This article's content is marked as Mature The page Mature contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
“ | "You could've had the world, but you'll get nothing from me Anna - NOTHING! I'll disinherit you just as if you never existed, so let's see on how keen your fiancé is at marrying you now!". | „ |
~ Donald threateningly tells his daughter Anna that he'll disown her for planning to marry their business rival Matthew King. |
Donald De Souza is a fictional character and major antagonist of the long-running British soap opera Emmerdale. He appeared as a supporting character in 2007 and the central antagonist in 2008, as well as a mentioned character in January 2009.
Originally introduced as the divorced spouse of villainess Nicola Blackstock in 2007, Donald is a wealthy businessman and the founder and CEO of De Souza Enterprise who was good friends with Nicola's father Rodney. In 2008 Donald embarked on a business feud against Rodney's boss Matthew King and tricked the latter's brother Carl King into working for him. When his children arrive, Donald is gradually revealed to be less than fatherly and more concerned on his business - which ultimately leads to his untimely demise.
He is portrayed by Michael Jayston.
Biography
Donald De Souza first came to Emmerdale in 2007 following the breakdown of his marriage with Nicola Blackstock. It soon became apparent to Donald that Nicola sought to eliminate him for his inheritance and control of his business De Souza Enterprises. He soon gives her the opportunity to do so at the cliff and even plans to kill himself, but Nicola rescues him at the last second. At the same time, Donald gets reacquainted with Nicola's father Rodney Blackstock - also his old friend - and learns that he works for a rival business company known as "King & Sons".
Soon enough, Donald begins a conflict against the King Brothers - particularly with their leader Matthew King as well as his older brother Jimmy. He soon exploits Matthew's brotherly feud with his younger brother Carl by manipulating the latter into working for him. This works successfully and Donald begins to take advantage of Carl and Matthew's feud in order to not just turn Carl against his brothers, but to also use Carl's loyalty as a way of invoking setbacks against King & Sons to the point where De Souza Enterprises win it all. In May 2008, Matthew is able to sabotage Carl and Donald's efforts by blackmailing Carl's fiancée Lexi King into conspiring against him. This works and when Carl finds out, he allows Donald to sack Lexi for her betrayal.
A few months later, Donald is reacquainted with his daughter Anna and the two have a troubling reunion. It soon becomes clear that Donald is less than fatherly to both Anna and his son Miles, before more of their boss as in business matters rather than that of a father and his children. Donald also disregards Miles' alcoholic problem and when he later departs the village, he insists to Anna on making no effort to locate Miles by stating that he has made his own choice in his own life.
Eventually, Donald learns that Anna has been growing romantically close with Matthew. At first he is outraged, but then decides to use this to his advantage by getting Anna to forge a partnership with Matthew in order to achieve his campaign against King & Sons. This partly works in Donald's favor, but at the same time Anna falls in love with Matthew and they get engaged. Donald grows aggravated by this matter and attempts to end their relationship. He also eventually betrays Carl by sacking him, which shocks Carl as he thought Donald had been more of a father to him than his own dad - Tom King.
When Anna refuses to end her engagement to Matthew for her father, Donald tries to bribe Matthew and even threatens to make a phone call that would effectively destroy King & Sons. Matthew calls Donald's bluff and states that Anna means more to the King Family than her father could possibly know. In response, Donald calls a board meeting without Anna and makes plans to bring Matthew down. He then confronts Anna during her engagement party, begins stirring up trouble, and declares that he will disinherit her for defying him - prompting Anna to order her father to leave. Donald does so, but Matthew later confronts him at his own home for upsetting Anna. They argue and Donald has a heart attack, another one due to his poor heart condition. Matthew takes away his medication and, ignoring Donald's pleas for help, demands for him to put Anna back in his will so that she could be happy. Donald then begs for an ambulance as Matthew angrily shuns him down for making Anna hate him, shortly before Donald then dies as he fatally collapses to the ground.
Following Donald's death, Matthew covers up his involvement and comforts Anna when she learns the tragedy the following day. At Donald's funeral the Kings learn that have gone bankrupt, but Matthew and Anna plan to get married anyways. Unfortunately, Carl learns about Matthew's role in Donald's death and exposes it on their wedding day after suspecting Matthew of betraying him and Jimmy. As a result, Anna leaves and doesn't witness Matthew and Carl having a brutal fight; Matthew then gets killed attempting to kill Carl, but not before Anna gets in the way. After Matthew's death, Jimmy tells Anna that Matthew never meant for Donald to die and only wanted to make him have peace with his daughter for her sake. At Matthew's funeral, Anna leaves and whatever remains of Donald's legacy and company is quashed for good.
Trivia
- He was born on 8th July 1933.
- Donald De Souza made a total of 105 appearances throughout his time on the show.
