The psychological thriller series, filmed and set in Wales, follows a young woman as she unravels her identity and hunts for truth in a remote community.
Daniel has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which causes muscles to weaken and waste over time, leading to increasing and severe disability. The condition affects not only muscles used for movement, but also the heart and vital breathing muscles too, cutting lives short. He is one of a very few men in the country of his age to have the condition.
He is due to appear in scenes with Brendan Coyle, best known as John Bates from Downton Abbey. He was set up with the small part by Muscular Dystrophy UK, after being contacted by the production team who were looking to cast someone with the condition in the role.
Daniel, 43, said:
“I’ve never acted and am not particularly social, but I remember from the time I first watched The X-Files that I always wanted to be an extra in a scene, to be part of that magic. I had never pursued it though as I thought it wouldn’t be practical and who would want me?
“Other than the fact I was looking forward to doing this on a personal level there was also an element of wanting to show disability on television and raising awareness of Duchenne. I think this is starting to get better but in the past it would be usual for a non-disabled actor to have got a part like this.”
The cast is led by Lydia Wilson, best known for her role in the film Star Trek: Beyond. Lifelong Trekker Daniel was able to meet Lydia at the show’s Cardiff premiere this Monday.
Daniel added:
“I loved talking to everyone and I think part of the reason I was so calm was the friendliness of the crew and how well they did their jobs. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to do something like this again but I would love too. I think I may have been bitten by the bug!”
Gillian Jones, Muscular Dystrophy UK Regional Development Manager, said:
“We were so happy to be able to set Daniel up to appear in Requiem. It was a great chance for him to both get behind the scenes and in front of the camera, and shows how people with disabilities can represent themselves on screen. We will all be tuning in to see Daniel’s role!”
Requiem starts this Friday on BBC One at 9pm. Daniel features in episodes 4 and 6. The full series will be added to the BBC iPlayer platform at launch.