# Scott Maslen
**Scott Maslen** is an English actor and model, born in 1971 and raised in Woolwich in south-east London, best known for playing Detective Sergeant Phil Hunter in the ITV police drama *The Bill* (2002 to 2007) and [Jack Branning](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-branning) in the BBC soap opera *EastEnders*, a role he has held since 29 October 2007 apart from a break between 2013 and late 2015.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Signature roles | DS Phil Hunter in *The Bill* (2002 to 2007); Jack Branning in *EastEnders* (2007 to 2013, and from December 2015 onwards)[1](https://eastenders.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Maslen) |
| First EastEnders appearance | 29 October 2007[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html) |
| Episode count | TVmaze credits him in 1,618 *EastEnders* episodes as Jack Branning[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57173/scott-maslen) |
| Awards | Six British Soap Award wins, including Sexiest Male in 2009, 2011, and 2012, and Best Actor and Sexiest Male in 2010[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/awards/) |
| Early career | Two years training with the Royal Marines, then five years as a model in the USA, including work for Versace, before training at the Guildhall Drama School[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/) |
| Video game roles | Voice of Claude Speed in *Grand Theft Auto 2* (1999) and Quinn Abercromby in *Reign of Fire* (2002)[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/) |
| Family | Married singer-songwriter Estelle Rubio in 2008; they have a son, Zak[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html) |
## Early life and modeling career
Maslen grew up in Woolwich in south-east London[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html). At age 16 he and several school friends joined the [Royal Marines](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-marines), but a training injury, a broken foot, forced him to leave the service[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html) • [6](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/scott-maslen.html). While taking time off he went to the United States, where he was spotted by the photographer Bruce Webber, who offered him a green card, and he built a five-year international modeling career in the USA working for labels including Versace[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/).
According to his IMDb biography, the actor [Bill Paxton](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-paxton) advised him to turn to acting[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/). He returned to the UK and trained for three years at the Guildhall Drama School, where he met his fellow student [Orlando Bloom](https://www.edgepedia.org/orlando-bloom)[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/).
## Television career
**Early roles.** Maslen's first significant screen work was as Jamie in the [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4) series *Lock, Stock...* (2000), followed by guest roles in *Heartbeat* and *Peak Practice* and an appearance in the *Highlander: The Raven* television series[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/). In 2002 he was cast as Detective Sergeant Phil Hunter in *The Bill*, in a part written especially for him[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/). Hunter first appeared in July 2002 and remained until the episode *Collateral Damage* in October 2007[7](https://thebillaton.com/ds-phil-hunter/). IMDb credits him in the role across roughly 240 episodes, and he also appeared as Sergeant Phil Hunter in earlier episodes before promotion to Detective Sergeant[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/). His move to *EastEnders* drew comment at the time, with one profile noting that his recruitment from *The Bill* caused controversy[6](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/scott-maslen.html).
**Jack Branning.** Maslen left *The Bill* and joined *EastEnders* almost immediately, making his first appearance as Jack Branning on 29 October 2007[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html). Jack was introduced as the younger brother of [Max Branning](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-branning), a former police officer with a complicated past, and his storylines centered on his relationships with [Ronnie Mitchell](https://www.edgepedia.org/ronnie-mitchell), Roxy Mitchell, and [Denise Fox](https://www.edgepedia.org/denise-fox) and his role as a father[8](https://thecinemaholics.com/scott-maslens-life-beyond-jack-branning-family-fitness-and-a-remarkable-eastenders-career/). In February 2013 it was reported that he was leaving the show later that year; his final run of episodes ended in September 2013[1](https://eastenders.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Maslen) • [2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html). He returned to the cast in December 2015 and has remained with the show since, with TVmaze crediting him in 1,618 episodes into 2026[1](https://eastenders.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Maslen) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57173/scott-maslen).
In the show's 40th anniversary week in February 2025, viewers voted in an online poll on Denise Fox's partner, choosing Jack over Ravi Gulati[9](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/exclusive-eastenders-star-diane-parish-gives-her-verdict-on-jack-v-ravi-vote).
