Who did Melanie Clark Pullen play in EastEnders? Tributes pour in as actress dies aged 46

Melanie Clark Pullen recently died at the age of 46 (Image via Peter Jordan/Getty Images)

Melanie Clark Pullen recently passed away at the age of 46 after a battle with breast cancer. The actress was diagnosed with the illness in January 2019 and died on March 29 after rounds of radiotherapy.

Pullen was given an all-clear in 2020, after which she said that she is cancer-free and is waiting for a full recovery. However, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in June 2021. She posted on her website at the time:

“I was only given the all-clear from cancer 18 months ago and it’s a cruel blow to think that I will now be starting into some kind of treatment again and that this time it will be long term and a permanent fixture of my life.”

She kept her fans updated with her journey and last posted on March 14 when she was seen enjoying a visit with her family.

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Melanie Clark Pullen’s role in EastEnders

Melanie gained recognition for her performance as Mary Flaherty in EastEnders from 1997 to 1999. The character appeared first on September 22, 1997.

She is the granddaughter of Pauline Fowler’s long-lost sister Maggie Flaherty in the series. Her father is Conor Flaherty, but she does not get on with him. When they go to Ireland to meet their relatives, she is a teenager in trouble.

Mary is having an affair with an older married man, Gerry McCrae. She found a good friend in her cousin Mark Fowler and decided to move to Walford, where their relationship improved over time.

Pauline initially liked Mary, often stating that she was like a young version of her mother. But they cannot live in the same house and Mary has to always find new accommodation. She also comes between the couple, Joe Wicks and Sarah Hills, but Joe returns to Sarah after they have a one-night stand, breaking her heart.

Mary injures her pelvis while on holiday in Norfolk, gets involved with Matthew Rose and Robbie Jackson, and leaves Walford with her father, Conor, and his pregnant lover, Mark’s wife, Ruth Fowler. They then reside in Scotland.

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Everything known about Melanie Clark Pullen

Born on July 2, 1975, in Bray, Ireland, Melanie studied drama at Trinity College, Dublin, and after her graduation, she was cast as Mary Flaherty in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Melanie Clark Pullen was famous for her appearance in EastEnders (Image via Peter Jordan/Getty Images)

She appeared in ITV’s costume drama Lady Audley’s Secret and Catherine Cookson’s A Dinner of Herbs. She then appeared in the remake of the classic The Railway Children in 2000 alongside Richard Attenborough and Jenny Agutter.

Pullen played the role of Mariane in Tartuffe at the Lyttelton Theatre in 2002 and as Perdita in the 2001 production of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. She also co-wrote and appeared in Missing Stars at the Finborough Theatre in 2001.

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Melanie wrote, directed, and produced the short film Marion agus an Banphrionsa in 2006 and won the Gradam Gael Linn award for Best Short in the Irish Language at the 51st Cork Film Festival. She then produced another short film, Sounds Good, written by her partner Simon Maxwell.

She played the role of Lisa Bacchus, the wife of Detective Sergeant John Bacchus, in the BBC drama Inspector George Gently.

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Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Melanie Clark Pullen was famous for her performances in EastEnders and several other TV shows. Fans expressed their grief on Twitter when they heard about her death:

She is survived by her husband, Simon Maxwell, and their three children.