We present an iterative determinant type formula for irreducible characters of the Hecke algebra using vertex operator realization of Schur functions. As consequences, Ram's Murnaghan-Nakayama formula is reproved (we also obtained other M-N formulas) and a general character formula of character values is obtained. In particular, new compact character formulas for certain shapes of Young diagrams are found, and new computation of the bitrace of Halverson-Leduc-Ram independent of Kostka-Foulkes polynomials is given. This is joint work with Ning Liu.