**Other work.** Maslen has also done voice work in video games, playing Claude Speed in *Grand Theft Auto 2* (1999) and Quinn Abercromby in *[Reign of Fire](https://www.edgepedia.org/reign-of-fire-film)* (2002)[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/). He played James Holloway in the drama *The Royals* in 2015[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57173/scott-maslen).
## Awards and recognition
At the 2010 British Soap Awards Maslen won both Best Actor and Sexiest Male for his *EastEnders* role, and he also won the Sexiest Male category in 2009, 2011, and 2012, plus an Inside Soap Award for Sexiest Male in 2010[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/awards/). IMDb lists six wins and three nominations overall[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/awards/).
## Personal life
Maslen married the singer-songwriter Estelle Rubio in 2008; the couple had met nearly a decade earlier, in August 1999, and they have a son, Zak[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html). In 2012, after a burglar broke into the family's [Primrose Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/primrose-hill) home, Maslen and his wife used a phone tracking application to trace the stolen property and helped catch the offender[10](https://uat-web.standard.co.uk/hp/front/eastenders-star-turns-detective-to-catch-raider-6361542.html).
He is a close friend of his *EastEnders* co-star [Samantha Womack](https://www.edgepedia.org/samantha-womack), who played his on-screen love interest Ronnie Mitchell, and both have said they worried the romantic storyline would feel strange given how long they had known each other[11](https://www.tvguide.co.uk/articles/jack-branning-in-eastenders-was-he-really-married-to-sharon-watts-eastenders-12552/). He was also a best man at the wedding of his former *The Bill* colleague Alex Walkinshaw[12](https://www.whattowatch.com/features/alex-walkinshaw-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-actor).
In 2010 he competed on *Strictly Come Dancing*, partnered with the professional dancer [Natalie Lowe](https://www.edgepedia.org/natalie-lowe), and finished fourth, narrowly missing the final[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html). In July 2017 the BBC disclosed that Maslen had earned over £150,000 from license fee revenue in the financial year 2016/17[2](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html) • [13](https://diversityuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/BBC-Annual-Report-2016-17-Annex.pdf).
## References
1. [Scott Maslen, EastEnders Wiki (Fandom)](https://eastenders.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Maslen)
2. [Scott Maslen's Biography, Biogs.com](https://www.biogs.com/strictlycomedancing/maslen.html)
3. [Scott Maslen, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57173/scott-maslen)
4. [Scott Maslen, Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/awards/)
5. [Scott Maslen, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556494/)
6. [Scott Maslen, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/scott-maslen.html)
7. [DS Phil Hunter, The Billaton](https://thebillaton.com/ds-phil-hunter/)
8. [Scott Maslen's Life Beyond Jack Branning, The Cinemaholics](https://thecinemaholics.com/scott-maslens-life-beyond-jack-branning-family-fitness-and-a-remarkable-eastenders-career/)
9. [EastEnders star Diane Parish gives her verdict on Jack v Ravi vote, What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/exclusive-eastenders-star-diane-parish-gives-her-verdict-on-jack-v-ravi-vote)
10. [EastEnders star turns detective to catch raider, London Evening Standard](https://uat-web.standard.co.uk/hp/front/eastenders-star-turns-detective-to-catch-raider-6361542.html)
11. [Scott Maslen stars as Jack Branning in EastEnders with iconic family ties, TV Guide UK](https://www.tvguide.co.uk/articles/jack-branning-in-eastenders-was-he-really-married-to-sharon-watts-eastenders-12552/)
12. [Alex Walkinshaw, everything you need to know about the actor, What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/features/alex-walkinshaw-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-actor)
13. [Annex to the BBC Annual Report 2016/17](https://diversityuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/BBC-Annual-Report-2016-17-Annex.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Soap operas and continuing serials › British and Australasian soaps and characters › EastEnders › EastEnders cast members*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license