Derek Martin
Acting
- Born:
- 1933-04-11
- Died:
- 2026-01-10
- Place of birth:
- Bow, London, England, UK
Biography
Derek Martin was one of the most authentic working class voices in British film and television since the 1970s. Born Derek William Rapp in 1933, Martin was in the RAF for his National Service and took up a series of jobs including road worker, Smithfield Meat Market porter, and professional gambler, before entering showbusiness as an extra and stunt performer in a variety of programmes including Doctor Who. He retired from stunt work following an injury on Elizabeth I in 1971 and moved into acting. His most famous break out role was as the corrupt detective Fred Pyle in GF Newman's controversial 1978 drama Law & Order. In the following decade Martin had major roles in TV dramas such as The Chinese Detective and King & Castle, and played James Cagney's aide in milos Forman's epic 1981 film Ragtime. In 2000, Martin joined the cast of EastEnders as Charlie, the patriarch of the Slater family, a role he continued to play on and off for sixteen years.
Known For
Filmography
Harry Hill's Tea Time
Celebrity Coach Trip
EastEnders: Pat and Mo
Celebrity Mastermind
Little Britain
Boston Kickout
The Governor
Ready, Steady, Cook
The Detectives
GMTV
The Cutter
Eldorado
Fiddlers Three
King and Castle
EastEnders
Dempsey and Makepeace
The Bill
Big Deal
The Hope and the Glory
The Aerodrome
Storyboard
Spaghetti House
Jake's End
Ragtime
Priest of Love
Six Fifty-Five Special
Private Schulz
The Chinese Detective
Rifleman
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
The Enigma Files
The Gentle Touch
Dark Water
Minder
Terry and June
Shoestring
Hart to Hart
Print-Out
Another Day
Adventures of a Plumber's Mate
Law & Order
The Professionals
Candleshoe
Doctor Who: Image of the Fendahl
Target
Bet Your Life
The Duchess of Duke Street
Diversions
Angels
Survivors
You're On Your Own
Eskimo Nell
The Sweeney
Keep It Up, Jack!
The Zoo Gang
Playhouse
The Roses of Eyam
The Sex Thief
New Scotland Yard
Upstairs, Downstairs
Elizabeth R
Play for Today
Doctor Who: Inferno
Paul Temple
The Big Switch
Softly, Softly
The Counterfeit Man
Londoners
The Evil of Frankenstein
Theatre 625
Doctor Who
Z-Cars
Maigret
No Hiding Place
Dixon of Dock Green