About

Known credits:
29
Birthday:
1947-08-30
Place of birth:
Camberwell, London, England, UK
Website:
N/A

Leslie Grantham

Overview

British actor Leslie Grantham shot to fame in 1985 as Den Watts, the original landlord of the Queen Vic, in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The character quickly became a national favourite and gained the nickname Dirty Den mostly because of the way he treated his wife Angie, played by Anita Dobson, and the several affairs and nefarious activities he conducted. At Grantham's request the character was killed off in 1988, gunned down by the gangsters he had betrayed. He returned to the soap in 2003 where it was revealed Den faked his own death to live in exile in Spain. It was widely speculated that Grantham was lured back with a £500,000-a-year contract and some 17 million viewers watched his return - an impressive figure, but not as impressive as the 30 million who tuned in to watch Den divorce Angie on Christmas Day, 1986. Two years later, in 2005, Den Watts was killed off once and for all in an episode that drew in 16.2 million viewers. The reason for Grantham's exit this time was an online sex scandal, revealed by a Sunday newspaper a year earlier. This was not the first time Grantham had courted controversy of course. Not long after finding fame in the soap Grantham's past became front page news; on 3 December 1966, when was serving as a young British soldier in West Germany, he attempted to rob a taxi driver, Felix Reese, in Osnabrück A struggle between Grantham and the driver followed, and Reese died from a gunshot wound to the head.In his statement to the police following his arrest, Grantham said that he did not know the gun was loaded and it had gone off during the struggle, which would have resulted in a conviction for manslaughter if a jury believed this version of events. However, at his trial in 1967 he was subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Although he had committed the murder in West Germany, he served the entirety of his imprisonment in various British prisons. This was because soldiers and officers convicted of any criminal offence that warrants a sentence of over two years are automatically transferred to Her Majesty's Prison Service, since they are also automatically dishonourably discharged. Grantham was released in 1977, having served 10 years. Whilst in prison, Grantham discovered acting and was encouraged by Labour politician T. Dan Smith and Doctor Who actress Louise Jameson to take up acting upon his release. Away from EastEnders, Grantham enjoyed a high profile career throughout much of the 1990s with the starring role of gangster Danny Kane in the BBC drama The Paradise Club, and maverick undercover cop Mick Raynor in 99-1. Other credits include the sci fi series The Uninvited (which he also produced), Fort Boyard, The Bill and The Stretch, which reunited him with Anita Dobson. He has also appeared in the films The Wedding Tackle, Charlie and Mob Handed, and starred in the titular role of The English Neighbour on Bulgarian TV in 2011. He died on the 15th June, 2018 in hospital following a short illness.

Known for

Acting

2020 Vengeance Actor Ronnie 58
Average
2020 Search and Destroy Actor Anderson 57
Average
2018 The Krays: Dead Man Walking Actor Nipper Read 58
Average
2018 Jack Southeast Actor The Boss N/A
N/A
2016 Mob Handed Actor The Detective 59
Average
2013 The Factory Actor Gene N/A
N/A
2013 Leslie Actor Leslie N/A
N/A
2012 DeadTime Actor 58
Average
2011 The English Neighbour Actor 70
Good
2004 Charlie Actor Richard Waldeck 58
Average
2000 The Stretch Actor Terry Greene N/A
N/A
2000 The Wedding Tackle Actor George N/A
N/A
1998 Faith Actor Manager N/A
N/A
1998 Shadow Run Actor Liney 58
Average
1997 The Uninvited Actor N/A
N/A
1996 Hooligan '96 Actor Narrator (voice) N/A
N/A
1995 It's Not Unusual Actor Cabbie 59
Average
1994 99-1 Actor Mick Raynor N/A
N/A
1990 Cluedo Actor Colonel Mustard 69
Fair
1989 The Nightwatch Actor David Smallman 59
Average
1989 The Paradise Club Actor Danny Kane 68
Fair
1989 My Brother David Actor Den Watts (EastEnders - Archive footage) (Uncredited) N/A
N/A
1985 Morons from Outer Space Actor Motorway Policeman 58
Average
1985 Knockback: 2 Actor Peter N/A
N/A
1985 Knockback: 1 Actor Peter 59
Average
1984 Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks Actor Kiston 59
Average
1982 Jake's End Actor Bookie N/A
N/A

Production

1997 The Uninvited Production Producer N/A
N/A

Crew

2013 Leslie Crew Additional Writing N/A
N/A