to Walford when Ava tries to help Liam Butcher with a gang that Dexter used to be part of. Perkins praised the soap for raising awareness of gangs as she grew up in London and it was an issue that she was passionate about.
Ava later has a brief romance with Billy Mitchell, though Perkins did not believe that the pair were suited for each other. EastEnders later introduced Ava's former husband and Dexter's father, Sam James, and he and Ava rekindle their relationship. However, it is later revealed that Sam only tracked them down to get Dexter to donate his kidney to him, which leads to the end of their second relationship. In September 2013, it was announced that both John and Perkins would be leaving EastEnders, and Ava made her last appearance on 17 December of that year. Ava's debut episode was watched by 7.71 million viewers when it aired, making it the most watched soap opera of the day.
Casting and characterisation
In September 2012, it was announced that Claire Perkins had been cast in the role of Ava Hartman, the long-lost daughter of established character Cora Cross and the half-sister of Tanya Branning. Perkins' casting had been rumoured prior to it being confirmed a few days later. Perkins had previously appeared in another soap opera, Family Affairs. Ava was characterised as having just turned 48-years-old upon her introduction. In her official BBC profile, Ava was described as being "shrewd, determined, and strong", and having a "good heart" despite seeming "hard".Development
Backstory and introduction
Ava was first mentioned in July 2012 in a storyline where Tanya discovers a document of Cora's that reveals a "shocking family secret" that Cora has kept from her: a birth certificate that revealing that Cora gave birth to another daughter, Ava, that Tanya never knew about. Tanya confronts Cora and she tell Tanya that Ava died shortly after being born, but Tanya does not accept her explanation and is confused as to why Cora kept it a secret for so long. However, months later, Cora admits to Tanya that she lied about Ava being stillborn and that she actually gave her up for adoption. Speaking about the storyline, Mitchell told Soaplife that Cora's parents forced her to give Ava up for adoption after her making her feel enormous "shame", revealing that Ava's father "was black and he left Cora before he knew she was pregnant. She was 18 and unmarried, and at that time, having a baby in her situation was a social stigma". Mitchell explained that Cora kept Ava a secret as she felt a great sense of guilt and she also wanted to "keep things as safe and uncomplicated as they could be". Mitchell also teased that Ava's arrival would cause "mayhem", adding, "The implications will be huge. The family will want answers, and I'm sure we won't be seeing the back of Ava".Perkins made her first appearance on 20 November 2012. In the episode, Tanya and Patrick Trueman go to the school that Ava works at to meet her, though Patrick is reluctant to as he believes that it is not what Cora would want. Tanya pretends that she is enquiring about her son Oscar Branning possibly joining the school and hopes to find the right moment to tell Ava the truth, but she panics and leaves instead. Tanya leaves her purse and Ava, clueless about Tanya's real identity or reason for visiting her, comes to Albert Square to return her purse, and she comes face to face with Cora, who answers Tanya's door. With both Ava and Cora unaware of their relationship, Cora invites Ava inside for a cup of tea. Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy hinted that this would change the lives of both women "forever" when Ava properly introduces herself. Perkins believed that Ava and Cora are two "completely different people" and that trying to build a relationship between them is difficult, although the actress saw that it was getting easier. She believed that Ava does not like Cora a lot even though she wants to. Ava's BBC profile explained that Ava had grown up with a happy adoptive family and did not feel the need to seek out her biological parents.
Shortly after Ava's debut, it was announced that actor Khali Best had been cast as Ava's son, Dexter Hartman, who arrived in 2013 to meet his extended family. Ava's BBC profile explained that whilst Ava wants to keep her biological family at a "safe distance", Dexter enjoys bonding with Cora, which makes Ava uncomfortable. The profile added that Ava enjoys living a "quiet life" and that she feels that she will become "embroiled" in her new family's various issues the more she gets to know them. In March 2013, it was reported that Perkins' contract had been extended by six months. Perkins commented that she felt "really settled in" and bonded a lot with Best, adding that they often laugh together and call each other "mum" and "son". Perkins later said that she was making the most of all the "wonderful stuff" that she had been given, commenting, "As an actor, you never know how long a job like this will last. I feel like I've settled in, but I can't sit back and think, 'That's it'. I want to do a really good job". In another storyline, Ava sees Bianca Jackson struggling with her son Liam Butcher getting involved in a gang that Dexter used to be in and she does everything she can to help, much to Dexter's reluctance. Perkins praised EastEnders for tackling the topic of street gangs as she grew up in London and she would often see stories on the news about young people being stabbed, with Perkins commenting, "I have known youngsters who have lost their lives. I don't want to get too personal about it, but it is something that I'm passionate about. It's just senseless". Perkins enjoyed working with Patsy Palmer, who plays Bianca Jackson, during the storyline, commenting that Palmer "really sweet and really funny" and nothing like Bianca. Ava's involvement leads to her home being trashed and being branded as a "snitch", which leads to her and Dexter moving to Walford. Perkins had previously revealed that Ava and Dexter would move to Albert Square. The actress added that she and Best liked the setting of their house, adding, "I love Ava's kitchen - there are things in there that I really want for myself. In fact, I keep thinking it's a lot nicer than my place".
