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Laurie Bates
Laurie Bates is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Gary Powell. Laurie was introduced by producer Mike Gibbon in September 1989 as a rival to the long-established character Pete Beale ( Peter Dean) – he opens up a business in direct competition to him and then dates his estranged wife Kathy (Gillian Taylforth). Laurie Bates was one of many characters to be axed early in 1990, following the introduction of the serial’s new executive-producer, Michael Ferguson. He makes his last appearance in March 1990, lasting roughly six months on-screen. Storylines Laurie arrives in September 1989, taking over a vacant stall on Turpin Road market, where Cindy Beale’s (Michelle Collins) mother had formerly sold hats. Laurie sells fruit and veg by trade, opening up in direct competition to the resident fruit and veg trader, Pete Beale ( Peter Dean). A trade war escalates as Laurie tries to pilfer all Pete’s customers by undercutting his prices. Mean ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Powell (actor)
Gary Powell (born 10 September 1963) is a British actor. He is possibly best known for playing the character Laurie Bates in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career Laurie made his first screen appearance in September 1989 as a love interest for Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), but the character was one of many to be written out of the serial early in 1990, following the introduction of executive producer, Michael Ferguson. Powell's other television work has included roles in: '' Between The Lines'' (1992); ''Inspector Morse'' (1987; 1995); ''Thief Takers'' (1996); ''Kavanagh QC'' (1997); ''Beech is Back'' (2001); ''A Touch Of Frost'' (2003); ''Judge John Deed'' (2005); ''Holby City'' (2005); '' The Golden Hour'' (2005); ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'' (2005); '' Five Days'' (2006) and ''Doctor Who'' episode " 42", playing Dev Ashton (2007). He made several other appearances in ''The Bill'' in 2005, 2006 and made a larger appearance as Darren Cuttler in ''The Bill''s series Gun R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in Walthamstow, and grew up in east London. He was educated at two independent schools: Forest School, on the edge of Epping Forest, in Walthamstow in north east London, where he shared classes with comedy writer Sharat Sardana and cricket captain Nasser Hussain; and the Sylvia Young Theatre School. He also attended Llanidloes High School, Llanidloes, Wales. Career Aged 13, Woodyatt appeared on stage at the National Theatre in Tom Stoppard's play '' On the Razzle''. Following the completion of his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Woodyatt appeared in the BBC's children's drama series ''The Baker Street Boys'' (1983). He then put his acting career on hiatus and worked as a butcher in Wales for a brief period, before joining the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matilda Ziegler
Matilda Ziegler (born 23 July 1964) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Donna Ludlow in ''EastEnders'', Irma Gobb in ''Mr. Bean'', and Pearl Pratt in ''Lark Rise to Candleford''. Television and film career Ziegler's first screen role was in her early twenties, during 1987–89; she appeared in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', playing Donna Ludlow, the illegitimate daughter of series regular Kathy Beale. Donna contended with prostitution, an attempted gang rape, heroin addiction and finally suicide (dying of a heroin overdose). The final death scenes of Ziegler's character, who had choked to death on her own vomit, have been hailed as one of the most powerful anti-drug images ever screened on the programme. She left ''EastEnders'' in April 1989. In the early 1990s, Ziegler starred in the ITV (TV network), ITV comedy, ''Mr. Bean'', where she played multiple characters, especially a three-episode stint as Irma Gobb, the title character's long-suffering girlfrien ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Donna Ludlow
Donna Ludlow is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Matilda Ziegler. She appears between episodes 265 and 437 of ''EastEnders'', originally appearing on screen from 27 August 1987 to 13 April 1989. Donna was scripted as a troubled individual, desperate for attention, but shunned by almost all who encountered her. In her storyline, after finding out she was conceived from rape and then rejected by her mother, Donna sets herself on a path of self-destruction. She turns to manipulation, blackmail and prostitution to fund her drug-habit, before choking to death on her own vomit in 1989. Storylines Donna's godmother, June Watkins (Madaline Blakeney), visits Donna's mother, Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), who gave Donna up for adoption because she was raped at the age of 14 by a man called Marcus Duffy. Donna hopes to meet Kathy and June tells Kathy this and about her life. Kathy refuses but will not say why. Undeterred, Donna moves to Walford to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nejdet Salih
Nej Adamson (born 23 December 1958), also credited as Nejdet Salih, is a British actor. Career Born in London, Adamson is of Turkish Cypriot descent. He played Ali Osman in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', a role he played from the series' inception in 1985 until 1989. During his time on the show his character battled with the loss of a child, gambling addiction, the breakdown of his marriage to Sue (Sandy Ratcliff) and her subsequent mental health problems. During ''EastEnders'' he was credited as Nejdet Salih, but after his departure in 1989, he changed his name to Nej Adamson. Other television credits include ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'', ''Doctor Who'', ''Wall of Silence'' and in 2004 he appeared in the comedy sketch show ''Bo' Selecta!'', where he played his ''EastEnders'' alias, Ali Osman, in a spoof sketch. He also featured in the 1992 film ''Carry On Columbus'' and in 2003 he played a short sailor in the Disney film '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandy Ratcliff
