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Derek Martin

Derek Martin (born 11 April 1933) is an English retired actor and former stuntman, best known for his long-running portrayal of the affable cab driver Charlie Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Martin began his career in the entertainment industry as a stunt performer, working on various British television productions before an injury prompted his transition to acting in the early 1970s. His breakthrough came with the role of the corrupt Detective Inspector Fred Pyall in the 1978 BBC police drama Law & Order, where he delivered a critically acclaimed performance as a treacherous officer involved in a major corruption storyline. Over the decades, he appeared in a wide range of UK television shows, including guest roles in Doctor Who and the short-lived soap Eldorado, where he played the gangster Alex Morris. Martin's most prominent role arrived in 2000 when he joined as Charlie Slater, the patriarch of the Slater family, a position he held until 2011, with brief returns in 2013 and 2016. During his tenure, Charlie was central to numerous dramatic arcs, including family scandals, a baby swap revelation, and a stint for assaulting a rapist, endearing the character to audiences as a working-class . Now in his early 90s and retired from acting, Martin has reflected on his career's highlights, including his involvement in charity work as King Rat for The Grand Order of Water Rats, while openly discussing personal challenges such as his son David's battle with depression.

Early years

Childhood and family background

Derek Martin was born Derek William Rapp on 11 April 1933 in Bow, , . He grew up in a tight-knit, working-class family in the East End during the challenging economic aftermath of the and the onset of . The family endured significant hardships, including , when their home was bombed, leading Martin and his mother to be evacuated to for safety. Martin's early years were shaped by the resilient community spirit of post-war East End London, where local cinemas provided an escape and cultural influence. His mother, a enthusiast, frequently took him to see movies, fostering his admiration for like and instilling a tough, adaptable personality amid the era's adversities.

Pre-acting occupations and

Before entering the entertainment industry, Derek Martin held a variety of manual and adventurous occupations that reflected the working-class demands of post-war . After leaving school, he worked as a road digger and in factories, performing physically demanding labor that honed his endurance. He also engaged in motor racing, which exposed him to high-speed risks and mechanical skills, and worked as a professional gambler, navigating uncertain and competitive environments. Additionally, served as a debt collector, a role often involving confrontations that required assertiveness and resilience. One of Martin's key early experiences was his mandatory in the Royal (RAF), which he completed as part of the post-World War II era for British men. Born in 1933, he likely served in the early for the standard duration of approximately two years, though specific dates are not detailed in available accounts. During this period, he underwent basic training and fulfilled duties typical of RAF conscripts, contributing to the service's operational needs amid the buildup. No particular roles or standout incidents from his service are recorded in public sources. These pre-1962 pursuits, culminating in his employment at until 1962—where he handled heavy loads and fast-paced work—instilled a rugged physicality and essential for demanding physical endeavors. The combination of laborious manual roles, high-adrenaline activities like and , and authoritative positions such as debt collecting built his capacity for handling stress and bodily strain, qualities that proved foundational for his subsequent professional path.

Professional career

Stunt work beginnings

Derek Martin entered the entertainment industry as a stunt performer in 1962, shortly after leaving his position at Smithfield Meat Market and securing initial walk-on roles. His debut came through uncredited extra work on the BBC police drama Z-Cars, where he earned three guineas per day for three days of filming, providing his first credited television appearance and gateway into professional stunts. Leveraging physical conditioning from his Royal Air Force National Service and prior pursuits like motor racing, Martin adapted quickly to the high-risk demands of stunt coordination, which emphasized agility, endurance, and precision under hazardous conditions. Martin's early stunt contributions centered on British television, with prominent work in Doctor Who serials that showcased the era's rudimentary but physically intense action sequences. In The Romans (1965), he performed as part of the rabble during the "Inferno" segment, executing crowd-based fights and simulated violence amid Roman-era sets. He followed with stunt duties as a Redcoat soldier in The Highlanders (1966), involving choreographed combat and falls in historical battle recreations, and as a UNIT soldier in The Web of Fear (1968), where he handled underground fight scenes and Yeti confrontations requiring controlled tumbles and hand-to-hand maneuvers. These roles highlighted his versatility in blending athleticism with narrative action, often without dialogue or close-up focus. By the early 1970s, Martin had joined the professional stunt team HAVOC, elevating his involvement in Doctor Who to more elaborate productions like The Ambassadors of Death (1970) and Inferno (1970), where he contributed to ensemble stunts including vehicle chases, explosive falls, and multi-performer brawls as part of UNIT forces. The stunt profession in the 1960s and 1970s posed significant challenges, including inadequate safety equipment, repetitive strain from impacts, and the ever-present threat of severe injury in an industry prioritizing spectacle over protection. Martin endured these rigors, though a horse-riding fall during Elizabeth R (1971) resulted in a broken collarbone, underscoring the physical toll; he returned to work after three weeks but later cited chronic knee damage from accumulated falls and punches as a lasting consequence.

