Eric Shango Talks Trigger Point, Four Seasons In and What Comes Next

Eric Shango is a British Congolese actor whose career has grown alongside one of ITV’s biggest returning dramas.

Best known as bomb disposal expert Danny in Trigger Point, Shango returns for the fourth season with a character who has evolved from the younger member of the team into a trusted presence alongside Vicky McClure’s Lana and Nabil Elouahabi’s Hass.

Proudly rooted in his Congolese heritage, faith and North London upbringing, Shango reflects on the journey that almost saw him walk away from acting, the lessons he has learned from growing with a long-running series, and his ambition to move beyond Danny into leading roles, producing and creating stories of his own.

Please introduce yourself…
Eric Shango. I’m a Christian. I’m proudly Congolese, born and raised in North London. North London, always. My heritage is a massive part of me. Congolese household, British upbringing, London outside the front door. It’s given me this interesting mixture of cultures that informs how I speak, how I dress, my humour, my faith, my work and definitely my ambition. I’m an actor, but increasingly I think of myself as a creative. I love storytelling, people, culture and building things.

Describe your life right now in one word or a sentence…
Expanding. Not just career-wise either. My understanding of self, what I want to build, the rooms I want to be in, and the impact I eventually want to have is expanding. I’m enjoying the present, but I’m very conscious that this is still the beginning. That’s probably the tension I’m living in right now: being present enough to appreciate what’s happening while having this enormous sense that there’s so much more to come. My faith is a big part of that. When you believe your life has purpose, you don’t panic about every moment being the moment. You can enjoy where you are while knowing you’re still on your way somewhere.

Firstly, congratulations on four seasons of Trigger Point. When you first stepped into Danny’s shoes, did you imagine you’d still be here four seasons later?
Four seasons is mad when you actually say it out loud. Did I know we’d get here? No. You can’t predict the life of a television programme. But did I believe I could have a career with longevity? Absolutely. What Trigger Point did was give me a platform to start demonstrating that. I’ll always give flowers to the people who took that initial chance on me, because somebody has to be the first person to say yes. Jed Mercurio, HTM, ITV, our casting team, the directors and producers who’ve continued investing in Danny. Those decisions matter. Talent needs opportunity to meet it. And I’m fortunate that the opportunity happened to be on what I believe is one of the best television shows. Four seasons in, I’ve seen the level of work that goes into making this thing. The people behind that camera are an exceptional team.

How has Danny evolved over the four seasons?
The biggest evolution has been his weight within the team. When we met him, he was the younger one coming through. Now, he’s earned his place. He’s experienced loss, responsibility, and pressure. There’s a different authority about him. And I love that because Danny and I have almost grown in parallel. I’m not the same actor who walked onto that set in series one either.

Danny, Lana and Hass have been through a lot together at this point. How has your relationship with Vicky McClure and Nabil Elouahabi developed, and how much of that real-life bond makes its way onto screen?
There’s a chemistry you can act, and then there’s a chemistry that comes from actually knowing people. Vicky, Nabil and I have spent years together now. Long days, night shoots, freezing locations, bomb suits, press, laughs, serious conversations. Life happens around the job. Vicky deserves her flowers. I’ve had a front-row seat watching somebody lead a major television show, and I’ve learned a lot from that. Not just about acting, but how you carry a set and how you treat people while doing it. She’s incredibly generous. And Nabil is genuinely my brother. There’s so much nonsense between us that probably can never be published. That history inevitably comes through with Lana, Hass and Danny. Sometimes we’ll communicate with a look because we know each other’s rhythms. There’s trust there. And when you’re making a show about people whose lives literally depend on trusting one another, you can’t really ask for anything better.

You’ve spoken about being close to giving up acting when Trigger Point came along. Looking at where you are now, what do you think the Eric who sent that self-tape back in 2021 would make of everything that’s happened since?
He’d probably look at me and say, “See? I told you.” I was tired. I was frustrated. There were moments where I genuinely considered walking away. But I always believed I was supposed to be doing something significant with my life. That’s where my faith comes in. Sometimes your circumstances and what you believe God has put inside you don’t align. 2021 was probably one of those periods. Then Trigger Point came. So I don’t look back at that Eric with pity. I respect him. He kept preparing when there wasn’t much evidence that the preparation was going to pay off.

