Essex are not just people from Essex …… or Chelsea or , you know , Geordies or whatever . If anyone is under the impression that they ’ ve just randomly scouted some people , it is not that at all . If you go and look in Spotlight , the actor ’ s directory , their pictures are in there . So , there ’ s a bit of connery going on as well .
Jason : Would you ever consider a reality show ? A Dancing on Ice or a jungle ?
Dan : I ’ d love to say yeah . I wouldn ’ t not consider them in terms of being as a judgment on what kind of programmes they are but I am terrified of heights and enclosed spaces and creepy crawlies .
Jason : You sound like the perfect contestant .
Dan : I know , I know . My kids say to me , “ Oh dad , you ’ ve got to get on the jungle , you ’ d be brilliant in the jungle .” So I ’ m not against them per se but I don ’ t know .
Jason : Watch this space .
Dan : Yeah .
Jason : One of the biggest programmes that you ’ re probably known for is Mount Pleasant . Are there any similarities between Dan in the programme and Dan in real life ?
Dan : He ’ s sort of the lightest version of me , if you like , me on a good day . I ’ d like to think I was as fun as that and as daft as that , and as loving as that . He ’ s sort of a super-heightened version of me . I mean , there ’ s no two ways about it . I can ’ t deny it . He ’ s a ball to play , a dream to play . It ’ s just so easy to do and such a lovely script and such a good hearted show , that was one of the things that was nice . Proper entertainment .
Jason : It ’ s easy to watch . There ’ s also the flip in some of the episodes between hilarity , really funny situations , to really tear jerking drama .
Dan : Yeah , absolutely .
Jason : It can flip on a coin . That ’ s one of the great things about that show .
Dan : We got to play everything . I got to sing and dance with Bobby ; I got to play really stupid comedy , also great clever gags as well , and high , high drama . In terms of fulfilment , wanting to use your range , it was always there ; every season there was so much to play which is why it kept going for so long .
Jason : Watching the programme , it was one of those shows where as a viewer ; you
wanted the characters to be your mates . You wanted to be living on that street , you wanted to be involved with the things that are going on . So was it as much fun on the set as it seemed like it would be ?
Dan : Absolutely was . Yes , when we did a cut and we could just carry on bantering and just having a great time . But it was also part of keeping the energy up for when they went and did another take . So , we sort of stayed in that world , essentially of taking the mickey out of each other and just making each other laugh and having fun . We ’ d occasionally get a new assistant director and I remember one year we had one and she initially thought we were being unprofessional and what she didn ’ t realise is that was how we kept the ball in the air , that ’ s what the makeup of the show was and you ’ re absolutely right , people wanted to be mates and part of that gang . You know , that ’ s brilliant that we made that happen .
Jason : It ’ s a really good show . Just sad it ’ s come to an end .
Dan : Yeah . Yeah .
Jason : So , what ’ s next ? I know you ’ re on the boards at the moment playing Chichester , which unfortunately would have closed by the time the magazine comes out . Anything else coming up ?
Dan : I ’ m going to the National Theatre to do a play called St George and the Dragon , which is obviously based on the story we all know but it goes through three time periods , it starts in medieval , it goes through Victorian England and then goes to the present . They ’ re calling it a folk tale , which I ’ m not entirely sure what that means . But , I think it ’ s political ; it ’ s got elements of Monty Python . It should be a real romp of a show with a good message for how we live today , if someone was to come along and fight for our freedom , what would we do with our freedom ? And that ’ s the kind of gist of it . The Russians did a version of the story and this new play is inspired by the Russian version , which you can imagine being very political and about the Tsar being in control etc , etc , which makes it sound slightly dull to watch but saying that , I ’ ve only workshopped the play , I haven ’ t seen a script yet . So , I ’ ve accepted a job on which I don ’ t actually know what ’ s going to happen or quite what I ’ m playing because I recently got an email from the director saying , “ We ’ ve radically rewritten your role …”
Jason : You might be the back half of the dragon .
Dan : That could be it . So , I won ’ t get too excited yet just in case I am in the tail of the dragon or playing the third spike from the back . I think we open in October and it goes through to Christmas . So , that ’ s all I know is happening so far . …
Jason : And that ’ s the trouble with your industry . You generally only ever know what you are doing a few months in advance .
Dan : I spent a few years going from Mount Pleasant to doing Homefires on ITV , which did two series and that was great . So that was extraordinary to start a year knowing what I was doing all the way until Christmas but , you know , this year there has been the Mount Pleasant Special and then I did … oh I got CBeebies , CBBC thing coming on , which is a brilliant thing for kids , everyone should get their kids to watch it . It ’ s called Creeped Out . It ’ s a coproduction with Canada and there ’ s a lot of money involved with it . They ’ re very dark tales for children . I would say Tales of the Unexpected , that kind of flavour for kids .
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