KIERAN Hayler has hit back at “bully” Matt Smith after the actor is claimed to have kicked up a stink over his appearance in his new Sky Drama.
The House Of The Dragon star is believed to have demanded Kieran, the ex-husband of Katie Price, be edited out of his new series, The Death of Bunny Munro.
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Kieran, 37, signed up to an extras agency a couple of months ago and landed the very minor part in the background as Matt drove past him on Brighton seafront.
Sources close to the former Doctor Who star said he was “embarrassed” that Kieran, who was an extra, was on screen at the same time as him – albeit for a split second.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Kieran, who has two children with Katie, said: “I’m not embarrassed, I’m more hurt somebody like that would say something when they don’t even know me.
“I didn’t go on set saying who I was – I was just walking past him as he drove past in the scene.”
“For him to say what he has apparently said… it doesn’t give much hope to young actors if big names can call you out and dictate who is going to be in this and that,” he added.
“I am probably in 0.5 seconds of a scene with him.
“For me, it’s like… f*****g hell! I just found it tough.
“It’s like bullying. It’s mean.
“I’m just starting out. Everybody should support each other.”
Production crews also reportedly had no idea who Kieran was.
A Sky spokesperson said: “This is categorically untrue. Matt Smith has not requested Kieran be removed from the series.”
Kieran’s few previous credits include four gigs on EastEnders, where he played a stripper – performing for characters including Heather Trott.
In July, it was reported he had landed a part on The Death of Bunny Munro, which he hoped would lead to bigger things.
The six-parter is based on the book of the same name by singer Nick Cave and has been filming around Brighton throughout the summer.
A TV insider said: “It’s not clear just what part Kieran has in the show, as the project has been kept under wraps for months.
“Though bystanders were amazed to see him as part of the production during filming last week, with many still recognising him as being Katie’s former husband.
“It’s a particular surprise given that it’s a rather high-quality drama — though perhaps less surprising is that it centres around a character with a sex addiction.”
Kieran’s marriage to Katie Price lasted from 2013 to 2021, but had its issues including Kieran seeking help for sex addiction.
The official synopsis for The Death of Bunny Munro reads: “Following his wife Libby’s suicide, sex addict, door-to-door beauty product salesman and self-professed lothario Bunny Munro finds himself saddled with a young son and only a loose concept of parenting.
“Together with nine-year-old Bunny Junior he embarks on an epic and increasingly out-of-control road trip across Southern England as the two struggle to contain their grief in very different ways.”
A release date has not yet been confirmed.
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