- Born
- Died
- Birth nameLeslie Michael Grantham
- Nickname
- Dirty Den
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- Best remembered as Dirty Den in Eastenders. While serving in the army in Germany, he murdered a taxi driver and was sentenced to life, serving ten years in Wormwood Scrubs. While there, a touring company put on a show which transformed him. He joined the prison theatre group and was in every play they put on while he was there. On release, he took up acting and married actress Jane Laurie.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5
- SpouseJane Laurie(1981 - 2013) (divorced, 3 children)
- Children
- Like his character Colonel Mustard in the fourth season of Cluedo (1990), Grantham was a convicted murderer. While he was in the army, he shot West German taxi driver Felix Reese in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony on December 3, 1966, in the back of the head while attempting to rob him. He was convicted of murder in 1967 and sentenced to life imprisonment but only served ten years. While at Leyhill Prison in Gloucestershire, he met Louise Jameson who was working as a prison visitor in her spare time. She persuaded him to become an actor.
- Trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, whose alumni include Terence Stamp, Julia Ormond, Rupert Friend, Angela Lansbury, Matthew Goode, Daniel Hunt, Sue Johnston, Hugh Bonneville and Julian Fellowes.
- He loved football and was a West Ham United supporter. He also played cricket for a charity team called "The Bunburys".
- In May 2003, he signed a six-month deal to reprise his role as legendary character "Dirty Den", apparently killed and buried in 1989. He signed up to re-appear on screen in September 2003. He returned to BBC's Eastenders BBC1 8:00pm Monday 29th September 2003.
- He was ranked #12 in The 100 Greatest EastEnders (1985) Characters of All Time for his performance as Den Watts (2015).
- [Referring to Christopher Eccleston] I don't like the new Doctor Who (2005). I think it's the fact he had a northern accent.
- I think you could say Matthew Robinson and Doctor Who (1963) had a great influence on my career.
- EastEnders (1985) - £270,000 (2003 return)
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