And then the casting team, HTM, ITV and Jed gave me an opportunity where that preparation could actually meet something. Since then I’ve been surrounded by brilliant people. From the team making the show to my own management and representation, who understand that we’re building a career, not chasing moments. That’s important to me. I think 2021 Eric would be proud. But he’d also know we’re nowhere near done. I don’t think he’d actually be that surprised.

You’ve said Danny isn’t that far removed from you as a person. So, what parts of Eric have found their way into Danny over the years, and where are the two of you completely different?
The cheekiness is definitely mine. The humour, the warmth, the loyalty. I love people. I love having a team around me. I’m also somebody who can be completely serious about the work without needing to be serious every second while doing it. That’s Danny. I’ve also become more comfortable allowing Eric into the performance. Early in your career, you’re sometimes trying so hard to act. Then you realise some of your most interesting qualities are the things you’re not manufacturing. The biggest difference is that Danny has an absolutely ridiculous relationship with danger. This guy sees an explosive device and walks towards it. Eric Shango believes very strongly in delegation. I’d be somewhere behind the cordon praying for everybody involved.

Black British actors have become an important part of some of our biggest crime and police dramas, but we still see very few getting to lead those stories. What has that longevity meant to you, and your thoughts on Black British actors being given the space to move from key players to leading?
We should be careful about treating it as though Black British actors are asking to be invited somewhere we don’t belong. We belong at the centre of British storytelling because we’re part of Britain. The beautiful thing about Danny is that he’s Black. He’s British. I’m bringing myself and my Congolese heritage to him because that’s naturally part of what I carry. But Danny doesn’t have to constantly explain his existence through trauma or race. He’s allowed to be brilliant at his job. He’s funny. He’s brave. He’s vulnerable. He gets things wrong. People love him. People worry about him. That’s representation too.

We’ve seen incredible Black British actors become essential parts of ensembles. Now keep moving the camera. Let us lead the thriller. Lead the action franchise. Lead the romance. Lead the period drama. Be complicated. Be commercially viable. Be international. And I’m absolutely including myself in that conversation. I’ve spent four seasons working alongside people like Vicky, watching what leading a show actually requires. I’ve been on a major production, seen the machinery around it, watched the responsibility that comes with being at the centre of something of this scale. That’s an education you can’t manufacture. So when the opportunity comes for me to carry one, I’m ready. And I say ‘when‘ quite deliberately. Not from arrogance. From preparation. I’ve always been heading there.

You’ve said that once filming finishes, you deliberately step away from the Trigger Point world to keep yourself grounded. What do you do in those times away?
I become Eric again. Family. Friends. Church. Football. Arsenal. Although Arsenal can occasionally disturb the peace I’m trying to find. My faith probably sits at the centre of it. This industry can make everything feel enormously important. Who’s casting what, who’s on what list, who’s invited where, who’s trending, what numbers something did. Then you step outside of it and realise: life is much bigger than television. That’s important for me. I also have people around me who genuinely couldn’t care less about any of this. They’ll celebrate me, of course, but nobody’s calling me Danny at home. And creatively, I’m interested in much more than the next acting job. I’m constantly thinking about stories, ideas, business, culture, things I could build. I love fashion. I love football. I love travelling. I love being around my community. Acting is a huge part of my life. It isn’t my entire identity. I think that’s important for longevity too. I’m interested in building a body of work, a name and eventually things that can exist beyond me being in front of a camera. The acting is the foundation. There’s more being built on it.