Relationships
In 2013, established character Billy Mitchell becomes romantically interested in Ava and he tries to impress her by fixing a scratch on her car, despite not knowing what he is doing; Dexter steps in to help him and Ava is grateful to Billy and the three go out for a drink together. Speaking of Billy's interest in Ava, Perkins told Inside Soap, "Ava has been by herself a long while, and I think she can't be bothered with relationships. But as the years go on and her son Dexter is growing up, she's thinking, 'Oh! I haven't got anybody'. So when she realises that Billy fancies her, she thinks, 'Why not? Let's just see what happens!'" However, she believed that a romance between the pair would not work as she believed that the two characters would not "gel" due to Billy being a "kind of a loser" despite being "sweet and lovable" and Ava being a teacher. Months later, Billy and Ava have a date which gets to a "promising start". When Ava tells Billy that she admires his closeness with his granddaughter Lola Pearce, he tells her that he is trying to make up for lost time, and this reminds Ava of Sam. This sours the date as Billy realises that Ava is not over Sam. Ava then tries to rekindle the date by kissing Billy.In April 2013, it was announced that Cornell John had been cast as Sam James, Ava's former husband and Dexter's father. In the character's fictional backstory, Sam left Ava a little after she gave birth to Dexter, when he went to buy milk and never returned. It was reported that Ava and Dexter would be "shocked" when Sam returns after the death of his father and that he wants to get to know Dexter. EastEnders executive producer Lorraine Newman said that Dexter's introduction would create a "solid family unit" with Ava and Dexter, though she teased, "after such a long absence, sparks are sure to initially fly. Let's just hope he's got the milk!" Sam's BBC profile revealed that Sam was genuinely in love with Ava and "showered" her and Dexter with love in his backstory, but he left when he could no longer cope with the "mundane nature of everyday life". The BBC profile also revealed that Sam got involved with many women, but he never got the same "deep connection" that he shared with Ava.
Sam first appeared on 14 May of that year, where he leaves Ava "shellshocked" when she sees him on her doorstep "out of the blue". Sam explains that he has been reflecting on his life after the death of his father and wants to build a relationship with Dexter, but Ava is not keen on the idea and warns him to stay away. When Dexter meets Sam, Ava lies that he is a family friend and Dexter is won over by him and believes that he is a better match for his mother than Billy is, not knowing that Sam is his father. Dexter tries to matchmake Ava and Sam, which makes Ava angry and leads to an argument. Dexter then figures out that Sam is his father and is angry at Ava for lying to him. Dexter tells Sam that he does not want to reconcile and this upsets Sam and he seeks comfort in Ava, which leads to the pair having sex. The following day, Ava is "lost for words" when Sam reveals that he will be staying in Walford as he believes that their night together was "too amazing". Sam and Ava then reignite their relationship, which Ava enjoys. Perkins told Inside Soap that she was not optimistic about the reconciliation and believed that Ava should not be with him, saying, "If that were me, it wouldn't be all that easy to walk back into my life. Sam didn't even call or email - he literally just turned up on the doorstep after walking out on her two decades ago! If I were Ava's friend, I'd say she was crazy to forgive him like that. There's bound to be some kind of upset - something else is going to happen, isn't it?". Perkins added that she would never let a man like Sam into her life as ""He walked out on Ava when their baby was three months old - and then had the cheek to knock on the door 20 years later". Cora and Ava later clash when Cora tries to get Ava to tell Dexter about her new relationship with Sam. Perkins called the ongoing relationship between Ava and Cora "nice" but believed that it was "ridiculous" that they were "playing this cat-and-mouse game, with one of them being nice, and the other refusing the invitation and pretending that they're not bothered" whilst bothering living in Albert Square. Perkins believed that it was unhealthy for the pair to not explore their "many issues" and wanted to see their relationship "blossoming".
In September 2013, Ava is upset when Sam does not show up for their date and believes that he has left again; however, he eventually turns up and reveals that he has been diagnosed with a worrying health issue. Although she thinks that he should be honest, Sam persuaded Ava to not Dexter, but their son senses the tension and believes that they are going to split up. Sam reassures Dexter that he and Ava are "solid", but he later collapses when playing football, and he admits that he urgently needs a kidney transplant as his are damaged. Ava is "heartbroken" to find out that she cannot donate her kidney to Sam as she is not a match, and Dexter shocks his parents when he vows to donate a kidney instead, having gotten himself tested without Ava knowing; Ava does not want Dexter to do this as her "worst fear" is losing both him and Sam, and Dexter initially respects her wishes but later finds out that he is a match.
Perkins told Inside Soap that she related to Ava's reservations, saying, "For me there would be no contest - I'd be like Ava and say, 'No way are you having his kidney!' Transplants aren't easy things, even if everyone thinks they are.". Dexter ends up donating his kidney to Sam, and although Dexter initially loses consciousness after the operation, the father and son both make a full recovery.