BAFTA Rising Star Awards: 5 Reasons Why Danny Dyer Gets Our Vote

4. Moff - Human Traffic (1999)

Dyer's turn as young hedonist Moff in Justin Kerrigan's anthem for drugged youth was the moment that propelled him from bit part TV actor, who had credits in A Touch Of Frost and Children's Ward, into one of British film's hottest propertied, particularly thanks to his note-perfect portrayal of ecstasy use and the ignominy of being caught pleasuring himself in front of a mirror. Make no bones about it, it takes real confidence, and genuine balls to pull off being caught by your mother in the throws of onanist pleasure, and no single moment in the history of film is as skin-crawlingly cringe-inducing than the awful, and inevitable moment in Dyer's first major role when his mother walks in on him enjoying the reflected image of him enjoying himself. The moment is arguably Dyer's finest from all of his film roles: his embarrassment is utterly tangible, and so is the reaction by his mother (played by another Eastenders' actress in Carol Harrison) and the very act offers a very clever comment on the very nature of the grotesque self-pleasure of celebrity. Given the context of Dyer's self-confessed commitment to recreational drug use, his performance as Moff is even greater, as it could well be that he went the extra step and surrendered himself to a truly method portrayal. His autobiography confirmed that he dabbled in drugs and would continue to do so as "there's a difference between having the odd crafty bump up the snout as a reward for a job well done and letting it rule your life" and "it's not like I'm a Blue Peter presenter is it?'