Joe Absolom

Joe Absolom (born 16 December 1978) is an English actor known for his roles as Matthew Rose in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Al Large in the ITV comedy drama Doc Martin. Early life Absolom was born in Lewisham, London. A former pupil of Forest Hill School, he made early appearances in the Sun-Pat peanut butter advertisements before making his acting debut with the 1991 film Antonia and Jane. Career Absolom joined the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1997 portraying Matthew Rose. He had few storylines in his first year on the show. The storyline which gained him recognition was the murder of Saskia Duncan, which began in February 1999. His character was framed for the murder by the real culprit, Steve Owen (played by Martin Kemp). After getting revenge on Steve Owen, his character's last appearance aired in February 2000. Absolom won Best Actor at The British Soap Awards that same year. After leaving EastEnders, Absolom played the leading role in the 2002 British horror film Long Time Dead, and a supporting role in the ITV series Vincent. He soon became best known for his role in Doc Martin playing Bert Large's son, Al. The part has won him critical acclaim ever since the series began.