Danny Dyer has admitted hoping one of his Rivals co-stars was "horrible" but instead found him to be a "lovely geezer". The 47-year-old actor, famed for his role as Mick Carter in EastEnders, is currently portraying businessman Freddie Jones in the show, which also stars Alex Hassell and Emily Atack.
However, it was David Tennant's performance as Lord Tony Baddingham that really caught Danny's eye. Based on Jilly Cooper's novel, Rivals delves into the cutthroat world of regional television in Rutshire, seen through Corinium television.
The plot centres around the fierce competition between Lord Tony Baddingham, played by Tennant, and Rupert Campbell-Black, portrayed by The Boys' Hassell. During an appearance on the Off Menu podcast with Ed Gamble and James Acaster, Danny opened up about his time on set with Tennant.
He said: "I'm part of a proper, real ensemble cast with elite people. David Tennant, what a lovely geezer he is, you want him to be horrible because he is just perfect. He's like a Rolls-Royce of acting."
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(Image: PA Wire))Danny expressed his enjoyment of his role in Rivals, despite the challenges he faced, particularly when it came to speaking Japanese for his character. He explained: "With Freddie, he's lovely, he's a teddy bear with a bite.
"And also, I speak a bit of Japanese in it which is worth tuning in for, just for that. It took a long time to learn this little bit I've got, because I had a geezer on WhatsApp because it's all phonetic so I couldn't write it down."
Danny also revealed a surprising highlight from his recent acting gig – growing a moustache that initially made his kids, including Love Island champ Dani Dyer, burst into tears. He shared: "I love it, it's a great thing. I had a moustache for six months and I broke it to my kids and they cried.
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(Image: Getty))"But they grew to love it and when I got rid of it they were upset. I pulled it out of the bag, I had a bit of oil and was brushing it with my little tache brush - it's nice to know you can grow one."
Fans are also showing their appreciation for Danny's talent on the new show Rivals, with comments flooding in about his performance.
One fan expressed on social media: "Have to say Danny Dyer is a way better actor than people give him credit for - the warmth and nuance he gives to his character in Rivals is gorgeous."
Another fan echoed the sentiment, saying: "The more RIVALS I watch the more I can see that Danny Dyer is a national treasure."
The series Rivals is currently streaming on Disney+.
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