Danny Dyer Reveals Why He’d Turn Down a Knighthood Like His Hero Harold Pinter

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Even though we might imagine spending an hour with Danny Dyer would be predictable, unexpected things can happen. On this bright Friday morning, Danny appears somewhat preoccupied and at times brusque in his interaction with TopMob. Just moments after our conversation, he’s set to hop on a train to attend Oasis’s long-awaited reunion tour performance. “It’s too bad it’s up in Cardiff,” he mentions. “It’s quite a journey for me, but Noel Gallagher invited me, so I decided to go check out the atmosphere.

The vibe, as it turns out, will be just fine. Later that night, Dyer’s pal, wrestler and Two Doors Down actor Graeme “Grado” Stevely, will post a selfie of the pair of them at the gig, and those images will end up on the websites of all the usual tabloids – more of the clickbait that seems to be getting him down on the morning of our encounter. “I find with journalism now, what even is it any more? It’s getting people to click a button and then you go on it and go, ‘Actually, that headline’s nothing like the article.’”

It’s only normal to feel compassion for this valuable national asset, who at just 47 years old has become a grandfather of three. You might find yourself moved to offer assistance, but let’s face it, neither he nor anyone else has power over the internet.

Instead of trying to make our conversation dull, it takes a lot of effort to bore Danny Dyer. For instance, he recently dived into another facet of the digital world – the personalized content stream that often captivates him. Recently, a video of a rat catcher and his dog appeared on his feed. “This guy with a Jack Russell, and there was a rat trapped behind a TV set,” he said excitedly. “His little dog couldn’t wait to go and get this rat.

It’s probable that the internet content he’s receiving is based on his personal search history, as well as the location of the home he resides in with his wife Jo and two of their kids, which borders Epping Forest and the numerous tiny rodents native to the area known as cockney mice.

I’ve gotten quite good at catching them now. They are drawn to peanut butter. Occasionally, they have a small companion helping them, supporting the trap while they lap up the peanut butter, but if you put it in the right spot, they can’t resist. So I will kill them and throw them into the forest for the foxes to eat, rather than having them rummage through my grandchildren’s dirty diapers in the trash.

With rodents on one side, tabloid criticism on the other, he finds himself right in the thick of things alongside the man from TopMob. When I hint to Dyer that his voice sounds tiresome, he admits it – “A tad, mate, you understand?” – and in this moment, he unwinds.

He’s been having quite a run since he departed EastEnders in 2022, unsure if he’d find a spot on our screens beyond Mick Carter, the Queen Vic landlord. However, the past 18 months have been nothing short of fruitful for him, with critical praise (and plenty of female admiration) coming his way for his portrayal of Freddie Jones in Rivals on Disney+, his Channel 4 documentary How to Be a Man, and his role in Nick Love’s latest film, Marching Powder. To top it all off, he also won a BAFTA in May for best male performance in a comedy, Mr Bigstuff.

Currently, what’s predominantly on his mind is the upcoming sitcom starring Ryan Sampson titled “A Carpet Full of Surprises.” This week marks its return, where we follow Glen Campbell (played by Sampson), a carpet salesman who unexpectedly encounters his estranged brother Lee. As many can recall from Dyer’s 2018 Brexit rant against David Cameron, it’s hard to believe that this is Dyer’s first significant role in comedy.

It might be unexpected, but he’s not fond of the classic sitcom humor from his youth, like “Only Fools and Horses.” Instead, he prefers stand-up comedy that’s raw and unfiltered, such as Bill Hicks or Ricky Gervais. For him, these comics don’t hold back, which he appreciates. However, he believes no one has surpassed The Office yet, with its character who is so self-absorbed that he doesn’t realize how much of a jerk he is – that character still stands out to him as particularly well-crafted.

By the conclusion of the second season of Mr Bigstuff, it’s quite possible that we will be discussing Dyer with similar reverence. The initial episode features an outstanding introduction scene – Dyer portraying a self-proclaimed recycling crusader, giving orders to neighbors via a karaoke machine amidst blasts of Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana.

Sampson penned a scene envisioning a down-on-his-luck Clint Eastwood living in an Essex housing estate, a level of absurdity kept up by various unexpected events. Among these are Glen’s fiancée Kirsty (Harriet Webb) attempting to resolve his erectile dysfunction through some Supernanny roleplay, and the memorable appearance of a seductive Rula Lenska, culminating in Lee finding a solitary red pubic hair. “Naturally, we didn’t ask Rula for that,” Sampson notes. “That was provided by our makeup artist, Sam, who thoughtfully cut a lock of her hair when the situation called for it.

If a comedy’s sole purpose is to bring laughter, then mission accomplished. However, for those familiar with Dyer’s personal history, it’s hard not to notice striking parallels between his life and the characters in the story. For example, the fact that Glen and Lee’s father is alive but leading a secret life mirrors Dyer’s own childhood experience of discovering at age nine that his dad had another family in Paddington.

As Dyer receives the praise, he shifts the focus of the anglepoise lamp towards Sampson’s work instead of his personal life, which is not unexpected considering it was Dyer who sparked Sampson’s creation of Mr Bigstuff. This isn’t surprising since they first crossed paths in 2013 during the filming of Roman Empire comedy Plebs for ITV2 in Bulgaria. Dyer’s presence in Sofia made quite a stir due to his popular portrayal of football hooligan Tommy Johnson in The Football Factory, which became extremely popular in eastern Europe in 2004.

