Former EastEnders star Danny Dyer has shared that he wasn’t a fan of participating in the BBC soap’s iconic ‘doof doof’ moments.
These infamous nine drum beats have marked the end of nearly every episode since the show’s launch in February 1985. The beats originated from a supposed ‘accident’ by musician Simon May while composing the theme tune, which impressed the show’s creators, Julia Smith and Tony Holland, who decided to keep them for the end credits. They were later added to the opening titles in 1994.
Typically, the final scene of an episode features characters making a shocking move or statement, freezing the action temporarily as the ‘doof doof’ plays.
During his nine-year run on the show, Danny’s character, Mick Carter, accumulated an impressive 140 of these moments—more than any other character in 2018. Phil Mitchell leads the pack with a staggering 424 since 1990.
However, in an interview with comedians James Acaster and Ed Gamble on their Off Menu podcast, Danny admitted that he found these moments ‘horrible’ and ‘awkward.’
“It’s a myth that, as an actor, you get to the script and flip to the back because you want the ‘doof doof’,” he explained. “You don’t want it, because it’s horrible. It’s awkward.”
He elaborated on the process, saying, “You have to hold a gaze for about eight seconds, and it’s the same gaze. You know, you’re slightly constipated or… because what it is, the cliffhangers… so it’s the faces, ‘What the f*ck is going to happen?’ You’ve got to hold it, and then the duff duffs kick in. I would always dread them. I got a few in my time.”
Danny also recounted a moment when he had to laugh during the drumroll. “You have to carry the laugh on,” he noted, adding, “They never did it again – it didn’t work.”
The 47-year-old had a dramatic exit storyline in which Mick was presumed dead after going missing at sea during Christmas 2022. Recently, he told the KISS Breakfast Radio Show that he would love to return for the show’s upcoming 40th anniversary celebrations, saying, “I would be up for going back for the 40th anniversary, but nobody’s contacted me.
I’ve chucked it out there. I think I need to go back and save my wife Linda, who’s now become a murderess. It does worry me a bit.”
Since leaving the show, Danny has kept busy, currently starring in the Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals for Disney+. He also played a leading role in Mr Bigstuff for Sky, which has been commissioned for a second series.
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