Paul Danan’s final TV interview saw Hollyoaks star open up about mental health and addiction on GB News just weeks before his death
Hollyoaks star Paul Danan’s final TV interview came on GB News last month, where he discussed personal struggles with mental health and addiction.
The 46-year-old’s interview on Lee Anderson’s Real World came just weeks before his death.
He played Sol Patrick in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Danan told Lee that landing a role on the popular soap changed his life for the better in many ways, but also provided “some lows”.
“I suffered a little bit in the past with addictions and ADHD and mental health, which I think is an underlying cause of addictions”, he said on GB News.
“I never got diagnosed until I was 40. I’ve learned a lot more since being in treatment and then in recovery.
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“I have realised that I think some people have more cortisol and more anxiety if you have alcoholism and addiction in you.
“I also think that if you have that fear and nervousness, it can be caused from trauma from when you were younger and that trauma could be part of a mental health problem.
“I didn’t know I had ADHD which is when things can get overwhelming and things can be too much sometimes. It used to be an anger illness, funnily enough.”
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition that makes it harder for people to concentrate and manage time.
He added: “When you don’t know that you’re dealing with something and you’re trying to help it with a stimulant, which is what calms you, and that stimulant is not good for you, it becomes a detriment to you life.”
Danan went onto discuss how he was able to turn his life around by focusing more on his theatre company which he set up with the focus of “giving back to people with mental health and addiction problems”.
He said: “I thought, let’s do some drama, let’s do some role playing. Let’s build their confidence and have fun and be a kid again and start to escape in a healthy way.”
The Hollyoaks star was referring to his Morning After Drama program, which provided drama workshops to prison leavers, people suffering from a range of mental health conditions, young people from areas with high crime and drug use rates and those in recovery from addiction.
The actor’s death was announced in a statement released by his representatives.
His management said in a statement: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of @pauldanan at just 46 years old.”
“Known for his television presence, exceptional talent, and unwavering kindness, Paul was a beacon of light to so many,” the statement continued.