Rivals star Danny Dyer has taken aim at elitist critics who mock his working-class Cockney accent, arguing that racial double standards would prevent similar ridicule of a black actor. The Mail has the story.
The former EastEnders favourite reveals on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 today how one sneering review of his work was even written in a Cockney accent.
He says: “I felt like, ‘why would that be allowed?’ Because if I was a black actor you certainly wouldn’t do it in a Jamaican accent. I’ve had some awful reviews about me.”
The 47 year-old father of three from Custom House in London’s East End believes that coming from a working-class background has prevented him from being regarded as a serious actor.
“I think I’ve done some good work over the years but I’ve never really been acknowledged,” he says. “There’s a bit of elitism in our industry. I’m incredibly working-class and proud of my roots.
“I don’t work for critics in a sense, but the one that did do me was, ‘The biggest plot twist about Rivals is that Danny Dyer can act.’ And I thought, ‘wow.’ In a way it’s a compliment, but at the same time, not really.”
An early mentor to Dyer was the Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter, who took the then 22 year-old actor under his wing. Dyer appeared in three plays by the writer, who also had working-class East London origins.
Worth reading in full.
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Danny Dyer is absolutely right to point this out. Well done to Richard Eldred & the DS for featuring it.
100%
I wonder whether he will face a backlash over this. Be interesting to see. He is probably too big to cancel. Same not true of Laurence Fox whose acting career seems to be over.
It’s seems class or race isn’t the issue, rather ‘truth, honesty and integrity’ is the issue. If one strives for the latter, irrespective of race, gender and/or class, one is subjected to hostity, ridicule and marginalisation.
Wasn’t it revealed in the genealogy series a few years back that Danny Dyer is related to an aristocratic family & possibly royalty. But then aren’t we all if you go far enough & spread your net wide enough.
He also made the unforgivable “error” of being right-wing. The lefty luvvies can’t stand that.
I’m quite pleased that I didn’t mention his one dimensional and wooden character acting.