Latest news with #Dyer
Metro
14 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
'I won the Danny Dyer look-alike contest - the prize is the pinnacle'
On a cloudy day in East London, 12 strangers — who look nothing alike — have gathered because they all believe they bear a resemblance to one man: Danny Dyer. Paul Mescal's had one, Harry Styles had one, Timothée Chalamet even turned up to his — and now, inevitably, Danny Dyer has to have one too. The lookalike contest: a badge of honour for any heartthrob. Surely the greatest accolade — at least in theory. Some of these 12 men have travelled from Liverpool, Portsmouth, and Southampton to a corner of Hoxton Square to claim the title of the UK's best Danny Dyer — with varying levels of success. There are football tops, full tracksuits, and Mick Carter's signature trench coat and trainers. I didn't realise Dyer had such aesthetic range, but I've been proved wrong by some of his most devoted fans. Later tonight, Mr Dyer himself will be at Newington Green for the screening of Mr Bigstuff season 2 — the comedy for which he won his first BAFTA earlier this year. The prize for one of these Dyer wannabes? A chance to attend, meet the man himself, and hope he says: ' Blimey, it's like looking in the mirror .' I arrive about 20 minutes before the contest is due to start when I spot either Danny Dyer or his alarmingly good doppelgänger across the green. It's the latter. Richard, from Norwich, is the only contestant around at this point — but surely, the prize is his for the taking. 'I just came to see the experience. A friend told me about it,' he tells Metro. 'People first started telling me I looked like Danny Dyer about 20 years ago, after Football Factory, when I walked into a pub and everyone thought it was Danny.' It doesn't take long before he's in good company. A surprisingly large crowd swarms around a stage featuring a grotty armchair and a cardboard cut-out of Dyer. I start spotting clear contenders — like a real-life Where's Wally, but with the nation's favourite hardman instead. Mike from Southampton says his family dragged him here. They're just a few feet away, giggling. I don't immediately see Dyer in him, but after a couple of questions, I can definitely sense the swagger — if not the resemblance. 'No one's ever told me I look like Danny Dyer, but I've lived a similar sort of childhood — working-class,' he says. He's nailed Dyer's sense of humour, though: 'I'm obviously very good-looking, very charismatic, and a geezer.' Bradley, from London, stands next to Mike and confirms he's also taking part — admittedly, to my surprise. 'I'm meant to be looking like Danny Dyer, so we'll see where it takes us,' he says. 'I sound like him more than I look like him. No one's ever told me I look like him, but I do sound like him. We're both from London, good geezers, and we'd do anything for anyone — he seems like that type of fella.' I don't know if it's the free Scampi Fries or the Haribo handed out to onlookers, but the energy is electric. Hundreds have either snuck out of the office on their lunch break or are pretending they're in a meeting to witness a strangely thrilling spectacle. I arrived curious, but swiftly became genuinely invested. The 12 contenders are put through their paces in three rounds of 'Who Can Be the Most Danny Dyer,' judged by Dyer's Mr Bigstuff co-stars Ryan Sampson and Harriet Webb. The first round is a bloodbath, as 12 are narrowed down to four based on looks alone. Personally, I had my own clear favourites, but everyone gets their chance to shine. The talent ranges from 'bloody hell, is that Danny Dyer?' to someone who looked lost and somehow ended up on stage. It doesn't take long for 12 to become four. A round involving reading classic Danny Dyer quotes quickly cuts it to two: Richard the doppelgänger and Mike the charmer, going head to head to prove who is the most Dyer of them all. The deciding factor? Hobbies. And bizarrely, both are unusually on-brand: Richard makes stained glass windows; Mike grows coral. Two hobbies I didn't know existed — yet somehow couldn't be more Dyer. In the end, Richard may have looked like Dyer's twin, but Mike was just more Danny. He's draped in a sash reading 'Best Danny' and soaks in the glory from his crusty throne — the manky armchair I spotted earlier — drowned out by deafening cheers from the crowd. I catch up with Mike once he's had a moment to catch his breath. 