Danny Mitchell (EastEnders)
Encyclopedia
Daniel Nicholas "Danny" Mitchell is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by soap newcomer Liam Bergin
, who appeared from on 21 January 2010 to 18 June 2010.
's (Glynis Barber
) house unannounced, startling her. The next week, Glenda shows Danny Archie Mitchell
's (Larry Lamb
) obituary and gives him the address of The Queen Victoria
public house
in Walford
where his sisters Ronnie
(Samantha Womack) and Roxy
(Rita Simons) live. Danny goes to The Queen Victoria and interrupts an argument between Ronnie and Roxy. Roxy tells Danny to go away they have just buried their father, to which Danny says he thinks they have just buried his father too. After a visit from Glenda to prove that Danny is who he claims to be, Danny gets talking to his sisters who ask him to stay. Glenda wants him to have nothing to do with them because Archie is still "inside their heads". However, he goes against Glenda's wishes. His cousin Phil Mitchell
(Steve McFadden
) is unhappy, thinking he is possibly a younger version of Archie. Danny starts working behind the bar of The Queen Victoria where he meets Amira Masood
(Preeya Kalidas
). He compliments her, and they later kiss, but the next day she tells him it was a stupid mistake. Peggy Mitchell
(Barbara Windsor
) overhears Danny on the phone to Glenda and is furious, asking him to leave. Roxy insists that Peggy does not make the rules, but Danny decides to go anyway and packs his things. Before he leaves the Square, Amira's husband Syed Masood
(Marc Elliott
) confronts him about the kiss, but he assures Syed he will never be returning.
Several weeks later, Peggy receives a call from the police station. When she gets there, she finds Danny shouting to be let out, bloodied and bruised. He explains he had an argument with Glenda and left home, then got in a drunken fight and was put in cells to sober up. He tells her he hoped Roxy would come as Peggy hates him, but she confirms his identity and he is able to leave. He reunited with Roxy who is very pleased to see him, and after a heart-to-heart with Peggy, he vows to help her get The Queen Victoria back from Roxy. Roxy is angry with him for putting the bust of Queen Victoria back on the bar as it was used to kill Archie, but he tells her it is what Archie would have done and she should make him proud. He later sabotages a pump at the pub so Roxy is forced to ask for Peggy's help, and convinces Roxy to buy the beauty salon that is coming up for auction. He is befriended by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
), who wants to turn him against his family in order get Roxy's inheritance. Ronnie tells Roxy he cannot be trusted, but he reveals Janine's plan, cementing his place in the Mitchell family. He and Glenda then plan to con Roxy out of her inheritance themselves. He later tells Ronnie that Roxy has hardly any money left because she is spending it on expensive things she hardly uses.
Roxy is curious when Danny asks her for a £700 investment, which he later returns in full, having apparently made a profit. She asks him if she can invest £1000 for his friend to do the same for her, and she is satisfied when she sees him going into a building and meeting somebody. Danny speaks to Glenda on the telephone and tells her to pack a bag. Later, Roxy overhears him on the phone saying he can get a bigger return if he invested more money, so she offers to go halves with him. Danny thinks Ronnie may have figured out his plan when she asks to invest as well, and says he was too late and the deal is off. Glenda arrives in a taxi and Danny tells her he thinks Ronnie is on to him, to which Glenda says they cannot leave empty handed and Ronnie cannot stop them. Glenda urges Danny to find out if Ronnie knows. Ronnie denies overhearing Danny's telephone conversation with Glenda, though Danny tells Glenda that Ronnie is playing games with him. Danny gives Glenda a plane ticket to the United States and says he'll meet her at the airport. Ronnie tells Danny she has worked it out—that Danny is seeing someone. Danny agrees and says it is a married woman, and then calls Glenda to say Ronnie knows about their scheme and Glenda should go to the States on her own. However, she simply tears up the ticket. Danny convinces Roxy to open a joint-signature account so he can help control her money. Glenda returns reveal the plan to Ronnie, after which Roxy catches him putting her cash in a bag. He blames Glenda and Roxy believes him. Roxy attempts to evict her mother but she reveals bruises on her arm and says that Danny has been hitting her. Danny says he is entitled to a share of Archie's money, so Glenda reveals to her daughters that Danny knows Archie was not his father. Danny denies this but Glenda insists it is true, saying that Danny has lied about his middle name being Archie. Ronnie asks to see his driver's license for proof but he says he does not know where it is. Eventually Roxy tells Danny to leave, as she believes her mother over her brother.
