Don Gilet is a British actor. He is best known as Lucas Johnson in EastEnders (2008–2010, 2016, 2020–2021, 2024), Jesse Law in Holby City (2014–2016) and DI Mervin Wilson in Death in Paradise (2024–).
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Early life and education
Gilet was brought up in Caldmore, Walsall, with two older sisters.
He attended Whitehall Junior School before Blue Coat Church of England Academy and Sunday school at Caldmore Gospel Hall in Caldmore, and the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
Career
Gilet's first television appearance was on the Channel 4 dating show Streetmate, where he was interviewed as the friend of a participant. His first major role was playing Johnny Lindo in Babyfather (opposite future EastEnders co-star Diane Parish), before landing the lead role in the detective series 55 Degrees North, as Detective Sergeant Nicky Cole. In 2006, he played Leo Charles in The Line of Beauty and had a guest role in the Doctor Who Christmas episode "The Runaway Bride".
In 2001, Gilet appeared in a commercial for Apple's iMac G4 computer. The commercial was named "Window Shopping" and showed Gilet making certain gestures towards the iMac, which the computer later copied. He also appeared as a store manager in a staff training video for Sainsbury's supermarkets.
He has had minor appearances in Casualty, Holby City, Silent Witness and The Bill.
Gilet featured in the music video for Gabrielle's 2001 hit "Out of Reach". In 2011, he featured in a music video for the song 'I Want You to Remember' by solo artist I Am Spartacus.
In theatre, he has appeared in As You Like It and The Alchemist.
In April 2008, he joined the BBC television soap opera EastEnders playing serial killer Lucas Johnson. Gilet's character left EastEnders on 30 July 2010.
In 2010, he appeared as Abanazar in the Churchill Theatre Bromley's Christmas pantomime Aladdin alongside Melinda Messenger. He followed that in 2011 by appearing at the Grove Theatre, Dunstable in Jack and the Beanstalk, which also featured his EastEnders co-star Gemma Bissix.
In May 2013, Gilet played the roles of Fuliginous, Ruislip & Blackfriar in a BBC radio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, adapted by Dirk Maggs.
In 2014, Gilet joined the cast of BBC medical drama Holby City in the role of Consultant Anaesthetist Jesse Law.
In 2015, Gilet rejoined the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders to reprise his role of Lucas Johnson, departing again on 10 March 2016. In 2017, Gilet joined the TV series The Loch, playing psychologist Blake Albrighton. The character made his debut in the series's first episode on 11 June 2017.
Gilet's Lucas Johnson character returned to EastEnders on 25 December 2020 and departed on 18 March 2021. In 2022, he portrayed the role of Coach Harris in the BBC series Rebel Cheer Squad. Gilet rejoined EastEnders in 2024 for a brief guest stint.
In 2024, it was announced that Gilet would become the new lead detective, DI Mervin Wilson, in the BBC police drama Death in Paradise. He had previously appeared as a guest in the fourth series in 2015, portraying a character called Andre Morgan.
Personal life
Gilet previously lived in Barnet, London, with his wife, Tracy Whitwell, an actress and author, and their son. They later divorced, and Gilet began a relationship with actress Siobhan Finneran in 2018.