'I didn't expect to win in the slightest,' he laughs. Turning to runner-up Richard, he concedes, 'I feel like I've met Danny Dyer today.' Of course, he actually will meet Dyer later tonight. 'That is the pinnacle,' he admits, though he has no idea what he's going to say. After some deliberation, he settles on a plan: 'I'll ask him, 'What's the most exciting movie he's in?' I'm hoping it's going to be Human Traffic — that's my era.' More Trending 'I hope I've done him proud,' he chuckles. After Mike was crowned champion, the 'least like Danny Dyer' was also given a prize — a smouldering cardboard cut-out of the national treasure. The unfortunate winner was the aptly named Mick from North London, who told Metro: 'I had fun, it was interesting. I thought the guy with no hair should have won this — but it's all fun.' View More » Mr Bigstuff season 2 premieres on July 24 on Sky and NOW. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Coronation Street and Emmerdale star Tony Peers dies aged 78 MORE: Major EastEnders fan-favourite asked to return this year – but it didn't happen MORE: Hollyoaks star 'absolutely over the moon' as he announces first baby with girlfriend
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Danny Dyer wants to play the next Doctor Who with a twist
The actor, known for roles in EastEnders and Rivals, discussed his hopes for the role, sharing that he would like to put a "working class" twist on the BBC sci-fi show. It comes after it was confirmed that Ncuti Gatwa would be stepping away from Doctor Who, with Billie Piper expected to take on the role. But Dyer hopes that one day he might get the chance to step into the TARDIS. Danny Dyer wants to be the next Doctor Who Speaking to The Mirror about Doctor Who, Dyer said: "It's such an iconic thing to do. It's almost – not on the same level – like James Bond. It's a character that's loved by so many. "It gives you an opportunity with Doctor Who, because of the nature of the work, to bring something left-field, something a bit mental, a bit stylised, which I love. I love the idea of it." Sharing what his doctor would be like, Dyer said: "Well, he would be an incredibly working-class Dr Who. "Yeah, maybe a bit alpha. What I do, really. You've hired me for a reason - I don't think you'd want me to come in and play Doctor Who, you know, really posh." Recommended Reading Dyer added that maybe Doctor Who needs a bit of change with a working-class approach: "I don't think we've ever had a working-class Doctor Who, have we? Well, Jodie Whittaker, she brought a bit of that to it." Despite his hope, Dyer said that he has never been approached to play the role, sharing: "I'll be honest, no one's ever approached me about it. "But I see things now and again, my odds have been slashed to this, that and the other - it's definitely something I would consider."
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Danny Dyer wants to play the next Doctor Who with a twist
The actor, known for roles in EastEnders and Rivals, discussed his hopes for the role, sharing that he would like to put a "working class" twist on the BBC sci-fi show. It comes after it was confirmed that Ncuti Gatwa would be stepping away from Doctor Who, with Billie Piper expected to take on the role. But Dyer hopes that one day he might get the chance to step into the TARDIS. Danny Dyer wants to be the next Doctor Who Speaking to The Mirror about Doctor Who, Dyer said: "It's such an iconic thing to do. It's almost – not on the same level – like James Bond. It's a character that's loved by so many. "It gives you an opportunity with Doctor Who, because of the nature of the work, to bring something left-field, something a bit mental, a bit stylised, which I love. I love the idea of it." Sharing what his doctor would be like, Dyer said: "Well, he would be an incredibly working-class Dr Who. "Yeah, maybe a bit alpha. What I do, really. You've hired me for a reason - I don't think you'd want me to come in and play Doctor Who, you know, really posh." Recommended Reading Dyer added that maybe Doctor Who needs a bit of change with a working-class approach: "I don't think we've ever had a working-class Doctor Who, have we? Well, Jodie Whittaker, she brought a bit of that to it." Despite his hope, Dyer said that he has never been approached to play the role, sharing: "I'll be honest, no one's ever approached me about it. "But I see things now and again, my odds have been slashed to this, that and the other - it's definitely something I would consider."
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Mr Bigstuff season two review: Danny Dyer's talent is wasted in this slight, forgettable comedy
The Bafta winner's talents have long been underestimated, but his performance in season two of Mr Bigstuff can't make up for stiff script Can there be anything more quintessentially Danny Dyer than Danny Dyer sitting on a tattered armchair on the street in his boxers and dressing gown, sucking Bloody Marys through a tube at breakfast time and singing along through a microphone to Copacabana by Barry Manilow on a Walkman (remember those?) he has retrieved from a neighbour's wheelie bin? This is were we find Dyer's character, Lee Campbell, at the start of season two of Mr Bigstuff (Sky Max, Thursday, July 24) the broad, knockabout comedy created by Ryan Sampson. Sampson co-stars as Lee's brother Glen (yes, that's Glen Campbell!), a meek carpet salesman whose life was turned upside down by the arrival of his previously estranged older sibling in season one. There were more than a few raised eyebrows when Dyer won a Bafta earlier this year for his performance in Mr Bigstuff. It was a typical reaction from people who, whether blinded by ignorance or snobbishness, have been underrating Dyer as an actor almost from the beginning of his career. He has repeatedly proved over the years that he's capable of much more than the stereotypical hardman performances he gave in a string of mostly awful films directed by Britflick geezer-gangster specialist Nick Love. He was particularly outstanding in two early films: Human Traffic and novelist William Boyd's directorial debut The Trench (both 2009). Harold Pinter saw something very special in Dyer and cast and directed him in three of his plays in the West End: Celebration, No Man's Land and The Homecoming, which transferred to Broadway. The two men, an unlikely pair on the face of it (Dyer dubbed them 'the likely lad and the Nobel winner'), became close friends. Dyer considered Pinter his mentor and was hit so hard by his death that he says he 'went off the rails' for a time. He is currently developing a stage play about their relationship. Dyer brought warmth, pathos and vulnerability to his role as kind-hearted Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter in EastEnders. By common consent, he also gave the standout performance last year in the star-studded, gleefully bawdy Rivals, the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper's 1980s novel. You expect certain things from a Cooper romp – chiefly sex, sex and more sex, and you certainly get it here – but what you don't expect is depth, nuance and poignancy. ADVERTISEMENT Dyer brings all three to his role as self-made electronics entrepreneur Freddie Jones, who is trapped in a loveless marriage and somewhat out of place in this sexual playground of the decadent upper classes who were born into wealth and privilege. His tender, slowly developing relationship with lonely romantic novelist Lizzie Vereker, played by Katherine Parkinson, is in sharp contrast to the cartoonish antics going on around them. Dyer probably deserved a Bafta nomination at the very least for Rivals, which will hopefully have changed quite a few people's narrow opinion of him. The irony is that the role which actually won him a Bafta doesn't exactly push him out of his comfort zone. Dyer is great fun as Lee. He handles the slapstick side of things very well, his comic timing is excellent, and his natural charisma and swagger dominate the screen. But the laughs he generates are more down to him than to anything in the script, which is slight stiff. You are left with the feeling Dyer could do this sort of thing in his sleep. Given all the other things he has done, it's a shame to see him revert to type – even if it is a comic variation on the kind of character he's played too many times before. For what it's worth, Lee and Greg – having learned at the end of season one that their father is not dead after all, but simply ran out on them – set out to find him. This involves tangling with an old associate their dad fleeced before running off with his wife, and Lee having a tryst with a boozy, oversexed pensioner (Rula Lenska). Meanwhile, Greg's fiancee Kirsty (Harriet Webb), who is eager to get him into some bondage games, is facing blackmail from someone who photographed her and Lee kissing in her car. Without the presence of Dyer, Mr Bigstuff would be instantly forgettable. With him, it's worth an extra star.
Rhyl Journal
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Danny Dyer labels Keir Starmer a ‘non-entity'
The former EastEnders star previously labelled former Conservative prime minister David Cameron a 'twat' for leaving other people to sort out Brexit and is similarly forthright about the incumbent of Number 10 Downing Street. He told The Daily Telegraph: 'We need a leader. He's not a leader. I don't know what the f*** he is. He's a f****** non-entity. 'I feel sorry for the people when he goes to a factory and they put these poor people behind him and you can tell they all hate his guts.' Dyer, 47, added that 'nobody in politics is likeable' and questioned the lack of working-class people in positions of power. 'They should be running our country, not people pretending they're working class because they've had a pint in a pub,' he said. Having voted for Brexit, Dyer said his televised outburst against the now Lord Cameron came from frustration about what was happening, a feeling he says has not gone away. 'I just posed the question about what it was,' he says. 'What the f*** does Brexit actually mean? We're 10 years down the line. Have we left or not?' Dyer left EastEnders in 2022 and has enjoyed further success with Rivals and Mr Bigstuff, which returns for a second series on Sky on Thursday. He is keen to use his success to help other actors from a working-class background. 'What's important to me now is I try to do good, classy work, and if I've got the clout, to roll in as many young working-class people and give them some opportunities,' he said. 'Let's audition some kids who've never auditioned before, really get the raw talent, not necessarily Rada-trained kids.'
