Larry Dann (born 15 May 1941 in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England) is a British

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. His acting career began by a fluke, with "a chance knock at the door looking for kids to work in films." He made his film debut age five in '' Adam and Evelyn'' (1946) with Jean Simmons and Stewart Granger, and worked as an extra before training at the

Corona Stage Academy Corona Theatre School (formerly Corona Academy) was founded in 1950 as a performing arts academy, operating in the region of west London. After the retirement of its owner, Rona Knight, it reopened as Ravenscourt Theatre School in 1989. Histor ...

. As a youngster he had a cameo playing a schoolboy in ''

Carry On Teacher ''Carry On Teacher'' is a 1959 British comedy film, the third in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was released at the Plaza Cinema in London on 3 September 1959. It features Ted Ray in his only ''Carry On'' role, alongsid ...

'' (1959), and appeared in two films with Sir

Norman Wisdom Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, musician and singer best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring a hapless onscreen character often called Norman ...

, ''

Trouble in Store ''Trouble in Store'' is a 1953 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom as a department store clerk in his cinema debut. The film also featured Moira Lister, Margaret Rutherford, Jerry Desmonde and Lana ...

'' (1953) and ''

The Bulldog Breed ''The Bulldog Breed'' is a 1960 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom and directed by Robert Asher. Plot Norman Puckle (Norman Wisdom), a well-meaning but clumsy grocer's assistant, cannot seem to do anything right. After being rejected b ...

'' (1960). He later rejoined the famous Carry On series of films for ''

Carry On Behind ''Carry On Behind'' is a 1975 British comedy film, the 27th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the first entry in the series not to be scripted by Talbot Rothwell since '' Carry On Cruising'' 13 years previou ...

'' (1975), ''

Carry On England ''Carry On England'' is a 1976 British comedy film, the 28th release in the series of the original 30 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1978). It was released in October 1976 and featured ''Carry On'' regulars Kenneth Connor, Jack Douglas, Joan Sim ...

'' (1976) and ''

Carry On Emmannuelle ''Carry On Emmannuelle'' is a 1978 British comedy film, the 30th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film was to be the final ''Carry On'' for many regulars, including Kenneth Williams (in his 26th ''Carry On'') ...

'' (1978). His other film roles included ''

What a Crazy World ''What a Crazy World'' is a 1963 film directed by Michael Carreras from a script by Carreras and Alan Klein, from the latter's stage play. It is a pop musical featuring a number of late 1950s and early 1960s musical performers, including an ...

'' (1963), ''

All Neat in Black Stockings ''All Neat in Black Stockings'' is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Christopher Morahan and starring Victor Henry, Susan George and Jack Shepherd.British Film Institute Film & TV DatabaseAll Neat in Black Stockings./ref> Based on a novel ...

'' (1968), ''

The Body Stealers ''The Body Stealers'', also known as ''Thin Air'', is a 1969 British science fiction film directed by Gerry Levy, about the disappearance of British armed forces paratroopers in mid-air whilst on a routine jump. Two investigators try to figure o ...

'' (1969), ''

Before Winter Comes ''Before Winter Comes'' is a 1969 British comedy-drama war film directed by J. Lee Thompson from a screenplay by Andrew Sinclair. Plot ''Before Winter Comes'' takes place in the immediate aftermath of World War II. British Major Giles Burnside ...

'', (1969), ''

Ghost Story A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature'' ...

'' (1974) and '' The Bunker'' (1981). From 1984 to 1992, he played Sergeant Alec Peters in 227 episodes of the ITV police series ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

''. In 2020, Dann shared his memories of his early work on ''The Bill'' for the book
Witness Statements: Making The Bill (Series 1-3)
'. A follow-up volume,
Witness Statements: Making The Bill (1988)
' was published in 2022, also featuring memories from Dann about his time as Sgt. Peters during the earliest half-hour episodes of the programme. Dann joined the Theatre Workshop in 1962 and appeared in numerous plays directed by

Joan Littlewood Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 – 20 September 2002) was an English theatre director who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is best known for her work in developing the Theatre Workshop. She has been called "The Mother of M ...

including ''

Oh, What a Lovely War! ''Oh, What a Lovely War!'' is an epic musical developed by Joan Littlewood and her ensemble at the Theatre Workshop in 1963. It is a satire on World War I, and by extension on war in general. The title is derived from the "somewhat satirical" ...

'' in London, Paris and New York.

References

External links

*
Larry Dann biography

The Bill Podcast Larry Dann Interview
1941 births Living people English male television actors {{england-tv-actor-stub