It was all change for EastEnders last Christmas as Danny Dyer's Carter family arrived with a bang and took over as the Queen Vic's new owners. Five months on, the bold move has certainly paid off as the Carters have proved popular with fans and Dyer is in the running for 4 prizes at next week's British Soap Awards.
With even bigger storylines now ahead for Mick Carter and his loved ones, Digital Spy recently got on the phone to Danny for an exclusive chat about his first few months at EastEnders and what's coming up next.
How does it feel to be in the running for 4 Soap Awards?
"I'm quite excited and slightly anxious about it. I think the anxiety comes from the fact that I've only been in EastEnders for six months, so to be nominated for Best Actor is slightly overwhelming.
"I also feel slightly guilty, because there are some really good actors in the show - especially Adam Woodyatt with some of the stuff that he's been delivering lately. I think his big episodes just aired a little bit too late in the season, but he definitely deserves an award over me and I'll be the first to admit that.
"I'm proud to be representing EastEnders, though, so I'm excited about it."
You're up for Best Actor, Sexiest Male, Best On-Screen Partnership with Kellie Bright, and Spectacular Scene for Johnny coming out to Mick. Which would you most like to win?
"Of course Best Actor would be nice - that would be an honour as it is voted for by the viewers, so I am thrilled that I have made the shortlist in such a small amount of time. But it would be nice to win On-Screen Partnership, because I'm nothing without Kellie and she's been a real strength to me.
"I'm also very proud of the impact that Mick and Johnny's scene had. It didn't just have an impact on the gay community, but people in general. I'm an actor playing a character, but because of my media persona, people might have assumed that I'm homophobic or that Mick would have reacted to Johnny coming out in a completely different way. It was a surprise to people when Mick just said, 'Come here boy, I love you'.
"That scene was beautifully written and I've had many, many letters from young gay men who came out because of it. I love what I do as an actor because it's a great job, but things like that make you realise how much of an impact your work can have on people's lives when you're in a soap. I hadn't quite realised that and it's quite a life-changing thing.
"As for Sexiest Male - I'm pushing 40, I've got a beer belly and I'm growing a pair of tits. So to every pot-bellied man out there, there's hope for you all. But I'm very proud to be representing EastEnders. I'm passionate about it and I'd want to win it for us as a collective, rather than as a personal thing."
How has working on EastEnders compared to what you'd expected when you first signed up?
"I've got a lot more respect for soap actors now. I don't care who you are - it's a massive test to be playing a character day in, day out with the amount of dialogue and the number of scenes you have to do every day. You have to be on the ball all the time.
"I think there can be a snobbery towards soaps, and I'll hold my hands up and say that I probably would have been one of those people. When you make movies, you can sometimes look down on soap actors. Now I've got a new-found respect, just because it's really hard work. It's very rewarding, but it engulfs your life completely. You're playing your character more than you have time to be yourself, which doesn't usually happen on movies.
"But I'm also enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. I thought I'd struggle a bit, but I'm absolutely loving working on EastEnders."
When you first joined, Mick was in almost every episode for about a month. Has the workload died down since then?
"No, not at all! I had a little week off which meant that I wasn't on screen for about three weeks, but now I've come back, they're really pushing me. That's what I love, though - I want to be busy and there's no two ways about that.
"It's a case of trying to find that middle ground between having exciting material to work with, but also having a life outside of the show. I've got a newborn child at home, who arrived two days before I started shooting on EastEnders, so I'm also going home and dealing with that. That's been pretty tough, but like I said, the material is great and I'm really buzzing off that at the moment. Mick is a really great character to play."
Mick and the Carters have been an instant hit with fans. Did you expect that, or has it taken you by surprise?
"We hoped they would be a hit, but [executive producer] Dominic Treadwell-Collins definitely took a big risk by bringing in a whole new family to take over The Vic. None of us had met before, so we were all just thrown in at the deep end, but we immediately bonded.
"What's made it work and kept it fresh is that there's a chemistry between us and there's something in the air when we work together. We're inspired by each other and I treat them like my own family now. It's like I can't remember when I didn't know them, as they're a massive part of my life.