Alexandra Ratcliff (2 October 1948 – 7 April 2019) was an English actress, model and counsellor. She made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she became known for being one of the original cast members of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in the 1980s. She portrayed the role of Sue Osman but left the role in 1989. In 2010, she revealed that she had retired from acting to train as a counsellor. Early life Ratcliff, the daughter of an insurance salesman, had a turbulent youth. After being expelled from school at age 12, within two years she was heavily smoking cannabis, and she later went on to serve time in prison for selling it. She had numerous jobs before she took up acting, including waitressing, disc-jockeying and performing as a guitarist in the rock groups Tropical Appetite and Escalator. Career Ratcliff's career changed direction at 23, when she made a big impression as a model and was cast as "The face of the '70s" by royal photographer Lord Sno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ali Osman
Ali Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nejdet Salih. He was a member of the original ''EastEnders'' cast, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985. He remained with the show for nearly five years afterwards, making his last appearance on 10 October 1989. Ali was scripted as happy-go-lucky, which was in stark contrast to his highly strung wife, Sue (Sandy Ratcliff). Central to his storylines were his penchant for gambling, his tempestuous marriage, and the loss of his son to cot death, which was one of the first controversial storylines covered by the soap. He was created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland, the creators of ''EastEnders''. Storylines Ali, a Turkish Cypriot, runs Bridge Street Café in Walford with his wife, Sue Osman (Sandy Ratcliff), and also drives a taxicab. He is a gambler and frequently holds poker games in the café after closing time and wages bets at the bookies, which is a huge source of concern for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sue Osman
Sue Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sandy Ratcliff. She is one of the serial's original characters, appearing in its first episode on 19 February 1985 and departing on-screen in May 1989. Created by Tony Holland and Julia Smith, Sue is portrayed as argumentative, insecure and tragic. A pivotal storyline in the character's narrative is the cot-death of her son, which was one of the show's first controversial plots. During her four years on-screen, the character contends with a phantom pregnancy, marital breakdown and finally insanity. Ratcliff left the role in 1989. Storylines Backstory Sue's parents had her late in life; they were not demonstrative towards each other or to her. In 1982, Sue married Ali Osman (Nejdet Salih), a Turkish Cypriot, and gave birth to their first baby Hassan in May 1984. Together they lease and run the Bridge street cafè in Walford and are the first known owners of the premises. 1985–1989 Sue is show ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson (born 29 April 1949) is an English stage, film and television actress, and singer. She is best known for her role from 1985 to 1988 as Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 1986, she reached number four in the UK Singles Chart with "Anyone Can Fall in Love", a song based on the theme music of ''EastEnders''. She is married to Queen (band), Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May. Dobson's other television roles include the 1989 ITV Network, ITV sitcom ''Split Ends (British TV series), Split Ends''. In 2003, she was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress, Olivier Award for Best Actress for the Royal National Theatre, National Theatre production of ''Frozen (play), Frozen''. She has also starred in the West End (theatre), West End as Mama Morton in the musical ''Chicago (musical), Chicago'' (2003) and Gertrude (Hamlet), Gertrude in ''Hamlet'' (2005), and made her Royal Shakespeare Company, RSC debut in the 2012 revival of ''The Me ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angie Watts
Angie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Anita Dobson from the first episode of the series until 1988, when Dobson decided to leave, and the character was written out. Angie is well known for her cheeky banter, her perm and turning to alcohol during her stormy marriage to cheating Den Watts ( Leslie Grantham), which ended when he handed her divorce papers on Christmas Day 1986, in an episode watched by a record-breaking 30.1 million viewers. Despite being the loud and feisty lady of Walford, and having a close relationship with her beloved adoptive daughter Sharon (Letitia Dean), she doesn't have much real happiness during her time in Albert Square. Alcoholism claimed her life in April 2002 when she died of cirrhosis of the liver, 14 years after her last appearance. Storylines Alcoholic Angie shares a stormy marriage with her womanising husband, Den Watts ( Leslie Grantham), and refuses to let him go even during their rockiest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor, best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West German taxi driver, and had significant press coverage resulting from an online sex scandal in 2004. Early and personal life Grantham was born in Camberwell, London, the son of Adelaide (''née'' Flinders) and Walter William Grantham (1915–1998). He enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers regiment of the British Army in 1965, at the age of 18. Grantham married Australian Jane Laurie in 1981. The couple had three sons and divorced in 2013. His son Daniel Laurie is also an actor, and plays Reggie Jackson in ''Call the Midwife.'' Murder conviction Having joined the Army (The Royal Fusiliers), Grantham was soon posted to West Germany, where he quickly found himself in debt to army colleagues. He resorted to criminal activities in his attempt to clea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Den Watts
Dennis "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". Den was the original landlord of The Queen Victoria public house from Albert Square – in the local community of Walford, a fictional borough in East London – who first appeared back when the show debuted on 19 February 1985. From then onwards, the character had a turbulent marriage with his alcoholic first wife Angie (Anita Dobson). In 1986, Den discovered that Angie lied to him about having six months to live and got revenge by giving her divorce papers on Christmas Day 1986 - which was watched by over 30 million viewers. While his marriage with Angie was finished beyond repair, Den continued his close relationship with their adopted daughter Sharon (Letitia Dean) – whom he grew fondly devoted towards throughout his time on the programme. Den soon became involved in storylines that mostly contr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |