Keanu Taylor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Portrayed by | Danny Walters | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Duration | 2017–2020, 2022–2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
First appearance | Episode 5511 15 June 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last appearance |
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Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Created by | Daran Little[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Sean O'Connor (2017) Chris Clenshaw (2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Keanu Taylor is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Danny Walters. He was introduced in episode 5511, broadcast on 15 June 2017, as a member of the Taylor family. Keanu is the son of Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) and half-brother of Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer), Keegan Baker (Zack Morris), Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris), Riley Taylor (Tom Jacobs), and Chatham Taylor (Alfie Jacobs). He is described as a charming, hardworking, and happy-go-lucky man of morals. In his original stint, his storylines focused on being the breadwinner of his family, an affair with Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean), a relationship with Sharon’s stepdaughter Louise (Tilly Keeper), a feud with Louise’s half-brother Ben (Max Bowden) and her father Phil (Steve McFadden). In November 2019, it was announced that Walters "bowed out" of the soap for the development of his storyline with Sharon, with his initial departure being depicted in episode 6084, which aired on 21 February 2020.
Keanu returned in episode 6607, broadcast on 13 December 2022, again becoming a regular on the soap. His personality was slightly altered as he was now portrayed as being more mature and deceitful. Keanu's storylines in his return stint focused on the resume of his romance with Sharon, becoming involved in drug trafficking, and faking Albie Watts's (Arthur Gentleman) abduction before his second departure on episode 6826, broadcast on 25 December 2023. He is the victim of "The Six" storyline, being stabbed to death with a meat thermometer by Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), which led to his departure. He makes five additional appearances as a hallucination from 10 January 2024 to 20 February 2024 before his body was found by Bernadette on 3 April 2024. His funeral aired on 13 June 2024.