Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Spouse(s) | Penny Dixon (1967–76) Patricia Maynard (1977–87) Rula Lenska (1987–98) |
Dennis Waterman (born 24 February 1948) is an English actor and singer, best known for his tough-guy roles in television series such as The Sweeney and Minder. In the latter, he played the title role, that of ex-prisoner and dogsbody Terry McCann, alongside George Cole as his "boss", entrepreneur Arthur Daley.
Early life
Waterman was born on 24 February 1948 in Clapham, London, and his career began in childhood. In 1961, at the age of 13, he played the part of Winthrop Paroo in the Adelphi Theatre production of The Music Man. A year later, he starred as William Brown in the BBC TV series William based on the Just William books of Richmal Crompton.
Career
1960s
Was a series regular in the 1962 CBS comedy Fair Exchange, playing teenage son Neville Finch. Had a major role in the film Up The Junction (1968)
1970s
In the early 1970s, he played a victim of Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) in the Hammer film production Scars of Dracula (1970), and the boyfriend of Susan George in "Fright" (1971). He started to build a name for himself with regular appearances on the BBC's Play for Today series, most notably in the Dennis Potter dramas Follow the Yellow Brick Road (1972) and Joe's Ark (1974). Both were directed by Alan Bridges.
He became well-known and something of a pin-up as DS George Carter in The Sweeney, during the 1970s. As well as starring in Minder, he sang the theme tune, "I Could Be So Good For You", which was a top three UK hit in 1980, and had a brief singing career. He recorded a song with George Cole "What are we gonna get for 'er indoors". It is sometimes incorrectly believed that he wrote "I Could Be So Good For You", due to the song being credited to 'Waterman/Kenny'. In fact, it was his then wife Patricia Waterman who co-wrote the song with fellow songwriter Gerard Kenny.
In 1976 Waterman released his first album titled Downwind of Angels, arranged and produced by Brian Bennett. A single I Will Glide was released from the album but did not enter the top 40. The backing singers on I Will Glide are the Belmont School choir, where Brian Bennett's son, Warren, was a pupil.
1980s
In 1981, Waterman starred in a Television film made by Tyne Tees Television entitled "A Captain's Tale". It was the true story of West Auckland F.C., a part-time side who won the 'first' World Cup, known as the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy. Waterman played the part of Bob Jones , the Club Captain. It cost £1.5 million to make and shooting took place in the North East and in Turin in Italy. Scenes were shot in Durham pit villages and in Ashington where goal posts and a grandstand were erected in a public park with a colliery headframe in the background. Local players took part , donning long pants and high sided boots of the day, and even suffering "short back and sides" haircuts. The production has several comedy sequences, including a meeting of the club committee and a meeting of the Football Association Council when the suggestion of an English team participating in the new competition received a luke-warm and cynical response from the members. Also on the agenda is the F.A. Cup draw which is done in the conventional manner and immediately dispatched direct from the council chamber to the clubs – "by carrier pigeons", let out of the windows
1990s onwards
Waterman also sang the theme tunes to three more programmes in which he appeared: the comedy drama Stay Lucky with Jan Francis (ITV 1989), sitcom On the Up (BBC 1990) and crime drama New Tricks (Wall to Wall television for BBC, 2003).
He appeared on stage as Alfred P. Doolittle in the 2001 London revival of My Fair Lady and narrated the reality-format television programme, Bad Lads Army.
His most recent appearance was in the 2009 BBC2 miniseries Moses Jones.
Personal life
He was married to Penny Dixon (1967–1976); actress Patricia Maynard (1977–1987), and thereafter to the actress Rula Lenska (1987–1998). He had two daughters by his second wife, including the actress Hannah Waterman, who played Laura Beale in the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders from 2000 until 2004. Hannah also has appeared in New Tricks. She appears thinking the Dennis Waterman character is her father which he turns out not to be in a secret paternity test he arranges, but tells her she is. She finds out the truth, but he does take on a father figure role.
He has been caricatured by David Walliams in the radio and TV comedy series Little Britain, in sketches where he visits his agent (played by Matt Lucas) looking for parts. Most of the jokes in these sketches are about Waterman being a midget, but the real Dennis Waterman is in fact five foot nine. The caricature is offered but always declines respectable parts because he is not allowed to star in, or "write the theme tune, sing the theme tune" (pronounced as "write da feem toon, sing da feem toon") of, the particular production. This joke is because Waterman sang and is believed to have written many of the themes for programmes he featured in.
Waterman was initially bemused by the caricature. But in November 2006, Waterman made a guest appearance in a Little Britain stage show, alongside the comedy character version of himself.[1]
Waterman is a fan of Chelsea Football Club.[2] His love of football was reflected in him being chosen to present Match of the Seventies from 1995 to 1996, a nostalgic BBC show celebrating the best football action from the 1970s. However in Minder his character Terry is known to be a fan of Chelsea's local rivals Fulham.
Waterman has extensive family in the U.S., in California, Arizona, and Virginia. He has three sisters living in the U.S. Myrna, Norma, and Stella. He has nephews and nieces in the east and west coast. One of Waterman's nieces, [Leah Randi], is a well known bass player and she is the daughter of Don Randi, LA session keyboardist who worked on many of '60s and '70s records along with Carol Kaye, Hal Blaine, Leon Russell, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra and the other "Wrecking Crew" musicians. Don is married to Waterman's sister, Myrna. Don is probably more well known in recent years for his club, The Baked Potato, which has been the musician's hangout in LA for 30+ years.