Overview
- Dyer told Rolling Stone UK that Cooper felt “part of the fabric” of the show and that news of her death during the shoot intensified emotions on set.
- Cooper died in October at age 88 after injuries from a fall, with Dyer saying her loss gave the cast and crew a push to finish the long shoot.
- Rivals adapts Cooper’s best-selling novel for Disney+, set in the 1980s Cotswolds with storylines rooted in the rivalries of British television.
- Dyer plays businessman Freddie Jones alongside a star cast that includes David Tennant, Aidan Turner, and Alex Hassell.
- Since leaving EastEnders in 2022, Dyer said he has been surprised by critical acknowledgment for his dramatic work, including Rivals.