Hollyoaks star reflects on life after quitting the soap for Hollywood
Published: 08:21 GMT, 10 November 2024
Paul Danan has had quite the career, soaring to fame as Sol Patrick in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks before an appearance on Celebrity Love Island made him one of the most recognisable faces on British television in the early 2000s.
His own TV shows, parts in movies and the hedonistic Hollywood lifestyle that often accompanies the world of the celebrity soon followed, with Paul seemingly living the good life.
However, while there certainly were highs, Paul experienced some difficult lows, having faced a well publicised drug addiction, numerous rehab stints and a struggle in between acting jobs that even forced him to repair phones screens to make ends meet.
But despite everything that life's thrown at him, Paul remains a fighter, who has battled his way through some dark times - including a near-death experience following a vaping addiction - to become the person he is today.
These days, the only thing Paul is addicted to is helping people, with the actor proudly running his Morning After Drama group and prison workshops which help those struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Paul, 46, opened up on the ups and downs of his varied career, including his regrets over saying goodbye to Hollyoaks and why Celebrity Love Island hampered his prospects.
The actor, who trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, played the role of Sol in the soap between 1997 to 2001.
But at the height of his soap fame, he left wanting to make it big in Hollywood for fear he'll be typecast as a soap actor.
Though the bright lights of Hollywood did offer some huge opportunities for the thespian, Paul struggled to cope with the rejection and isolation from his loved ones, with the star being drawn down the dark path of drugs.
Reflecting on his decision to leave the soap, Paul explained: 'It’s very tough. I mean, maybe years ago I shouldn't have left Hollyoaks, but I made that decision because after four years, I didn't want be typecast and back then, everyone didn't want to be the next Ken Barlow. You wanted to go off and play different roles, especially when you're a real actor.
'I needed to play different roles, I mean how many storylines can one character have? I wanted to go to LA and I did. And I got very close to some very big, big films and things like that. But the rejection... the one thing I hate in life is rejection.
'I chose the one job in the world that that gives you that, go figure! But at the same time, I love it more than anything, just to be there on set and to be part of that world. It is everything that I always trained for.
'Acting is a tough job and I think you don't realise how lucky you are when you're in a soap and you've got the closest thing to a nine to five job in acting that you can get. And when you get out there, you're like s**t, man, it is really tough!'