Matt Di Angelo, the actor who rose to fame as Deano Wicks on BBC soap EastEnders, has described periods of depression and anxiety triggered by the instability of show business and says he now supplements his income by renovating properties.
On the podcast They All Need Therapy, Di Angelo, 38, said the cycle of high pay during roles followed by long spells without work contributed to ongoing stress and left him feeling isolated from an industry he once inhabited full time. He said he experienced a four‑year span without work that coincided with severe anxiety and a dependence on medication to manage everyday life.
Di Angelo said he had a period when he would not leave the house without diazepam because he feared becoming unwell or being unable to control his bowels in public. "I had a phobia of defecating, of being on stage or in public and feeling like, 'I need to take a sh**,'" he told the podcast. He added that he had also spent time on antidepressants.
He described an early career marked by sudden fame and big paydays that left him unprepared for long gaps between jobs. "When you book an acting job, you'll get someone's yearly wage in like a month and you then have to manage your finances because a year later, you then get that fat tax bill, it's a constant stress in my life," he said. He expressed envy of people who have steady monthly paychecks and job security.
Di Angelo recalled moving quickly from relative anonymity to celebrity at 18 after winning the role of Deano Wicks. He trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, finished runner‑up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 with partner Flavia Cacace, and later had a starring role in the television series Hustle. He said the early success included conspicuous spending — he said he once bought a Porsche on his credit card and crashed it months later — and a social life that at times felt dangerous. "It's a dangerous industry, if you're 18 and you go from nothing to loads of money," he said, describing pressure from people seeking to profit from that sudden visibility.
Di Angelo told the podcast the mix of intense attention during work followed by abrupt silence when a project ends left him feeling like an outsider. "The ups and downs make me feel very isolated from the industry, completely isolated,'' he said. He said offers such as stage roles have become harder to accept since becoming a father, as he weighs time away from his family.
He married Sophia Perry, a wedding planner, in 2021 and the couple have twins, Daphne and Raphael, born in 2022. Di Angelo said fatherhood shifted his priorities and informed decisions about taking long theatrical commitments that would require extended absences.
After several years away from Albert Square, Di Angelo returned to EastEnders in October 2023 as Dean Wicks, who reappeared as a business partner to the Beales. The character was written out following a major courtroom storyline in September 2024; show executives have since hinted at the possibility of further returns.
With acting work unpredictable, Di Angelo said he has found satisfaction and steadier income in renovating houses. "When I've renovated a house and I filled up the skip and I've plastered, there's a satisfaction that I get from doing a day's manual labour that I don't get from doing an episode of a TV show because I've got something to show for it," he said. He added that manual work gives him tangible proof of accomplishment, while the pace of television production moves on without pausing to acknowledge individual performances.
Di Angelo said the industry does not provide formal training on managing sudden income or the emotional fallout from fame, and he urged younger performers to plan for financial and mental health challenges. He recounted episodes in which the public recognition that once felt flattering became a source of discomfort, including a recent trip to Marbella where he said groups of fans shouted his soap character's name in his face.
His account adds to wider conversations within British entertainment about the mental health pressures actors face and the peer and institutional support available during career lulls. Di Angelo said he does not regret his career choice but acknowledged the trade‑offs it has involved for his family life and well‑being.
Representatives for Di Angelo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Di Angelo's remarks come as some performers increasingly combine creative work with other trades or businesses to manage income volatility. His experience highlights how actors navigate public recognition, private struggles and the practical demands of parenting while working in a largely contractual industry.