Don Gilet

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–).

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.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1991, 2003 The Bill Martin Fisher/Gary Heywood 2 episodes 1993 Desmond's Gerard Episode: "Lollipop Man" 1993 Demob Oliver 2 episodes 1994 The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show 2 episodes 1995 Now What TV movie 1998 Brothers and Sisters Martin Etienne 2000 The Return of Nick Cotton Biscuit TV movie 2001 Casualty Lee Freeman Episode: "Lost and Found" 2001–2002 Babyfather Johnny Lindo 12 episodes 2002 Time Gentlemen Please Jamie Hardy Episode: "Storming Up a Cook" 2002 Cutting It Errol 1 episode 2002, 2014–2016 Holby City Martin/Jesse Law Regular (as Jesse Law) 2002 Single Voices Denzel 'Degsy' Coker Episode: "Degsy" 2002–2003 Fimbles Voice 2003 Doctors P.C. Graham Mitchell Episode: "Driving Me Mad" 2003 Silent Witness Carlton Johns 2 episodes 2004 Belly Button Carl Short film 2004–2005 55 Degrees North DS Nicky Cole Main role 2006 The Line of Beauty Leo Charles 3 episodes 2006 Doctor Who Lance Bennett Episode: "The Runaway Bride" 2006 The Ruby in the Smoke Henry Hopkins TV film 2007 Cape Wrath Freddie Marcuse 8 episodes 2008 Hotel Babylon Brad Shelford 1 episode 2008–2010, 2016, 2020–2021, 2024 EastEnders Lucas Johnson Regular 2010 EastEnders: E20 Lucas Johnson 2 episodes 2012 One Night DC Hutton 4 episodes 2012–2013 Wizards vs Aliens Richard Sherwood 3 episodes 2013 Father Brown Douglas Taylor 1 episode 2013–2014 Old Jack's Boat Captain Periwinkle Regular 2015 Death in Paradise Andre Morgan 1 episode 2017 The Loch Blake Albrighton 6 episodes 2018 Midsomer Murders Bill Viner Episode: "The Lions of Causton" 2018 Death on the Tyne Alan TV movie 2019 The Corrupted DI Graham Patterson 2019 George & the Dragon George Short film 2019 Scarborough Joe Cassidy 1 episode 2020 The Stranger Phillip Griffin 3 episodes 2020 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Winston Hoyte 1 episode 2021 Decrypted Martin 2022 Rebel Cheer Squad Coach Harris 7 episodes 2022 Sherwood Jacob Harris 2 episodes 2023 Shetland John Howell 2 episodes 2024 The Beekeeper Deputy Director Prigg 2024– Death in Paradise DI Mervin Wilson Main role (15 episodes, as of 13 February 2026)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2010 Inside Soap Awards Best Actor Best Dramatic Performance 2011 16th National Television Awards Serial Drama Performance