Toby-Alexander Smith

Toby-Alexander Smith (born 26 February 1991) is an English actor, known for playing Gray Atkins in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2019–2022, 2026).

Early life Smith was born on 26 February 1991 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and developed a passion for acting whilst at school. He went to Arts Educational Schools in London, where he trained as an actor.

Career His first television appearance was in an episode of the American Epix drama series Berlin Station in 2016. He then appeared in the BBC soap opera Doctors as Jason Carswell. In 2019, Smith appeared as Terry in the series Flack and later in the DC universe's Krypton as Lo-Ran.

On 11 March 2019, it was announced that Smith had joined the cast of EastEnders as Gray Atkins, the husband of Chantelle Atkins, played by Jessica Plummer. His first appearance was in the episode broadcast on 29 March 2019. In episodes broadcast in July 2019, it is revealed that Smith's character Gray has been domestically abusing his wife Chantelle. Smith alongside Plummer and the EastEnders team, worked closely with Women's Aid and Refuge to ensure that the domestic abuse storyline had been told accurately. Commenting on the storyline, Smith said: "I just hope that anyone experiencing any sort of behaviour like that will talk about it and relate to it. I've already been told by Woman's Aid that people have contacted them and said they think their friend is in a similar situation to Gray and Chantelle in EastEnders." This led to Smith becoming an ambassador for Women's Aid. In September 2020, the storyline ended with Gray murdering Chantelle. In February 2022, it was announced that Smith would be leaving the series, and his character departed in March 2022. For their portrayal of domestic violence, Smith and Plummer were nominated for a BAFTA award in 2021, and Smith was also shortlisted for "Best Villain" at the Inside Soap Awards in 2020 and longlisted in 2021. In May 2026, it was announced that Smith would be reprising his role as Gray for a short stint.

Personal life Smith began a relationship with Emmerdale actress Amy Walsh in 2020, having met in the Strictly Come Dancing audience in 2019. They had their first daughter in 2021. The couple live in east London. Smith married Walsh in September 2023. His friend and former EastEnders co-star Shona McGarty, performed a song at the wedding. They had their second daughter in March 2026.

In 2025, Smith and Walsh launched the Walsh Academy North, a drama school for kids aged 7 to 16, opened in June 2025, with both actors serving as coaches to train fresh talent. They expanded on their existing drama school, the Walsh Academy, to offer speech and drama classes, aiming to build confidence and creativity.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2016 Berlin Station George Episode: "Station to Station" 2018 Doctors Jason Carswell Episode: "The Beautiful Game" 2019 Flack Terry Episode: "Patrick" 2019–2022, 2026 EastEnders Gray Atkins Regular role; 276 episodes 2019 Krypton Lor-Ran Episode: "Ghost in the Fire" 2020 EastEnders: Secrets from the Square Himself Episode: "Karen, Chantelle and Gray" 2020–2022 Loose Women Himself 3 episodes 2022 The One Show Himself 1 episode 2024 An American in Austen Charles Bingley TV movie 2024 Love Across Time Charles Barkley V TV movie 2025 Finding Calm Sam Short film 2026 A Murder Between Friends Sydney Film 2026 Seeking Persephone Harry Windover 4 episodes

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result Ref. 2019 I Talk Telly Awards Best Soap Newcomer 2020 I Talk Telly Awards Best Soap Partnership (shared with Jessica Plummer) Inside Soap Awards Best Villain 2021 Version Soap Awards Best Villain British Academy Television Awards Must-See Moment Inside Soap Awards Best Villain Inside Soap Awards Best Villain