Upon their arrival, Dyer remembers the surprise and disapproval that hit the cast and crew when flyers aimed at Sampson, a gay man, were dispersed, warning men against holding hands in public. To prevent any issues for his companions, Dyer utilized his influence to gain them entrance into certain nightclubs where they were protected by the bouncers. This affection between Sampson and Dyer remains evident, as demonstrated when Dyer, during his Bafta acceptance speech, tearfully referred to Sampson as “one of the finest actors this country has ever produced”. He added that “he’s never repeated himself, which is something I can’t say.

As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that if the underlying implication of that joke were accurate, it’s highly unlikely that Dyer would be basking in his current acclaim. John Simm, Dyer’s friend and co-star from our groundbreaking film Human Traffic, cautions that you risk underestimating Dyer’s adaptability at your own risk. “The notion that ‘range’ is what defines a great actor is somewhat oversimplified,” he explains to me. “Certainly, you can see traces of Danny in every role he takes on, but place Danny in any setting – be it theater, comedy, soap opera, or drama – and consistently, he delivers.

In later years, Harold Pinter often found inspiration in Dyer, who appeared in three of his plays. Interestingly, before Pinter, a Nobel laureate in Literature, asked him to audition for his play “Celebration” at the age of 22, Dyer claimed he had never heard of him. Upon completion of the play’s run, the cast gifted Pinter a signed poster. On it, Dyer wrote a message that brought Pinter great joy – “Harold, you’re absolutely brilliant!” – which was essentially translated as “Harold, you’re the best” or “Harold, you’re fantastic”.

Absolutely not! Harold was my idol and refused a knighthood. He was against the establishment too, so I don’t think it suits me.

If job opportunities that boosted his resume weren’t always available to him, he attributes this to his responsibility for supporting his family since he became a father at 18, caring for his daughter Dani who won Love Island in 2018 and later became a TV host. Initially known as “DVD Danny” due to his focus on straight-to-DVD documentaries featuring tough guys that reinforced the working-class “lad” image, these weren’t highbrow art but did help him get onto the property ladder. He wonders, “Can class prejudice work against you?” and answers with a firm affirmative, “Absolutely.

I inform Dyer that Louis Theroux referred to him as “unapologetically working class” in a recent interview, and he briefly agrees with me. “You’re correct,” he says. “Why should I feel the need to apologize or think about it? It’s simply part of who I am.

As much as I yearn to step back onto the stage, there are certain paths I can’t picture myself treading. My Rivals co-star, Alex Hassell, is trying to persuade me to give Shakespeare a shot, but let me tell you straight up, it won’t be Shakespeare next for me. Maybe when I reach my golden years and turn 60, I might give it a try, but for now, it’s not on my list.

In essence, he believes that the intense action-thriller filmed in Ireland, where he was the only character, could potentially be his equivalent of Hamlet. Similar to Robert Redford’s role in All Is Lost, Dyer portrayed a football agent in Three Quick Breaths who was under immense pressure to secure one final payday for his star player before their lives unraveled. The script had about fifteen pages of dialogue each day, and filming took place in Dublin. By the end, he confessed that he went a bit mad while preparing. Initially, they offered the role to Gary Oldman for £2 million, but when he declined, Dyer was given the chance, which he was pleased about because it meant he was seen as a more affordable alternative to Gary Oldman.

Dyer doesn’t seem to have given much thought yet to his upcoming 48th birthday, which falls on the 24th of July. However, it’s likely that he’ll be busy in Bristol, as they’re currently filming for the second season of Rivals.

He shares that while he can’t disclose many details, rest assured there’s no fear of the ‘old second album syndrome’ in our case. I’m fortunate to have a charming persona, and just like Katherine Parkinson’s character Lizzie Vereker, I don’t require being the main lead. In this season, we delve deeper into Freddie and Lizzie’s relationship.

Sunlight streams through the skylight, causing Dyer to grab for his sunglasses. The gloom in his mood has lifted along with the clouds. He’s looking forward to a fantastic time in Cardiff tonight, but what he truly yearns for at this moment is a week or two at home without any lines to memorize.

Previously, that situation occurred in the year 2020, during the lockdown period. In search of a means to keep his active mind engaged, he promptly purchased a Lego Hogwarts Castle that included classrooms, towers, Hagrid’s hut, five boats, and the Whomping Willow. He then went on to mention a Lamborghini, which was constructed from approximately 35 bags. Now, his favorite spot is the attic where he puts on round LED magnifying glasses for precise modelling, or as he refers to it, “building stuff”.

More recently, I constructed a quaint library equipped with staircases, miniature books, and wall lamps, but unfortunately, during installation, I inadvertently damaged the roof. Needless to say, I was quite upset. However, once he begins work on his next venture, Rivals, he’s eager to jump straight in: “I plan to create a charming 1940s train carriage with leather seats and a conveyor belt that gives an illusion of motion.” Isn’t it just adorable? And the sound of the moving train is quite appealing too.

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2025-07-15 02:45