Irish actor Peter Gaynor admitted he felt like he was starting his first day of school all over again when he joined Fair City earlier this year.
But as his character, Tyler Munroe, continues to spiral out of control under pressure this week, he said it has been a ‘privilege’ to have bagged the show’s big Christmas storyline within his first few weeks.
The star, who made his debut as Tyler in Carrigstown just last month, told Irish Daily Mirror: “The strange thing is you kind of go in there and it is like your first day at school.
"They all know each other and you are kind of the new boy coming in.”
Kicking off what has been billed as a week full of ‘lies, punch ups and shootings’, fantasist Tyler and manipulating menace Lucy Mallon get found in their web of lies by the Gardaí in tonight's Fair City.
And Peter, who finished a run of Hamlet in New York City alongside his college classmate Ruth Negga just one day before the pandemic submerged the arts world into darkness in March 2020, said the fast paced and ever changing role in the soap drama has been a brilliant change of pace.
As his character looks set for a sorry end this week with a prison sentence hanging in the balance, he said: “It’s kind of been fun letting go of the ropes and kind of going for it. Tyler has nothing to lose anymore.”
The actor, based in Dublin, who also starred in Vikings, Bloom and Rough Diamond added that he has been in awe of his co-stars and their work.
“They are so good at what they do.
“It is a very particular thing this type of drama. And you have to be very fast and pick up things fast. I’d be more used to film and theatre soaking in something for a long time.
“But there is no time for that in this type of drama. You just sort of move all the time.
“So it is always exciting looking at the script and seeing what kind of mad things you will be doing this week.
He added: “There’s only room for one or two big storylines at any given time so it is kind of a privilege when you get to have some of the meatier stuff.”
As the Christmas chaos plays out this week, Peter kept tight-lipped on his future in the RTE show, but teased some unexpected twists on the way this week.
And whilst twitter and social media is sure to be alight with fans reaction, the seasoned star said he’ll be staying clear of any opinions on his performance - and will be relying solely on the words of his biggest fan - his mother.
“I kind of avoid Twitter and all that because I think it brings out the worst elements,” he said.
He went on: “My mum tells me.. She watches the [reaction]. Because I don’t even watch my own stuff. And I know a lot of actors say that, but if I watch it the moment after i’ve done it, I think ‘what am I doing?’ but if I wait until about six months I go ‘ah that’s great, that’s fine’.
“I think when you are too close to it you can see all the other options you could have taken and you didn’t.
“So my mum watches it and she tells me if it is safe to watch or not. She also tells me what people are saying and what people think.
“People get very invested in this sort of drama. It is because it’s in their sitting rooms everyday and they have opinions.”
“It’s usually pleasant, it’s easy to be cynical, but people are usually [nice].
“I remember when I did this work before, I was quite shocked by the reaction from one day to the next.
“It’s like you are walking to the shops and twenty people were [looking] it’s that kind of show.
“And then I remember someone saying to me ‘well look Peter, as soon as it is off the TV, give it a week and nobody will remember.”
Fair City airs on RTE One Tuesday at 8pm, Thursday night at 8pm and on Saturday, Christmas Day at 8:50pm in an extended episode.