The character is described as a "loveable rogue" and "a charmer with an eye for the ladies, while guys instantly see him as competition in the alpha male stakes." Speaking of his role, Bergin said: "The first time I walked into Albert Square and saw the Queen Vic
was a very special moment and I'll have that memory forever. All of my on-screen family have made me feel very welcome from the first moment that I met them and I am enjoying every minute working here." Executive producer Diederick Santer
said "Liam is a fine young actor, and a proper East Londoner, who I've been keen to bring into EastEnders for quite some time. His character Danny Mitchell is something of an enigma. [...] Is he simply [Ronnie and Roxy's] kid brother, keen to get to know his exciting big sisters? Or is there something else that he's after?" Bergin previously auditioned for another part in EastEnders early in 2009. Then he auditioned again for the part of Danny, but was not told the character was part of the Mitchell family
, and was offered the part within 90 minutes of the audition. He was surprised when he was offered the part as he felt his audition did not go well. He started filming about a week and a half later.
Discussing his relationship with the rest of the Mitchell family, Bergin assessed that Peggy is "the one person he wants to get on with" as she is the family matriarch. He felt that Danny genuinely likes and respects Peggy, impressed by her ability to handle trouble in the pub, explaining: "Danny wants to be liked and loved by the Mitchells and, most importantly, by Peggy." Asked why Danny desires to become part of the Mitchell family, Bergin responded: "He has no one else so maybe he wants to be part of a family. Or maybe it's because Roxy has suddenly got a lot of money. Perhaps he thinks a portion of that is rightfully his..." Bergin had heard speculation that his character may not be a Mitchell at all, but hoped that he is as he enjoyed being part of the family. Bergin stated that Danny did not deserve to be trusted, and Simons said she was unsure how trustworthy Danny is but said that Roxy likes him, adding "He's their baby brother, so Roxy really takes him under her wing and it's Roxy and Danny against the world for a little while. He's got a great story. There's loads of mystery that comes with it, so it's definitely one to watch!" Simons also praised the casting, noting facial similarities between Bergin and Lamb, though she had expected a blond-haired actor to take the role. Bergin said that Danny likes Roxy but because of her money he sees it as a big game, as he is a "money-driven lunatic."
In April 2010 it was announced that the character had been axed along with five others by the new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
as part of a plan to "breathe new life into the show". Bergin said of his departure: "I've had a great six months working on EastEnders playing Danny. He has been a great character to play and without giving too much away, he's sure to ruffle a few feathers before he leaves Walford." He said the conclusion of Danny's storyline was "satisfying for [him] as an actor" and that it was the ending the audience deserves. He added that he knew the length of his contract from the start, and although there is always a possibility of a contract being extended, he could never see that happening with Danny. He later told All About Soap that he would love to return as Danny, as his storyline was left on a cliffhanger, and explained that Danny's final scenes were emotional with a final twist, saying "his exit sums the character up perfectly."
opined that she would be glad to see him leave, as he was "introduced rather randomly, he has had little purpose ever since, other than to make everyone elses acting look better. There's no intrigue to him, no charisma, no character development—nothing except floppy hair and moping around like a teenager from 1993." In their 1 January 2011 issue, Inside Soap
branded Danny as one of 2010's departed characters that would not be remembered.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, played by soap newcomer Liam Bergin
Liam Bergin
Liam Bergin is a British actor of Irish descent. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2008. He is currently best known for playing Rupert in Trinity...
, who appeared from on 21 January 2010 to 18 June 2010.
Storylines
Danny first appears when he turns up at his mother Glenda MitchellGlenda Mitchell
The following is a list of characters who first appeared or are due to appear in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2010, by order of first appearance...
's (Glynis Barber
Glynis Barber
Glynis Barber is a South African actress of Afrikaner descent, born and brought up in South Africa. She was born Glynis van der Riet. When she was five years old, her parents divorced, and she and her mother moved to Johannesburg. She is best known for her portrayal as Sgt...
) house unannounced, startling her. The next week, Glenda shows Danny Archie Mitchell
Archie Mitchell
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Larry Lamb.The character of Archie is the father of already established characters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell , and a member of the Mitchell family, who have appeared in the soap since 1990...
's (Larry Lamb
Larry Lamb
Sir Albert Lamb, commonly known as Larry Lamb was a British newspaper editor. He was editor of The Sun from 1969 to 1972 and again from 1975 to 1981, and also of the Daily Express from 1983 to 1986...
) obituary and gives him the address of The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Walford
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East...
where his sisters Ronnie
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. Ronnie and her sister Roxy were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007; Ronnie is the "ice" to Roxy's "fire"...
