Paul Danan told in his final interview how he moved in with his parents and struggled to get acting jobs so worked in a phone repair shop to get by after leaving Hollyoaks.
The actor, who became a household name playing bad boy Sol Patrick from 1997 until 2001 on Channel 4’s top soap, has died aged just 46.
He told just before Christmas how he regretted leaving Hollyoaks to try to break into Hollywood because he didn’t want to be typecast as a soap star and become ‘the next Ken Barlow’.
But he could not cope with the rejection that followed in LA and became home sick, getting drawn down the dark path of drugs that blighted his life.
He said he failed in Hollywood so he went on Celebrity Love Island, which hampered his prospects, blaming ‘snobby’ casting directors for a lack of work.
In 2020 he moved in with his parents in Essex after he became homeless having previously spent ‘about £1million on rehab and recovery’ over the years. Most recently he was based in Bristol, where he was teaching students in drama school while trying to break back into acting.
His final Instagram past last week was an online audition for Duke Orsino in King Lear, but while fans on social media hailed his performance some also commented that he appeared dazed at points.
Reflecting on his decision to leave the soap, Paul told : ‘Maybe 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 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.’
Paul was due in court today to face charges of possessing cocaine and cannabis and was also accused of driving under the influence of drugs. And just months ago he was on the ‘brink of death’ and needing an oxygen tank after his ‘obsessive’ vape usage caused respiratory failure. He was so addicted he had his vape in bed before sleep.
Whilst living in Los Angeles, Paul told how he would often see actors working in McDonald’s while waiting for their next big part, with he himself having taken up a ‘normal job’ to get some extra cash in the interim.
‘I worked in a place called I Smashed It, which is where if you if you drop your iPhone or your phone and the screen smashes, then we’ll fix the screen for you. I was working there for a bit, probably about 10 years ago. And that was just to get a bit of money on the side.’
Detailing the various work he’s done over the years, he continued: ‘I’ve worked in recruitment. I used to work in Ted Baker. I worked in the markets when I was younger and I’ve worked in different clothes shops and stuff like that. And of course in between jobs, you have to still do that.
Speaking exclusively to in November, Paul, 46, opened up on the ups and downs of his career, including his regrets over saying goodbye to Hollyoaks too early.
Paul said he worked in clothes shops, phone shops and other places to make ends meet. He moved into his parents’ home several years ago, blaming the cost of living and also said he needed to support his young son.
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 opportunities, he said he couldn’t cope with rejection and isolation in California.
Despite trying to make it big in a difficult industry, Paul managed to find some success, landing a number of presenting jobs, adverts and film roles.
However, it was an appearance on the original series of Love Island in 2005 (then known as Celebrity Love Island) that got people really talking about Paul – for both good and bad reasons.
Starring alongside a cast of noughties TV personalities including Rebecca Loos, Lee Sharpe and Jayne Middlemiss, Paul certainly stood out thanks to his raucous behaviour and larger-than-life persona – making him ratings gold.
But while British TV fans loved seeing the cheeky chappy on their screens, Paul reflected that his appearance on the reality show proved to have a negative effect on his acting career.
Looking back on that period in his life, Paul explained: ‘It was a detriment to my acting career because it didn’t help. Maybe if I had stayed in the background and didn’t make a big splash, I would probably have been alright. But you know me, if I’m on a show, I’m going to give it my all and be TV gold!
‘It didn’t help with my acting career because suddenly people were like ‘oh, we don’t want to hire a reality star!’ Casting directors were a bit snobby like that, they don’t people want to see me on a TV show thinking ‘isn’t that the guy from Love Island?’ It wasn’t good for my acting career and it took a long time to get that back. I don’t know if it’s even fully redeemed even all these years later.
‘Back then in 2005/6/7, if you’re going to be on a reality show, that’s what you were known for. People suddenly forgot that I was on Hollyoaks for four years and that I was in films and did theatre and was classically trained.
‘Suddenly when you make such a big splash on a reality show… that is so powerful. It’s just six weeks but suddenly casting directors are like ‘we can’t have him because he was on that Love Island!”
Having been in the industry for almost 30 years, Paul decided he would pass on his skills and experience to his students at drama school.
Paul’s loved-ones and former colleagues are bereft today.
It also emerged how he had been due to appear for a plea hearing at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after being charged with being in possession of several bags of cocaine and a ‘quantity’ of cannabis, according to court documents.
He was also accused of driving whilst under the influence of drugs on October 2 last year in Warrington, Cheshire.
A statement from Independent Creative Management said: ‘It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of Paul Danan at just 46 years old.
‘Known for his television presence, exceptional talent, and unwavering kindness, Paul was a beacon of light to so many.
‘His untimely departure will leave irreplaceable voids in the lives of all who knew him.
‘During this difficult time, we kindly request respect and privacy for Paul’s family, friends, and colleagues.’
Danan was a ITV’s Celebrity Love Island contestant in 2005 and 2006, though did not win either series.
He also appeared in the 2006 ITV2 reality show Calum, Fran And Dangerous Danan, which saw the actor, former Westlife bodyguard Fran Cosgrave and George Best’s son Calum Best travel across the US.
In 2017, Danan took part in Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother, where he was evicted early, and said at the time he hoped the series would give him a ‘second chance’ at his career.
He regularly called for his return to Hollyoaks, and later began the podcast The Morning After With Paul Danan, which lasted from 2019 until 2023.
His other appearances included E4’s Celebrity Coach Trip, and Channel 4 sketch comedy programme The Kevin Bishop Show.
DJ Fat Tony, real name Anthony Marnoch, wrote on Instagram that Danan was ‘one of the sweetest men’, and said it ‘hurts so bad’.
Last year, Danan told The Sun about his addiction to vaping, saying he had collapsed in May over e-cigarette use.
He also said he was warned by a nurse that if he was to ‘ever smoke in any form again, I risk being linked to an oxygen tank later on in life’.
Danan quit smoking in 2021 and said he then became ‘obsessed’ with vapes, and would ‘always have one in my hand, I would even go to sleep with it, like a comfort thing’.
He had previously discussed his substance abuse and recovery on ITV’s The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2019, which he says began when he was a teenager.
Danan said he had to ‘work hard at it every day to keep in recovery.’
In 2010, he pleaded guilty to drugs and public order offences, and was fined £350 and referred to a drugs agency for support by Stevenage Magistrates’ Court.