Danny Dyer says death of beloved mentor sent him into ‘spiral of madness'
Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Pinter, casted former EastEnders actor Dyer, 47, in his play Celebration, which was first staged at the Almeida Theatre in London in 2000.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Dyer said he would stay at the playwright's house and learn about famous writers and poets like WH Auden and CS Lewis.
In 2001, the play was transferred to New York's Lincoln Centre and during one performance, Dyer forgot his lines on stage and had an 'anxiety attack', having taken drugs and stayed out the night before.
Dyer felt 'so bad about letting him (Pinter) down' but said the playwright put his arm around him and made him 'feel better about it'.
Reflecting on his death in 2008, he said: 'I hadn't spoke to him in a while. I did go off the rails for many years, and I found out by looking on the front of a newspaper.
'Again, I'd been on a bender and I was coming home and I was going, I think I was going to buy cigarettes at the petrol garage, and I see it in the paper. 'Pinter dead'.
'This really sent me on a spiral of madness, really.
Recommended Reading
Danny Dyer gives 'most honest interview ever' in ITV show
EastEnders icon Danny Dyer reveals why he left the BBC show
EastEnders Danny Dyer goes undercover to sell the Big Issue
'The guilt of not being around him anymore and just being lost, I was a bit of a lost soul, and again, angry at the world.'
In April, US publication Deadline reported that Dyer was developing an idea for a play about his relationship with Pinter, whom he referred to as his 'mentor'.
Danny Dyer's episode of Desert Island Discs will air at 10am on BBC Radio 4 and will also be available on BBC Sounds.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Best New Musical award winner coming to Southampton stage in 2027
The winner of the 2025 Best New Musical award is to come to Southampton in 2027. Mean Girls, the smash-hit musical comedy based on the iconic Paramount Pictures film of the same name, will play Mayflower Theatre for a week following its coveted prize at the What'sOnStage Awards. Tickets will go on sale on Friday (July 11) from or by calling 023 8071 1811. (Image: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg)READ MORE: Celebrated trio cast in Mary Poppins as it returns to Southampton this summer Meet The Plastics – Regina, Gretchen and Karen. They rule North Shore High and will burn anyone who gets in their way. Home-schooled Cady Heron may think she knows a thing or two about survival of the fittest thanks to her zoologist parents, but high school is a whole new level of savage. When Cady devises a plan to end Regina's reign, she learns the hard way that you can't cross a queen bee without getting stung. Expect iconic characters, razor-sharp wit, and a score packed full of killer songs. Mean Girls had its first West End performance at the Savoy Theatre in June 2024 where it played for a year and was seen by more than 330,000 people. Mayflower Theatre is included in its first UK tour. The show had its world premiere in 2017 at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C and opened on Broadway in April 2018 to ecstatic crowds. The show then went on a hugely successful US tour in 2019 and recently completed a second US tour. (Image: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg) The 2004 American teen comedy film starred Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. Twenty years later, with the popularity of the stage version at its height, Paramount Pictures released a new twist on the fan-favourite film from the comedic mind of Tina Fey with a fresh and fun re-telling of the story. The UK tour is set to begin in Manchester in February 2026 and will also take in Bournemouth's Pavilion Theatre from June 1 to 6 next year. Mean Girls will run in Southampton from Monday January 11 to Saturday January 16 2027.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Corrie star Georgia May Foote sparks split rumours as she wipes husband from social media
Former Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote has fuelled speculation that her marriage to Kris Evans may be over after scrubbing her Instagram clean of any photos of the singer. The actress, 34, who rose to fame as Katy Armstrong on the ITV soap and competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, has also been spotted without her wedding ring in a recent post. In the photo, shared from a spa break with her best friend, Georgia poses in a bikini and captions the image: 'A day of pure gorgeousness with my bestest friend in the whole world.' According to reports, the couple are 'heading for a divorce' as the actress now appears to be 'looking to the future.' Neither Georgia nor Kris has publicly commented on the status of their relationship, but fans have noticed the changes — and the missing ring — as signs the pair may have quietly parted ways. Her social media wipe includes the glossy wedding shots taken at their intimate log cabin-style ceremony, where the actress wore a beaded fishtail gown. Georgia and Kris, a former member of boyband The Mend, tied the knot two years after getting engaged in 2021. The proposal took place during a romantic beach holiday in Gran Canaria, where Georgia shared a photo proudly showing off her engagement ring with the caption: 'Didn't think I would find someone who would love me for me but I did it.' Ahead of her wedding, she shared a gushing tribute to her other half, writing: 'I am about to marry my best friend. 'The person who makes me a better person. Didn't think I would find someone who would love me for me but I did it. 'Thanks to all my people who showed up for me this weekend. I had a ball, and I'm forever grateful to you all for loving me for me too. Here is to the last month of being a Foote.' Alongside the snap, she added a caption reading: '30/12/2021. Mrs Evans to be. Of course I am still crying. '@krisevansmusic I love you beyond words and I am honoured you have chosen me'. She also tagged her location as 'Cloud Nine'. The Standard has contacted Georgia May Foote's rep for comment.


UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Jodie Whittaker, Jason Watkins join 'Dear England' cast
1 of 2 | Jodie Whittaker has joined the cast of the BBC miniseries "Dear England." File Photo by Vickie Flores/EPA July 7 (UPI) -- Doctor Who alum Jodie Whittaker and The Crown actor Jason Watkins have joined the cast of the BBC's screen adaptation of James Graham's play Dear England. Filming has begun on the four-part series about Gareth Southgate and the England soccer team. Joseph Fiennes was previously announced to play athlete and team manager Southgate. "We're so thrilled to announce such a fantastic cast for Dear England and it has been a joy to witness the comradery within this top team as they start filming," Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, said in a statement Monday. "With Joseph Fiennes and Jodie Whittaker leading the cast, Rupert Gold and Paul Whittington directing and Left Bank Pictures producing, BBC viewers are in for a real treat."