(Samantha Womack) and Roxy
Roxy Mitchell
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two...
(Rita Simons) live. Danny goes to The Queen Victoria and interrupts an argument between Ronnie and Roxy. Roxy tells Danny to go away they have just buried their father, to which Danny says he thinks they have just buried his father too. After a visit from Glenda to prove that Danny is who he claims to be, Danny gets talking to his sisters who ask him to stay. Glenda wants him to have nothing to do with them because Archie is still "inside their heads". However, he goes against Glenda's wishes. His cousin Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
(Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
) is unhappy, thinking he is possibly a younger version of Archie. Danny starts working behind the bar of The Queen Victoria where he meets Amira Masood
Amira Shah
Amira Shah is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Preeya Kalidas. The girlfriend, and later wife, of Syed Masood , she first appeared on screen in the episode broadcast on 7 May 2009. She returned on 10 October 2011.The character was described as high maintenance,...
(Preeya Kalidas
Preeya Kalidas
Preeya Kalidas is a British singer and actress of Indian descent. She plays Amira Masood in the soap opera EastEnders. She returned to a career in singing, with her single "Shimmy" being released in July 2010 taken from her debut album Constant Craving, was supposed to be released in September...
). He compliments her, and they later kiss, but the next day she tells him it was a stupid mistake. Peggy Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared on 30 April 1991, featuring in the series on a recurring basis over several weeks. Peggy was reintroduced in 1994, recast and was then played by...
(Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
) overhears Danny on the phone to Glenda and is furious, asking him to leave. Roxy insists that Peggy does not make the rules, but Danny decides to go anyway and packs his things. Before he leaves the Square, Amira's husband Syed Masood
Syed Masood
Syed Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Marc Elliott, and first appeared on screen on 21 April 2009. Syed is the eldest son of Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood , and brother of Tamwar and Shabnam and Kamil Masood...
(Marc Elliott
Marc Elliott
Marc Elliott is a British actor from Stratford-upon-Avon, who is best known for his role as Syed Masood in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Personal life:...
) confronts him about the kiss, but he assures Syed he will never be returning.
Several weeks later, Peggy receives a call from the police station. When she gets there, she finds Danny shouting to be let out, bloodied and bruised. He explains he had an argument with Glenda and left home, then got in a drunken fight and was put in cells to sober up. He tells her he hoped Roxy would come as Peggy hates him, but she confirms his identity and he is able to leave. He reunited with Roxy who is very pleased to see him, and after a heart-to-heart with Peggy, he vows to help her get The Queen Victoria back from Roxy. Roxy is angry with him for putting the bust of Queen Victoria back on the bar as it was used to kill Archie, but he tells her it is what Archie would have done and she should make him proud. He later sabotages a pump at the pub so Roxy is forced to ask for Peggy's help, and convinces Roxy to buy the beauty salon that is coming up for auction. He is befriended by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
Charlie Brooks
Charlene "Charlie" Brooks is a Welsh actress, best known for playing Janine Butcher on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Acting career:...
), who wants to turn him against his family in order get Roxy's inheritance. Ronnie tells Roxy he cannot be trusted, but he reveals Janine's plan, cementing his place in the Mitchell family. He and Glenda then plan to con Roxy out of her inheritance themselves. He later tells Ronnie that Roxy has hardly any money left because she is spending it on expensive things she hardly uses.
Roxy is curious when Danny asks her for a £700 investment, which he later returns in full, having apparently made a profit. She asks him if she can invest £1000 for his friend to do the same for her, and she is satisfied when she sees him going into a building and meeting somebody. Danny speaks to Glenda on the telephone and tells her to pack a bag. Later, Roxy overhears him on the phone saying he can get a bigger return if he invested more money, so she offers to go halves with him. Danny thinks Ronnie may have figured out his plan when she asks to invest as well, and says he was too late and the deal is off. Glenda arrives in a taxi and Danny tells her he thinks Ronnie is on to him, to which Glenda says they cannot leave empty handed and Ronnie cannot stop them. Glenda urges Danny to find out if Ronnie knows. Ronnie denies overhearing Danny's telephone conversation with Glenda, though Danny tells Glenda that Ronnie is playing games with him. Danny gives Glenda a plane ticket to the United States and says he'll meet her at the airport. Ronnie tells Danny she has worked it out—that Danny is seeing someone. Danny agrees and says it is a married woman, and then calls Glenda to say Ronnie knows about their scheme and Glenda should go to the States on her own. However, she simply tears up the ticket. Danny convinces Roxy to open a joint-signature account so he can help control her money. Glenda returns reveal the plan to Ronnie, after which Roxy catches him putting her cash in a bag. He blames Glenda and Roxy believes him. Roxy attempts to evict her mother but she reveals bruises on her arm and says that Danny has been hitting her. Danny says he is entitled to a share of Archie's money, so Glenda reveals to her daughters that Danny knows Archie was not his father. Danny denies this but Glenda insists it is true, saying that Danny has lied about his middle name being Archie. Ronnie asks to see his driver's license for proof but he says he does not know where it is. Eventually Roxy tells Danny to leave, as she believes her mother over her brother.
