Michael Greco may be best remembered by British television audiences as Beppe di Marco, the moody and enigmatic former cop who roamed Albert Square from 1998 to 2002.

But in the years since leaving EastEnders, Greco has quietly built a diverse and resilient career – one that now includes a major role in a blockbuster Hollywood franchise, a high-stakes presence in the professional poker world, and a deeply personal transformation off-screen.

Once a regular in British tabloid culture and soap award circuits, Greco is far from forgotten. Yet, his journey from Walford to the world stage has largely flown under the radar.

A far cry from the cobbled streets of Walford, Greco was cast in 2023 flick The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a high-profile prequel to the original Hunger Games series directed by Francis Lawrence. Greco plays Strabo Plinth, the ruthless sponsor of the Games and father to Sejanus Plinth, one of the film’s central characters.

In recent years, Greco has surprised many fans by showcasing a remarkable physical transformation, which he credits to intermittent fasting and a disciplined lifestyle. Now 55, he regularly shares updates from the gym, earning admiration and astonishment from followers impressed by his defined physique.

“Nearer 60 than 50! Never too old to get an eight pack!” he captioned one viral post in 2023. In interviews, he has stressed the importance of consistency and mindset, especially for older adults. “There’s a lot on social media about fitness, but it’s from people in their late teens or early 30s,” he said. “I’m approaching 56 and I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in.”

He follows a regimen that includes gym sessions three to four times a week, intermittent fasting between 2pm and 8pm, and a focus on moderation rather than restriction. “I do have a little bit of chocolate each day,” he admitted, “but it’s about balance.”

Greco has hinted that he may one day use his platform to inspire older audiences to embrace health and well-being more actively. “Joe Wicks has cornered the health market, but maybe there is room for someone a bit older to invigorate people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s,” he said.

Michael Greco first arrived on EastEnders in 1998 as Beppe di Marco, a brooding single father with a complicated past in the vice squad. His arrival was part of the introduction of the wider Di Marco family, who were intended to rival the show’s iconic Mitchells.

While the rest of the family was gradually written out by 2000, Beppe remained for another two years, entangled in romantic storylines, family tension, and business ventures including the ownership of the club E20.

However, his exit was sudden and, by Greco’s own account, underwhelming. In a 2023 interview with FruitySlots.com, he described it as “disappointing,” recalling: “There were circumstances that prevented me from having a bigger send-off… I just left in a cab, didn’t I? I said goodbye to Lynne in the cafe and then had a packet of crisps and drove to Leicester.”

Despite tabloid claims that he was sacked due to backstage tension and dissatisfaction with storylines, Greco has consistently denied those rumours. “I resigned because I didn’t want celebrity status anymore,” he told Daily Express, adding that he still holds the show in high regard.

Over two decades later, EastEnders celebrated its 40th anniversary in February 2025 with the return of several former stars, including Ross Kemp (Grant Mitchell). Greco was not invited back, a decision he has publicly acknowledged with a mix of disappointment and acceptance.

“I left over 20 years ago and there hasn’t been a day they’ve contacted my agent to ask me to come back,” he told The Independent. “That’s fine. I don’t have any ties to any of the characters. There’s no link to bring me back.”

After EastEnders, Greco continued to act in film, television, and theatre. His screen credits include roles in Doctors, Casualty, The Dumping Ground , and the Netflix docudrama Queen Cleopatra (2023), where he played Pothinus. In 2022, he portrayed real-life serial killer Raymond Fernandez in Scary Tales of New York – a role he later described on Instagram as “one of my favourite characters to have ever portrayed.”

Greco has also kept a steady presence on stage, taking on dynamic parts in productions like Chicago (as Billy Flynn), Twelve Angry Men (Juror 7), and multiple pantomimes, including Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk. He recently appeared as the villain Fleshcreep in the latter at Ipswich Regent Theatre over Christmas 2024, a performance he proudly promoted on social media: “Having two young children myself, I’m looking forward to them watching their Daddy entertaining the audiences.”

Away from the spotlight, Michael Greco has undergone a personal transformation, one that he shares candidly with his followers on Instagram. In July 2021, at the age of 51, he became a father for the first time when his partner Helen Harris gave birth to their son, Gianluca. Born prematurely with a rare condition known as Gastroschisis, Gianluca required immediate surgery and spent several weeks in intensive care at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Greco was open about the emotional toll and overwhelming love he felt during that time. “Baby has already had his first operation to replace his bowel where it should belong,” he wrote on social media. “This is by far the best day of my life. I love you Gianluca more than I can ever imagine.”

Two years later, in June 2024, Greco became a father again with the birth of his second son, Gianni. “I am truly grateful to be gifted another beautiful, baby boy,” he wrote in a heartfelt post. “The joys of being a father have made me the man I have become.”

Greco has spoken about how fatherhood, especially in his 50s, reshaped his perspective. “The greatest job I’ve ever had is being a father to my children,” he told Suffolk Sound. “Keeping myself healthy and fit for them is my duty and my obligation.”

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