Diarmid Heidenreich’s secret job to pay mortgage
Former Australian TV star Diarmid Heidenreich, known for his role as 'Dougie the Pizza Boy,' balances his occasional acting career with a full-time job as a mechanical fitter. He emphasizes that working a trade is necessary to support his family and keep his life grounded.
Why it matters
The story provides a human-interest perspective on the reality of fame and the necessity of stable employment for former child or commercial stars.
He was one of Australia’s biggest ‘90s TV icons as Dougie the Pizza Boy, but Diarmid Heidenreich now spends his days installing elevators to keep a roof over his family’s head.
The former commercial star, who played the character from 1993 to 1996, has spent nearly 30 years working as a mechanical fitter, trading showbiz for hard manual labour.
While Heidenreich earned good money from Pizza Hut commercials, acting quickly became a side gig.
“As soon as I finished school my parents both made it very clear that if I was going to live under their roof I was going to work in a real-world job,” he told The Daily Mail Australia .
“Going to work on elevators and building something for a living made sense. I did it from the get-go and I still do it now.”
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