EastEnders' Danny Dyer opens up about "lad" reputation
EastEnders star Danny Dyer has opened up about how being a "lad" has given many people the wrong perception of him, and denies that he's misogynistic, racist or homophobic.
Speaking about landing the role of Mick Carter on the BBC soap, Danny praised former EastEnders executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins for understanding who he was and writing it into the soap.
"When they asked me to possibly do EastEnders I assumed it was going to be a gangster, go up against Phil Mitchell, come in with a sawn-off shotgun," Danny told The Daily Star.
"It was the complete opposite. One of the first things Dominic said to me was, 'You're going to be an alpha male, love your family, you're going to have a gay son, he's going to come out to you and you're going to be fine with it.'
"I loved that. He got me [despite] never meeting me before."
Danny continued: "I have been called a misogynist, some people called me homophobic or racist because I am a lad. None of it is true whatsoever."
Danny joined the cast of EastEnders in 2013, and while his most recent storyline with Aidan Maguire may have dipped into that gangster, Phil Mitchell territory, the actor adds that the most powerful storyline for him was when son Johnny (then played by Sam Strike) came out as gay to him in 2014.
"The impact it has had on young gay men, what I represent and my son coming out to me, me saying 'I love you, it's OK', it's really worked. Me and my son sitting down having a conversation," he explained.
"There can be nothing worse than not being able to be you. I have had hundreds of letters from young gay men who came out the next day because of that scene. It worked."
EastEnders airs on BBC One.
Read more news, spoilers and gossip on our EastEnders homepage
Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account.
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest EastEnders spoilers, as Kat makes a dramatic return and a new baby arrives on the Square.
You Might Also Like