Development
Danny's arrival and casting were announced on 26 December 2009. He arrives for his father Archie's funeral to meet his sisters Ronnie and Roxy. Archie did not know of Danny's existence before his death, as his mother Glenda left Archie after discovering she was pregnant. A secret son for Archie was discussed by the programme's makers for almost a year before the character was announced. However, later episodes reveal that Danny is not Archie's son.The character is described as a "loveable rogue" and "a charmer with an eye for the ladies, while guys instantly see him as competition in the alpha male stakes." Speaking of his role, Bergin said: "The first time I walked into Albert Square and saw the Queen Vic
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
was a very special moment and I'll have that memory forever. All of my on-screen family have made me feel very welcome from the first moment that I met them and I am enjoying every minute working here." Executive producer Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...
said "Liam is a fine young actor, and a proper East Londoner, who I've been keen to bring into EastEnders for quite some time. His character Danny Mitchell is something of an enigma. [...] Is he simply [Ronnie and Roxy's] kid brother, keen to get to know his exciting big sisters? Or is there something else that he's after?" Bergin previously auditioned for another part in EastEnders early in 2009. Then he auditioned again for the part of Danny, but was not told the character was part of the Mitchell family
Mitchell family
The Mitchell family is a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The first Mitchell nuclear family introduced were Eric Mitchell's widow Peggy Mitchell and her three children, Phil, Grant and Sam...
, and was offered the part within 90 minutes of the audition. He was surprised when he was offered the part as he felt his audition did not go well. He started filming about a week and a half later.
Discussing his relationship with the rest of the Mitchell family, Bergin assessed that Peggy is "the one person he wants to get on with" as she is the family matriarch. He felt that Danny genuinely likes and respects Peggy, impressed by her ability to handle trouble in the pub, explaining: "Danny wants to be liked and loved by the Mitchells and, most importantly, by Peggy." Asked why Danny desires to become part of the Mitchell family, Bergin responded: "He has no one else so maybe he wants to be part of a family. Or maybe it's because Roxy has suddenly got a lot of money. Perhaps he thinks a portion of that is rightfully his..." Bergin had heard speculation that his character may not be a Mitchell at all, but hoped that he is as he enjoyed being part of the family. Bergin stated that Danny did not deserve to be trusted, and Simons said she was unsure how trustworthy Danny is but said that Roxy likes him, adding "He's their baby brother, so Roxy really takes him under her wing and it's Roxy and Danny against the world for a little while. He's got a great story. There's loads of mystery that comes with it, so it's definitely one to watch!" Simons also praised the casting, noting facial similarities between Bergin and Lamb, though she had expected a blond-haired actor to take the role. Bergin said that Danny likes Roxy but because of her money he sees it as a big game, as he is a "money-driven lunatic."
In April 2010 it was announced that the character had been axed along with five others by the new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood (producer)
Bryan Kirkwood is a Scottish-born British television producer. He was the producer of teen Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and has been the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders since 2010.- Personal life :...
as part of a plan to "breathe new life into the show". Bergin said of his departure: "I've had a great six months working on EastEnders playing Danny. He has been a great character to play and without giving too much away, he's sure to ruffle a few feathers before he leaves Walford." He said the conclusion of Danny's storyline was "satisfying for [him] as an actor" and that it was the ending the audience deserves. He added that he knew the length of his contract from the start, and although there is always a possibility of a contract being extended, he could never see that happening with Danny. He later told All About Soap that he would love to return as Danny, as his storyline was left on a cliffhanger, and explained that Danny's final scenes were emotional with a final twist, saying "his exit sums the character up perfectly."
Reception
After Danny's departure was announced that Ruth Deller of website LowcultureLowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
opined that she would be glad to see him leave, as he was "introduced rather randomly, he has had little purpose ever since, other than to make everyone elses acting look better. There's no intrigue to him, no charisma, no character development—nothing except floppy hair and moping around like a teenager from 1993." In their 1 January 2011 issue, Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
branded Danny as one of 2010's departed characters that would not be remembered.