Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-standing fictional character from the BBC soap opera  EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden. Phil was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990, and was followed by his brother, Grant (Ross Kemp), sister Sam (Danniella Westbrook/Kim Medcalf) and mother Peggy (Jo Warne/Barbara Windsor). Phil was one of the major introductions made by executive producer Michael Ferguson, who wanted to bring in some macho, male leads. Phil and his brother Grant became popularly known as the Mitchell brothers in the British media, with Phil initially portrayed as the lesser of two thugs. Storylines featuring the Mitchell family dominated the soap opera throughout the 1990s, with Phil becoming a popular and long-running male protagonist into the 2000s and the 2010s. McFadden was written out of the series in late 2003. He returned in March 2005 for a short stint, before making a permanent return in October 2005.