Former EastEnders actor Danny Dyer has revealed that his children were “petrified of getting out the car” during a visit to the council estate where he was raised.
The 47-year-old, hailing from Newham in East London and known for his distinctive Cockney accent, expressed that experiences of classism have fuelled his determination and ambition.
Speaking to Sky News, Dyer said: “I’ve been around for a long time, you know? So I’ve learned as I’ve gone along with it, and I’m very proud of where I’m from,” adding: “I’m very proud of my roots. I’ve tried not to lose that.”
He reflected on the contrast between his upbringing and that of his children, stating: “Unfortunately, I’ve got kids that are quite privileged, so they don’t really understand.”
Dyer, who shares three children with his wife Joanne Mas – Sunnie, Arty, and Love Island star Dani – commented on the impact of his background: “Sometimes I drive back to Custom House, where I was brought up, and the kids (are) in the back and they’re petrified of getting out of the car, which is a real shame.”
He lamented: “They can’t believe that their dad lived on a council estate.”
However, he believes this background instils a strong work ethic, saying: “But I think it gives you a good work ethic. And I think the classism thing is … there’s a lot of isms in the world, and I think everybody has to deal with it at some point in their life.”
Dyer also shared his views on authenticity in acting roles: “And it just made me a lot more determined and ambitious really, I’ve always backed myself as an actor, and I’m not one for accents, you know, let Geordies play Geordies and Scottish people play Scottish people.”
He concluded with a nod to his own identity: “That’s what I believe. That’s my thing. Let the Cockneys do their thing.
“And I’m lucky to have managed to have had quite a long career up to this point.
“So like I said, I do think it gives you some sort of steel inside you when you come from a very working-class background, you’re ready to take on the world as such.”
The actor also remarked that acting “wasn’t really encouraged” in his area, but despite this, he “believed in myself” On Christmas Day in 2022, Dyer’s iconic EastEnders character, Mick Carter, seemingly met his end in the English Channel as he heroically tried to save his beloved former wife Linda after a short-lived reunion. Dyer rose to fame with his portrayal of Moff in the iconic 1999 film Human Traffic, and subsequent roles in flicks such as Mean Machine (2001) and The Football Factory (2004).
Recently, he was seen playing the role of businessman Freddie Jones in the Disney+ hit drama Rivals, adapted from Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel of the same name. Back in 2016, while on the TV programme Who Do You Think You Are?, the soap legend learned he is descended from royalty including King Edward III and William the Conqueror, and connected to historical figures like Thomas Cromwell, adviser to Henry VIII.
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