Inside Big Boys’ Dylan Llewellyn’s life – from soap departure to nearly quitting acting

Dylan Llewellyn, who shot to fame as James Maguire in the beloved Channel 4 series Derry Girls, is once again stealing the limelight in Channel 4’s Big Boys. The 32 year old actor has become a prominent figure in the industry, bringing life to characters such as Jack in Big Boys and Officer PC Kelby Hartford in the Death in Paradise offshoot Beyond Paradise, where he stars opposite Kris Marshall’s DI Humphrey Goodman.

Dylan began his TV career on E4’s Hollyoaks playing Martin ‘Jono’ Johnson and remained for 94 episodes until his character’s tragic fate. Post-Hollyoaks, he secured parts in Holby City and took to the big screen in films like Frequencies and Down Dog.

However, he hit a rough patch where acting gigs were scarce, leading him to take a job at a café making sandwiches. While chatting on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, he shared his near brush with giving up acting: “I was struggling a bit and I was almost like going to give up on acting, you know?”

Dylan Llewellyn rose to fame on Derry Girls

“And I just wasn’t getting any auditions, and yeah, it was just a really quiet period and I was working in a coffee shop and just grafting because that’s like the realities of acting. You’ve got to graft, you know, it’s a really tough industry.”

His breakthrough role as James in Derry Girls came just in time, as he revealed in an interview with The Guardian, saying, “It was emotional, really. I was about to give up. It really meant the world to me. It saved me.”

His stint on Derry Girls stretched over all three seasons and set him up to land the leading role in Big Boys, another Channel 4 hit comedy crafted by Jack Rooke. Buzz is that this instalment will be the final curtain for Big Boys after its meteoric rise to fame and multiple BAFTA nods.

Dylan Llewellyn nearly gave up on acting during a dry spell

Yet, screen glory wasn’t always in the cards for Dylan, as OK! divulges. His original muse was photography until he stumbled upon his hidden acting chops.

The dyslexic actor shared insights into his serendipitous path into drama: “I fell into it by accident. With GCSEs, I chose media, photography and drama. Honestly, it was meant to be a doss subject,” he admitted.

A drama contest orchestrated by the National Theatre unveiled his aptitude, allowing him to use acting as a conduit for boosting self-esteem. His ensemble’s triumph propelled them to the boards of the National Theatre.

“Acting let me put on this mask, just like that character. On stage I did things I never imagined possible,” he mused.

A pivotal stage show hooked an agent’s interest, and even with a beckoning photography course, he persisted in auditions. At a mere 17, Dylan nabbed a spot at RADA on his initial attempt.