What haven’t we seen from Eric Shango yet? Is there a role, genre or side of yourself as an actor that you’re waiting for someone to give you the chance to show?
Most of me. And I don’t mean that disrespectfully to Danny because I love him. Trigger Point has been an extraordinary chapter. Butthere’s an intensity in me that I don’t think audiences have properly seen yet. I’d love to play somebody psychologically complicated, charming, intelligent, potentially dangerous. Somebody where the audience keeps changing its mind about him. I want romance. I want comedy. I want action. I’d love to do something that allows me to use French or Lingala and explore my Congolese heritage. And I absolutely want to lead. Actually, more than that. I want to build a body of work where leading becomes part of what people naturally associate with my name. Not for status. I love the responsibility of storytelling. I like pressure. I like having something on my shoulders and saying, “Right, let’s make this brilliant.”

Beyond acting, I’m increasingly interested in building worlds. Developing ideas. Creating stories. Producing. Building relationships across entertainment, culture, fashion, sport all the things that naturally interest me anyway. Getting to a point where I’m not only waiting for somebody to imagine Eric Shango in something; I’m sitting at the table helping imagine what the something is. I’m fortunate to have a brilliant team around me who understand that vision. Good management isn’t just about finding your next job. It’s about understanding the career that’s being built around the jobs. I’ve always believed that whatever platform I’m given, I’m supposed to leave it bigger than I found it and create space for other people as I go. So what haven’t you seen yet? A lot.
The world has met Danny. It’s still getting to know Eric Shango.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

If not this, then what? Probably a musician or a footballer. If all else failed, I’d happily take (David) Frimpong’s job at Arsenal. Although, knowing me, I probably would’ve ended up a lawyer. I enjoy an argument a little too much.

What’s made you sad, mad & glad this week? Sad: When great things are happening, there’s always something somewhere that isn’t. The biblical parable of the wheat and the weeds has been on my mind. Learning to accept that both can grow at the same time. Mad: parking tickets. Don’t get me started. Glad: this week, genuinely. Trigger Point is back; the love around it has been amazing, and I’m getting to enjoy a moment that’s taken years to build. God is good.

What are you watching? Mourinho, the documentary. I’m fascinated by people who are completely convinced of who they are. Mourinho definitely qualifies.

What are you reading? The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I’m fascinated by how someone’s thinking, identity and purpose can evolve over a lifetime.

The last film you watched? The Odyssey and Rise of the Footsoldier. Quite the double bill. Make of that what you will.

The last play you saw? The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. I actually played the brother-in-law during the R&D stage, so getting to sit in the audience and see what it eventually became was a proper full-circle moment.

The last live music event? Lauryn Hill in Milton Keynes. Lauryn Hill live is Lauryn Hill live. You just go.

What’s currently on your playlist? Baby Keem, Lost Souls. That’s the soundtrack right now.

Which podcast are you listening to? I haven’t really been on podcasts lately. I’ve somehow ended up down the American streamer rabbit hole instead. Pure chaos. Highly entertaining.

What’s on your bucket list? Watching Arsenal win the Champions League. I’ve watched us win the Premier League live. I’ve even been at a Champions League final we just didn’t get over the line. So I need that one. Preferably while I’m still young enough to celebrate irresponsibly.

Where’s your happy place? A football pitch. Give me a ball, some space and people who can actually play. I’m good.

Celebrate someone else… who do you rate right now? Niyi Akin. His story is immense. I really rate people who build, adapt and keep moving when the obvious route isn’t there. What he’s doing deserves respect.

Celebrate yourself… Five years ago, I quit acting. 72 hours later, the audition for Trigger Point landed. Five years, four seasons and a journey I couldn’t have written myself later… we’re still here. Sometimes what looks like the end is actually the beginning. God is great. The rest is history. Although I think we’re still writing it.

What’s next? First, the NTAs. Trigger Point is nominated once again for Returning Drama, so make sure you lot vote. I’m not above campaigning. Then some travelling, some proper rest… and then we go again. I’m open to great scripts, new characters, film, television, theatre anything that genuinely excites me. Trigger Point has been an incredible chapter. I’m very interested to see what gets written next.

Where can we find you? @ericshango everywhere. Nice and easy.

Where can we watch you at work? ITVX. Trigger Point Series 4. I’ll see you there.