Actor Danny Dyer is developing a new play called ‘When Harry Met Danny’ about his friendship with legendary playwright Harold Pinter who describes as his “mentor”.
Danny Dyer is developing a play about his friendship with Harold Pinter.
The ‘Human Traffic’ star struck up a close relationship with the legendary playwright when he was cast in his play ‘Celebration’ – which debuted in London in 2000 – and Danny went on to appear in two more Pinter plays over the years. He has now revealed he’s working on his own stage production with the working title ‘When Harry Met Danny’ about his pal, who died in 2008 aged 78.
Danny told Deadline.com: “I really like it [the play idea] and am excited about it. I’d love to explore it more. I’m grateful for the years I spent with Harold and he was a real mentor to me.”
The project is believed to be in the very early stages of development.
When asked about his BAFTA TV nomination for his TV show ‘Mr Bigstuff’, Danny added that Pinter would have encouraged him to ignore the glitzy award shows and get back to his theatre roots.
He said: “Harold was very anti-establishment and that’s why I loved him. He was a bitter man and always wanted me to be a bitter animal. So I think he’d say: ‘Get back in the theatre and f**k the awards because that’s where you’re best’.”
Danny previously hosted a 2020 documentary about his friendship with the late writer called ‘Danny Dyer on Pinter’.
Speaking to the Guardian in 2013, the actor said his late pal taught him a lot about being an actor and set him up for a successful career in showbusiness.
He said: “I miss him, you know, he was a good influence on me. He was the only person who I feared but loved.
“He had faith in me, he suffered all my s*** because he knew I was a talented actor. He was a f****** tyrant, too, you know, but he could get away with it because he was so enchanting. He was a poet …
“If he didn’t like [something] he’d tell me straight; there were no airs and graces about him. I learned so much from him that set me up for the rest of my career.”
Danny Dyer developing play about his friendship with Harold Pinter
