Though he may now be living it up in the Caribbean on Death in Paradise, it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows for Don Gilet. In a candid interview, the actor shared that he had a tough time before he landed a major role in EastEnders.
The star debuted as Lucas Johnson on the BBC soap in 2008, appearing in Walford for two years before making a comeback in 2016. He also returned in December 2020 for a three-month stint, before his most recent appearance in February 2024.
Despite having appearances in The Bill and Casualty before his regular role in EastEnders, Gilet shared that the part of Lucas came at a time in his life when he was suffering from financial hardship.
“When EastEnders came along, I was broke,” he told Big Issue. “I felt that me and this business were parting ways. [My son] Flynn was born and work was just not around so I was delivering cars. I started to think, well, ‘you had a good time but that’s it’.
“I’d thought things were happening for me when I did 55 Degrees North and Doctor Who – I thought I might go to a new level. But then, nothing. A lot of actors stay below the radar, so I thought I’d had my chance to shine and was disappearing again.
BBC
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“Nothing’s a sure thing. I was laidback about the audition to play Lucas Johnson, there wasn’t that desperation because I was almost transitioning out of the business. Then I got the part and, wow, I’m back on the train.”
Since his time in East London, Gilet has landed parts in Holby City and The Stranger, before he was confirmed in the lead role for Death in Paradise, the popular BBC detective series by Robert Thorogood.
BBC
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In portraying Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson, Gilet took over the lead role from Ralf Little, with the beloved series now in the midst of its 15th season after it premiered last Friday (30 January).
The latest season sees Gilet’s real-life partner Siobhan Finneran make a guest appearance. Recently, Gilet shared that the Happy Valley star “loved” the experience of working together following their previous collaboration in The Loch.
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast. Beyond Paradise and Death in Paradise both air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
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