Soap Opera Villains |
EastEnders Aaron | Abi | Abs | Adam | Ahmet | Alanagh | Alan | Alex | Alfie | Al | Ali | Johnny Allen | Ruby Allen | Allen's unnamed henchmen | DCI Alsworth | Andy | Anne | Gray Atkins | Wilfred Atkins | Jeff Atkinson | Simon Atmore | Tom Bailey | Keegan Baker | Sadie Banks | Barnsey Barnes | Adam Bateman | Terry Bates | Viv Bates | Bobby Beale | Cindy Beale | Ian Beale | Lucy Beale | Steven Beale | Polly Becker | Beresford | Biggie | Bijan | Unnamed Blackmailer | Oz Bolat | Abi Branning | Derek Branning | Max Branning | Suzy Branning | Mr Bremner | Dougie Briggs | Kim Brooks | James Willmott-Brown | Hugo Browning | Luke Browning | Elliot Brownlow | Bruno | Unnamed Bully | Bunhead | Bunty | Frank Butcher | Janine Butcher | Lewis Butler | Frankie Byrne | Cahill | Sarah Cairns | Cal | Edwin Caldecott | Campbell | Carlos | Carter | Tony Cattani | Cal Childs | Chris | Little Chris | Marcus Christie | Matt Clarkson | Clem | Clive | Cliff | Cody | Richard Cole | Preston Cooper | Corley | Charles Cotton | Dotty Cotton | Nick Cotton | Tom Cotton | Jason Cox | Stella Crawford | Neil Crossley | Vic Crusher | Jack Dalton | Dalton's unnamed henchman | Danny | Darien | Daryl | Dave | Davey | David | Dee | Derek | Derrick | Alexandra D'Costa | Madison Drake | Craig Dixon | Dermott Dolan | Don | Dougie | Roxy Drake | Victor Duke | Saskia Duncan | Dylan | Eddie | Tom Eden | Erica | Nigel Fenshaw | Frankie Finnerty | Jono Finnerty | Lee Finnerty | Ann Fletcher | Ross Fletcher | Flo | Pauline Fowler | Gray Foster | Joanne Francis | Frank | Franks | Frankie | Vinnie Franks | Freddie | Mitch Gannon | Gary | George | Sandy Gibson | Graeme | Tommy Grant | Rob Grayson | Camilla Greenwood | Gummy | Vincent Le Haine | Danny Hardcastle | Cody Harris | Johnny Harris | Heavy | Christine Hewitt | Greg Hewitt | John Hewland | Nina Hewland | Henry | Jonno Highway | Stuart Highway | Claudette Hubbard | Vincent Hubbard | Angel Hudson | Hudson's unnamed henchman | Neil Hughes | Andy Hunter | Hunter's unnamed henchmen | Isaacs | JJ | Jacs | Jake | Jason James | Sam James | Jason | Jerry | Jez | Ernie Johnson | Jordan Johnson | Lucas Johnson | Vince Johnson | Jordan | Joseph | Kane | Aflie Kane | Charlie Keating | Kelly | Ray Kelly | Stuart Kendle | Kerry | Kevin | Yusef Khan | Leo King | Tony King | Kylie | Johnny Lee | Leigh | Lenny | Katy Lewis | Lillan | Lisha | Bob Lister | Donna Ludlow | Joe Macer | Tosh Mackintosh | Aidan Maguire | Ciara Maguire | Caleb Malone | Gregory Mantel | Marco | Mark | Nyangi Marwa | Billy Mason | Henry Mason | Steve Masters | Matty | Bird Meadows | Trent Meadows | Mervyn | Demetrius Michaledes | Mickey | Midge | Mike | Mikey | Alan Mills | Milo | Archie Mitchell | Ben Mitchell | Billy Mitchell | Carla Mitchell | Eric Mitchell | Glenda Mitchell | Grant Mitchell | Phil Mitchell | Phillip Mitchell | Aaron Monroe | Danny Moon | Jake Moon | Michael Moon | Trevor Morgan | Geoff Morton | Spike Murphy | Nathan | Neil | Neill | Glenn Neyland | Ellie Nixon | Ollie | Mehmet Osman | Barbara Owen | Hunter Owen | Jackie Owen | Mel Owen | Steve Owen | Oxley | Annie Palmer | George Palmer | Suki Panesar | Apostolos Papadopolous | Danny Pennant | Pete | Petey | George Peters | Fraser Philips | Frankie Pierre | Piers | Pogo | Queenie Price | Reg Priest | Unnamed prisoner | Annie Pritchard | Martinia Quinn | Jagger Rawley | Garry Rawlings | Ray | Raymond | Terry Raymond | Stix Redman | Mike Rendon | Rennie | Renzo | Dennis Rickman | Denny Rickman Jr. | Ricky | Felix Riley | Robert | Darren Roberts | Ron | Willy Roper | Matthew Rose | Rowly | Eddie Royle | Mandy Salter | Stas Saunders | Charlie Savage | Jesper Scanlon | Sean | Qadim Shah | Shane | Gavin Sharp | Fraser Shelton | Jan Sherwood | Sia | Sid | Simmo | Lydia Simmonds | Simon | Paul Skeggs | Dougie Slade | Bev Slater | Harry Slater | Hayley Slater | Sean Slater | Alexa Smith | Babe Smith | Trevor Smith | Nikki Spraggan | Spud | Connor Stanley | Evie Steele | Keith Steer | Lorraine Stevens | Mark Stone | Ritchie Stringer | Stringer's unnamed henchman | Dan Sullivan | Gavin Sullivan | Mike Swann | Becca Swanson | Ross Swindeon | Tasha | Mrs Taylor | Ray Taylor | Tayo | Tegs Teague | Tina Teague | Tessa | DI Steve Thompson | Tommy | Rob Topp | Timmy Tropics | Queenie Trott | Michaela Turnbull | Owen Turner | Tyler | Clare Tyler | Jonah Tyler | Liam Tyler | Unnamed abusive father | Unnamed Thief | John Valecue | Aubrey Valentine | Richard Vance | Vicki | Vince | Vincent | Mr. Vinnicombe | Vinnie | Vix | Waldoch | Chinese Walter | Unnamed Prison Warden | Warren | Mr. Waters | George Watson | Chrissie Watts | Den Watts | Adam White | Carl White | Nora White | Brian Wicks | Dean Wicks | Gareth Wiley | Wilf | Rob Wilkins | Brad Williams | Nathan Williams | Jack Woodman | Harry Woodward | May Wright | Mr. X | Mr. Y | Unnamed Youth | Dan Zappieri | Ziggy
|