"There's been a few negative comments, but it's mainly been positive. I think there were a lot of people who wanted to see me fail, because there'd been a lot of hype. There's a lot of haters out there for me, but I think coming into EastEnders was probably the best move I've ever made because it's changed people's perceptions of me so much."
From the comments we've seen online, fans don't want you to leave too soon. Would you like a long-term future with the show?
"As it stands now, I'm absolutely loving it and the character is very interesting. I haven't even scratched the surface with Mick yet. He's a strong family man, but we know that he's got some issues after being in care as a kid. There's a lot of anger there, which he has to keep under wraps constantly, but he's also very loving.
"I can see myself doing a long stretch easily, and I did say to Dominic when I signed up, 'As long as you're around, I'm with you'. I'm not going anywhere, as long as I can still go off and do a couple of films a year, because I still love to make movies.
"I want to make quality films - not the **** ones that I admit I've sometimes made in the past because I've needed to pay the bills. I don't need to do that now, because I'm in a job that gives me security. That means I can choose movies that I want to do - ones that will make an impact on people and hopefully raise debate."
Your first punching scene airs this week as Mick loses his temper with Dean…
"Everyone's been waiting for that one! There was a big build-up to me coming into the show, and I think everyone assumed I was going to come into the show as a gangster. Actually, one of the reasons I signed up was because I sat in front of Dominic and he told me that while Mick would be an alpha male, he'd also be a family man who was in touch with his feminine side and wears a pink dressing gown! I was loving all that stuff.
"I'm no fool, though, so I know that everyone's been dying to see me swing a punch! It's been a five-month wait, but believe you me, when the punch finally comes it's worth it!
"Dean deserves it, too - he's lucky that he gets away with just one smack in the mouth, to be honest with you! Mick warns him beforehand, but he doesn't listen. Dean is like a tornado when he comes back into the Square and he needs to be slowed down a bit. Mick Carter's the man to do the job!"
It's a big week for Mick next week. Can you tell us a bit about the drama ahead for him?
"Mick doesn't really remember much about his childhood, except for being shifted from house to house when he was in care. The reason he's got such a strong relationship with Linda and loves her with all his heart is that he's known her since he was really young. She's all he's really known love-wise.
"Mick was told the story about nearly being drowned as a child quite late in life, and it's really stuck in his head. A few things are said next week that just don't add up, so Mick accuses Stan of being the one who tried to drown him. He has a bit of a Columbo moment and tries to work things out.
"Mick realises that it couldn't have been his mum who tried to drown him, so it must have been Stan. He gives him a taste of his own medicine and just loses it. Like I said, Mick has this thing inside him where he could just snap and smash a room up!
"I can't give away what the outcome of it is, but it's going to be a massive shock to the audience. We've got some massive stuff coming up."
Have you enjoyed working with Timothy West on such an intense storyline?
"Of course - he's the guv'nor and he's a veteran. It's great to be working with someone of his calibre and that's another reason why I came into EastEnders. As an actor, all you ever crave is to be inspired by other actors, because that keeps you on your toes.
"Tim has brought something to the part that we never thought he would. On the page, Stan is a nasty and evil character, but Tim does it with an element of charm so that he's still quite loveable. Tim has obviously thought about that a lot.
"I saw an interview where Tim said that he didn't think older characters in soap have been represented in the right way, as sometimes they have been clichéd and 2D. He's bringing so much more to it, and it's interesting to wonder where our on-screen relationship is going to go. At the moment we don't know, and that's the other thing about being in a soap, you're constantly kept in the dark!"
You've also had some powerful scenes with Danny-Boy Hatchard who plays Lee…
"Yeah - it was quite a fleeting visit because he was only in 10 episodes, but he is coming back and I think that's when we're going to really delve into the dark side of how affected Lee really is by his experiences in the army."
As Mick and Linda's marriage is so strong, do you hope it stays that way rather than one of them having an affair?
"We've sat down and said this ourselves - let's not have a clichéd or obvious storyline. It'd be easy for Mick to go and have an affair with somebody, but I don't think he's that sort of man. He's too devoted to have an affair, and of course if that did happen, where would we go after that?
"Who knows what the future holds. With that said, there is something else that's going to happen very soon. I can't give away what it is, but it's really heavy…"
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Originally Posted by tammyy2j
But still difficult to explain to your nearest and dearest 
