Matt Di Angelo has admitted that the initial idea of his upcoming EastEnders rape storyline left him "intimidated".
Reprising his role earlier this year as Dean Wicks in the BBC One soap, his character has been infatuated by Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) for some time, and will rape her in a harrowing storyline coming later this year.
Matt Di Angelo as Dean Wicks / Credit: BBCSpeaking at last night's TVChoice Awards in London, he said: "Initially it was a very intimidating storyline. It's a disgusting, scary thing and to have your face associated with that heinous crime is a challenge, but what I'm here for is to tell these meaningful stories and it is a job."
Despite moving Dean from a character with a cheeky persona to one who's nasty, Matt confessed he enjoys the challenge as an actor.
"It's easier to play a nice guy, it's pretty difficult to play a character that not a lot of people are going to like. But I do try and make him somewhat charming and affable. But when you commit lots of crimes, you're not going to be Mr. Friendly."
He also said that he's unsure whether he has a future on the soap because of the storyline, but revealed his character could escape the punishment he deserves.
"We haven't really decided what is going to happen, or if he is going to prison yet. But if he did go to prison, it'd be 98% against real life. And this is a soap opera about real life. So if we're telling real life story, his character should in no shape or form go to prison. So that's what we're trying to tell. That's the scary bit. The injustice is the interesting bit."
EastEnders continues tonight on BBC One at 7.30pm.
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