Comedy horror Doghouse  is out this Friday. Our reviewer Jez didn't take too kindly to it, (if you haven't already, you can read his views HERE), but Mark Cappuccio had slightly different feelings and tracked down the star Danny Dyer to have a behind-the-scenes chinwag...

MV: How did you get involved in this project?

DD – Carnaby films got in touch with me through Billy Murray, he lived in my area a few streets away but I had never meet him and he got my number, we spoke and he showed me a script that he was producing and said that he could not make the film without me.  They laid all their cards on the table and were honest and said how do you feel about it?  I said it was all about the script and they said I could cast who I wanted and made an investment in the film for me. I took it away and hoped not to hate it, and as I’d done the hooligan thing before I read it and thought comedy horror – brilliant!

MV: You’ve been in a horror film before, are you a fan of the genre?

DD – Yes, I love doing it and it’s a rare opportunity to do a good one, and the fact that they gave me a choice of what roles to play I thought right did I want to play the role of Neil as it’s a part I’d done a million times before, and it’s a part I could do standing on me head, I love playing it but I’ve got the opportunity to play the gay character, I thought about it for awhile but when I read the scene where Neil is tortured by Bubbles I thought I can’t let another actor do that so it’s gotta be mine.  That’s when we started to get onto other casting and I said I wanted Stephen Graham to be in it and I’m a massive fan of his as well as a friend, so we called him and got him onboard then Noel and the others came later and auditioned.

MV: Your character says some pretty nasty things in the film, do you like playing these kind of roles?

DD – I love it mate, I milked it for all it was worth.  Neil acts sexy and clever and thinks women follow him around but they don’t, he gets it wrong you know.  One of the things for me was so attractive about playing him was that he was so unattractive.  I milked it and I wanted to go on some kind of journey with him to set him up as something women say get him away from me and then maybe claw some of them back when I start to get tortured and become a quivering wreck.

MV: Do you think you should have died in the film?

DD – No way, no way you know the fact is in most movies he would be the first one to go, and it’s the ones who know the least about women that survive but I lose a finger and I nearly get killed but I come through it.

MV: Are you drawn towards genre work or do you look for character driven pieces?

DD – I don’t know really, I’ve had a good run recently and I’ve had a lot of stuff offered to me and I’ve gotta start making the right decisions, I just love acting that’s the key for me, I love it.  I can’t express that enough, I’m passionate about it and a perfectionist and if I read a script and see that’s linked to the Police and I like the character I’ll do it as it gives me the opportunity to shine. 

MV: Was your role in Straight Heads a conscious choice to step away from the typecast roles you played previously?

DD - That was a role that I really had to fight for, Gillian (Anderson) was already onboard and I think the director Dan Green wanted me but I think that I was not really proven in that sort of genre really and it was a really dark role for me.  So I had to fight for that role and I had to prove myself and I like that, its healthy.  I was gutted it did not do as well as I thought it was going to do.

MV: Was the film made before the similar Lesbian Vampire Killers

DD – That film had been around for a long time and they came and offered me the role and wanted to put Justin Lee Collins as the other half (laughs out loud).  He was a lovely guy who I had met a number of times but I blanked it and it went away and we only found out they were doing it when we were shooting this film but they started before us.  It was a bit of a worry for the producers but I thought it had a good title but it was ridiculous as nothing really happens in it and it was rubbish.

MV: What do you want people to take from the film?

DD – I want them to appreciate what we’ve done and we are not claiming to be a masterpiece right, we are not trying to be really clever and look at us, for this genre of comedy horror which is a tough thing to do, really hard to get right with Shaun of the Dead as the ultimate.  I think the script we had and the actors and the money we could not make this film any better, I think we nail it in every way.  What you see is what you get really.

MV: If there was a sequel to this film, would you return?

DD – Well there talking about it but I don’t know where they would go with it you know, maybe the whole country could have it?  I don’t know to be honest with you I want to see how well this one does.

MV: What is next for you?

DD – I’ve got another 2 movies coming out this year, one called Malice in Wonderland and one called Dead Man Running and I’m about to do a sitcom called Filth set in a lad’s mag office and I play an Andy McNabb type character who has a column in magazine and it’s a real send up as I’m taking the piss out of meself, real cockney and aggressive and clearly gay!

MV: What was it like working with the director Jake?

DD – He’s a nice fella, he was a lovely guy, but he was a bit intimidating and he was honest about that.  Most directors I have worked with rule with an iron fist but he did it in a different way.  He’s very good technically and with the horror side of it.  To be honest I think he learnt a lot on this film and will take it away with him and I wish him the best he’s a good kid.  With the right script I would have no problem working with him again.

MV: Would you be prepared if the Zombie apocalypse actually happened?

DD – Well, you know it would be horrible if it was just Doghouse with just the women I’ve got 2 daughters and a wife so I live with 3 women and I would not last 3 fucking minutes mate to be honest with you.

MV:  Have you ever been in the ‘Doghouse?’

DD – Many many times sunshine, I’m well known for it and I’m trying to get out of it but it’s hard!

MV:  What 2 films would you save from being sucked into a Movie Vortex?

DD – Spinal Tap, I just love it.  It’s a film I could piss meself time and time again with and Nil by Mouth which is very close to my heart and it’s a very fucking scary film mate but its all about dialogue and its gets you through it.

Doghouse is out in the UK now, if you haven't already you can read our Doghouse review HERE.

Interview by Mark Cappuccio