A FORMER EastEnders screen star has revealed his struggle to secure more acting roles since quitting the soap.
The actor, who departed Albert Square in 2017, told how there is “a ton of rejection” when it comes to small screen roles.
Danny-Boy Hatchard, 36, opened up on the state of play in a candid TikTok video.
The actor played Lee Carter in the BBC One soap until his exit nine years ago, when Lee decided to move to Dover for a new life away from wife Whitney and dad Mick after struggling with his mental health.
At the time, Danny-Boy was one of seven stars who didn’t have their EastEnders contracts renewed by producer Sean O’Connor.
While the likes of Ronnie and Roxie Mitchell had a dramatic departure, Lee’s was a bit more of an anti-climax.
He has now appeared on his TikTok page for a new video, showing him wearing a denim jacket and black baseball cap.
He told his followers: “Tell you something, this acting game is hard.
“I’ve been in the business for 13 years and on the surface it looks like I’m a raging success and everything is going smashing.
“Don’t get me wrong I’m very proud of my list of credentials on TV and theatre and I’ve literally just finished a gig in Northampton which was amazing”.
He added: “But the gaps in-between.
“There’s still a tonne of rejection, it’s incredibly competitive and it’s not for the weak.
“The only reason why I carry on doing this is because it’s a need not a want”.
He continued to address his “need to be creative” yet told how he “genuinely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone”.
Fans were quick to comment on his upload to offer messages of support.
EastEnders stars who QUIT
MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year?
The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year.
Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998.
Yet what about the 2024 exits?
Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had “quit” the long-running series.
It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen.
Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford.
Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would “quit out of boredom” over recent storylines.
Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame.
One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky.
He played Stacey Slater’s brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel.
Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay’s Netflix movie 6 Underground.
Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005.
She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008.
One put: “You are an amazing actor Dan! Lucky enough to seen you on stage and screen. Will always be supporting you whatever happens, like I have done the last 9 years”.
Another added: “You need to be an actor and we need you on those stages and screens my pal”.
A third wrote: “Get back to EastEnders like we all want you to do”.
Danny then teased a comeback could be on the cards as he wrote: “Very sweet. But my future is outside of Walford.
“That’s not to say I won’t pop back from time to time”.
Previously, the screen star admitted he was disappointed at the manner of his character’s departure.
Speaking to The Mirror, Danny-Boy admitted he thought Lee’s mental health issues weren’t tackled properly, and said: “I was disappointed how my character left with the mental health story.
“He could have left with something similar but with a little more attention to detail. I feel it got a little brushed off a bit.”
Speaking on the former soap boss’ decision not to renew his contract, he said: “I had to respect that, just in terms of how my storyline came to an end. That is just the way it is.”
He went on to describe the soap as a “factory” and that he was happy to leave so he wasn’t typecast.
He said: “It was a comfortable job but it is like a revolving door that place, as people do come and go and things change.
“It is like a chocolate factory and we bang out scenes like no tomorrow”.
