EastEnders legend Danny Dyer, best known for his role as Mick Carter on the soap, has landed a role in a “heart-stopping” new drama based on one of the most memorable events in UK history
Danny has landed a new role(Image: BAFTA via Getty Images)
EastEnders legend Danny Dyer has landed a role in a “heart-stopping” new drama. The actor, 48, is best known for playing Mick Carter on the long-running BBC soap, but more than three years after he left Albert Square, he has been cast in the leading role of the heroic PC Trevor Lock in a new programme about the 1980 embassy siege, all based on the book by Ben Macintyre, with a script by Will Smith.
The Siege, which begins filming this week, will cover the events that unfolded in South Kensington, London, more than 45 years ago, and the soap icon will take on the part of the police officer who was on guard when he was taken hostage alongside 25 others.
It all came to a head when the SAS stormed the building during a live television broadcast following a six-day standoff. A total of five of the six terrorists were killed in the operation
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Dyer will be joined in the series by Downton Abbey actor Lewis Doyle and The Crown’s Alex Jennings, amongst a host of others. BAFTA winner Lewis Arnold will direct the six-part series, and Patrick Spencer, who also worked on it ,Mr Bates vs The Post Office, will serve as executive producer for AC Chapter One.
Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer, Channel 4 said: “The Iranian embassy siege and the daring raid which ended it was an iconic moment that forged the ferocious reputation of the modern SAS.
“The show is a heart-stopping, emotional thriller that reveals the little-known motivations of the hapless hostage-takers and the very human reality of what went on inside the embassy as the world looked on and Britain’s most lethal soldiers practised their high-stakes assault.
“It will change the way people understand the siege and reveal how close the famous SAS operation came to disaster. We’re thrilled to be working with Will Smith, Ben Macintyre, Lewis Arnold, Patrick Spence and the remarkable cast. This major commission underlines Channel 4’s commitment to dialling up exceptional drama in its slate of original British programming.”
Alexandre Piel, Deputy Head of Drama, ARTE France, said: “The Siege is our first co-production with the UK, and we are truly honoured to be associated with Channel 4 on this fantastic project. Will Smith is a brilliant author; his adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s novel masterfully blends a gripping thriller with the emotional depth of this tragic event.
“He made it an intense, moving, and funny story all at once. It has been wonderful to stand at Patrick Spence’s side in his adventure. It’s a unique opportunity, the one that allows you to witness the unfolding of a historical moment turning into a disaster in front of the whole world.
“And we are also more than happy that this project enables us to have worked for the first time with the esteemed Channel 4 team.”
It all comes less than a year after PC Lock passed away at the age of 85. At the time, a Polce Federation spokesperson said: “PC Lock is remembered for calming his fellow hostages during the siege, acting as an intermediary between the terrorists and the security forces that ringed the building and – as the embassy was stormed – tackling the leading gunman.
“PC Lock was awarded the George Medal for his ‘outstanding courage, sustained bravery, calmness and devotion to duty. We could not have said it any better.”
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