Dan Hunter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Andy McNair. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 19 April 2001. McNair attended an audition for the role and was called back for a second audition, after which he was informed he had won the role. Dan is characterised as "moody and non-conformist" and has an anger problem. McNair believed Dan is defined by his miserable personality. He never became bored of playing the character's misery and admired his characterisation. He is initially portrayed as a loner who is disinterested in romance due to the pressure of working at his family garage business. Writers portrayed the illness diabetes via Dan and he takes insulin to control his condition. McNair found the story challenging to portray and thoroughly researched the condition to add authenticity to the character.