Danny Dyer has been a firm fixture of British TV for almost two decades but the EastEnders legend has an eye on retiring sooner than you’d think.
The 47-year-old icon has had a huge year, winning everyone’s hearts as Freddie Jones in Rivals, adapted from Dame Jilly Cooper’s raunchy 80s novel.
However, as Danny’s star shines brighter than ever, he confirms to Metro plans to retire – ‘or semi-retire’ – at 55, just eight years away.
He revealed: ‘That’s always my plan. To have enough money and just feel that I’ve achieved quite a lot, and then just pick and choose if I want to do stuff now and again.’
Five years ago, he first floated the idea of retirement but since then, Danny has only ramped up his workload with numerous projects out soon.
‘I would like to think that now I’m in a position where I can actually choose and not do the obvious roles – and I have done some obvious things but I needed to pay bills,’ he continues.
‘I’m really excited about the projects I’ve got coming up this year. Got some really cool stuff coming my way. Hopefully, I can shine in them.’
‘You never know,’ Danny adds. ‘You’re only ever one job away from people saying you’re s**t again.
‘I’ve done some great stuff. I’ve also done some s**te, like every actor.’
After a decade starring as Mick Carter on one of the UK’s biggest soaps, Danny is no stranger to criticism of his acting.
The influx of praise for his stint in Rivals hasn’t gone unnoticed, calling this ‘revelation’ that he can act ‘slightly insulting’.
‘I’m just riding the wave of it at the moment,’ the Marching Powder star shares, revealing his involvement with the Disney Plus show was a bit ‘last minute’.
Danny didn’t have much preparation time and ‘was reading [the script] as we were shooting, going “Oh my god, this is so clever”.’
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He jokes it ‘could have gone two ways’, either people got it or it would just be ‘there’s Danny Dyer in a wig’ – thankfully it was a smash hit.
Fred Fred as Danny affectionately calls his character has become a bit of an unlikely heartthrob, which he confesses is ‘weird’ for him at nearly 50.
‘Back in the day, I was maybe considered quite sexy,’ he recalls. ’20 years ago, when I was a lot skinnier, younger, fresh-faced and sort of the bad boy with a heart.
‘Maybe some people found Mick Carter attractive because of that alpha male who loves his family, but he’s in touch with his feminine side and very sensitive soul.’
He adds: ‘I’m glad that we’re living in a society at the moment where women are finding a kind man sexy. A man who’s quite shy and a bit awkward but also quite powerful.’
Staying humble, The Football Factory actor credits his co-star Katherine Parkinson for the love of Freddie claiming it’s her happiness that viewers are rooting for.
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Having been typecast as a ‘hard man’ over the years, Danny can see the appeal of the bad boy trope but confesses masculinity is ‘a f**king minefield’.
‘I’ve had daughters and they do like a bad boy my daughters, and it’s really quite frustrating,’ he laughs. ‘So I’m hoping that maybe I can shift it up a little bit and get women into kind, loyal, truthful, honest men.’
His upcoming film Marching Powder explores what it means to be a man – particularly a working-class man – in modern society and ‘highlights how ridiculous masculinity can be’.
The film spotlights excessive drinking culture, which Danny is hoping to help tackle in partnership with Walkers this dry January.
He’s teamed up with the crisp manufacturer to give out a free pint of crisps from Walkers’ Better For You range when you purchase a non-alcoholic drink at 200 Stonegate and 100 independent pubs across the UK.
‘Sobriety is a very personal thing and people do it for very different reasons,’ he shares, adding he has ‘spiralled out of control’ in the past.
‘I like the idea of trying to get people going to pubs during this tricky time,’ Danny continues. ‘Pubs are so important to our culture and I think that it’s really sad that they’re dying out.
‘Another 400 pubs closed last year, and I know that this month, particularly, is very difficult. I’m just hoping that putting my face to [this campaign] might get people back in the boozer, even if they’re not drinking.’
Danny thinks life needs a few vices, whether that’s crisps or a pint, adding ‘It’s okay to be a little bit naughty here and there’.
As for his career, Danny just ‘loves’ acting and is keen to take on roles that he is fascinated by regardless of what the critics think.
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He says: ‘I’m a working-class kid who’s done quite well for himself and I’m just trying to leave a legacy behind and build a future for my children, really.
‘Hopefully, along the way, I can do some really cool stuff that people resonate with and enjoy.’
Danny Dyer will star in Rivals Season 2 as well as Marching Powder, which is in cinemas on March 7.
Walkers Pack Our Pubs campaign is running throughout January at participating pubs across the country.
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