Danny Dyer has spoken about taking on a new type of character in the upcoming 80s romp Rivals.
The former EastEnders star donned a wig and grew a sizable moustache to take on the role of Freddie Jones in the adaptation of a Jilly Cooper novel.
Known for playing hardmen like Mick Carter in Walford, Dyer said playing the electronics millionaire Freddie was "a real step out of my comfort zone".
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He told Digital Spy during an exclusive chat ahead of the show's release: "I really enjoyed Freddie. I just think I've never looked so different as well. I think it was important I just changed me look.
"Running around with a moustache – I grew to love this 'tache and so did my children and they were gutted when I got rid of it. My own 'tache, all me. Proud of that 'tache, to be fair. It was a real lovely opportunity for me."
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Danny's character Freddie has a simmering romance with Katherine Parkinson's character Lizzie Vereker, who is a writer of racy fiction – much like Jilly Cooper herself.
She told us: "I thought Danny stepped into Freddie's shoes completely seamlessly.
"It's funny, because you get known for things, but then you can also be very comfortable doing other things that maybe you're not known for. Danny didn't spend ages trying to get into character or anything like that."
The IT Crowd star went on to talk about her own experience playing a role that might be a bit different to the comedic parts she's most known for.
"Because Danny's done a lot of theatre, and I've done a lot of theatre, sometimes you've done these other parts quite a bit, but it hasn't maybe been as seen by the viewing public," she said.
"So what I'm saying is, it's in our comfort zone, but it's not in the viewers comfort zone, and that's kind of quite a nice place to be."
Rivals premieres on October 18 exclusively on Disney+.
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Previously Deputy TV Editor at Digital Spy and, before that, a TV Reporter at The Mirror, Rebecca can now be found crafting expert analysis of the TV landscape, when she's not talking on the BBC or Times Radio about everything from the latest season of Bridgerton or The White Lotus to whatever chaos is unfolding in the various Love Island villas. When she's not bingeing a boxset, in-the-wild sightings of Rebecca have included stints on the National TV Awards and BAFTAs red carpets, and post-match video explainers of the reality TV we're all watching.
