Danny Dyer living dangerously in village
He's the big-screen "geezer" that girls can't resist – but Danny Dyer insists he's just a big softie at heart.
The star of a string of notorious Brit-flicks was in Codsall yesterday to film an episode of his cult TV programme Deadliest Men.
But classically-trained actor Danny proved to be a charmer, signing autographs for passers-by and playing down his tough-guy image.
The 31-year-old, said "I've got this image as a hardman but I'm not at all. I think it's because of the way I speak, I'm from Canning Town in East London. I've never claimed to be a hardman.
"I'm quite a sensitive soul really!"
Cockney Danny has starred alongside several A-list stars including Bob Hoskins (in Outlaw), Gillian Anderson (Straightheads) and 50 Cent (the upcoming Dead Man Running) but has also produced a string of cult TV series looking at the underworld.
He was in Codsall to interview former villager and ex-member of the notorious Essex Boys gang, Bernard O'Mahoney.
"This is the last series of Deadliest Men, it's called Living Dangerously," said Danny, who is married to his childhood sweetheart and has two young children.
"It's a tough job, I'll be happy to see the end of it – I'm an actor. I have met some pretty interesting people, I've stayed with twin cage fighters, lived on a gipsy camp, stayed with a mercenary and a bouncer. The producers wanted me to live with the people we interview so I've been staying at their houses, getting a sense of their everyday lives - asking 'are they just normal people?'
"It's hard work, I'm giving away just as much as they are – I'm living their lives and eating at their table.
"At the beginning of shows I'm quite intimidated, but we become quite close. I've had a few death threats from people, they say 'who do you think you are?' But I'm not glamourising it, I'm just commenting on it – they are fascinating people."
He added: "Bernard writes books about hardmen and has a lot of hate towards him – some people think he's a 'grass'. But it's a chance to express himself.
"He even wrote letters to a child killer pretending to be a woman and got a confession - so Bernard has helped the police. He also has a letter from Peter Sutcliffe, it was pretty chilling to hold that in my hand."
He has most recently been rumoured to have turned down a big-money role in EastEnders but says he won't be spotted in Albert Square in the near future. "I was asked, but I felt it wasn't the right time," he said. "I'm flattered and maybe I can do it a bit later on."