Transition to acting and television roles

Martin's transition from stunt work to acting began in the late 1970s, leveraging his physical background to secure speaking roles that often required authenticity in portraying tough, working-class characters. His first significant acting role came in 1978, where he portrayed Detective Inspector Fred Pyall in the BBC miniseries Law & Order, a gritty drama exploring police corruption and the judicial system. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Martin established himself in British television with several prominent series roles. He starred as the ex-policeman turned debt collector Ronald King in the comedy-drama King and Castle from 1985 to 1988, co-written by and featuring alongside as a rag-and-bone man partner. In the early 1990s, he took on the role of Alex Morris, a criminal gang boss, in the short-lived soap opera Eldorado (1992–1993), which was set in and aimed to rival established soaps but ended after one series. Martin's most enduring television success arrived with his portrayal of Charlie Slater in the BBC soap EastEnders, debuting in September 2000 and continuing as a regular until 2011, followed by brief returns in 2013 and 2016. As the mild-mannered patriarch of the Slater , Charlie served as the stabilizing force amid turbulent family dynamics, including managing his daughters' personal crises—such as Kat's hidden past, Little Mo's abusive marriage, and Lynne's emotional struggles—while navigating secrets like Zoe's true parentage and the clan's relocation to . His stunt experience proved invaluable in scenes demanding physicality, such as Charlie's involvement in family confrontations and everyday East End brawls. In addition to these lead roles, Martin made notable guest appearances across British television, particularly in the long-running The Bill from 1984 to 2002, where he appeared in at least three episodes between 1992 and 1997. These included playing Kenny Stone in the 1994 episode "Living Legend," involving a veteran criminal's return; George Talbot in the 1997 episode "," centered on a loan shark's stolen records; and Dave Richards in another installment, often depicting hardened East End figures entangled in crime.

Film appearances

Martin's entry into feature films came with his debut in the 1966 drama Secrets of a Windmill Girl, where he portrayed the barman in a story exploring the lives of performers; this role marked his transition from stunt work to on-screen amid the era's sexploitation trends. Throughout the and early , Martin took on supporting parts in several productions, including the The Sex Thief () as the doorman, a minor but characteristic working-class figure in a tale of jewel heists and mistaken identities co-starring and . He also appeared uncredited as a policeman in the Disney family adventure Candleshoe (1977), directed by and featuring and , contributing to the film's lighthearted estate intrigue. In the horror classic The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), Martin had an early uncredited role as a villager, supporting Peter Cushing's portrayal of the titular in this tale of reanimation and revenge. A standout cinematic role for Martin was in Milos Forman's historical drama (1981), where he played Waldo's Aide No. 2, assisting James Cagney's character in the film's depiction of early 20th-century racial tensions and social upheaval, adapted from E.L. Doctorow's novel and co-starring and . This performance highlighted Martin's ability to embody authoritative yet understated figures in period pieces. Later in the decade, he featured as a sergeant in (1981), a biographical film on directed by and starring , adding to the narrative of literary and expatriate life. Martin's 1980s film work continued with the Peter Sellers comedy The Fiendish Plot of Dr. (1980), where he appeared in a supporting capacity amid the film's satirical take on the pulp villain archetype, alongside and . His final notable screen appearance came in the Italian-British thriller Spaghetti House (1982), directed by Giulio Paradisi and featuring , in which Martin portrayed Commissioner Hutchinson during a real-life inspired hostage siege at a restaurant. These roles, though limited, showcased Martin's versatility in genres ranging from to across British and international cinema.

Later career and honors

Following his departure from in 2011, Derek Martin participated in the third series of the reality show Celebrity Coach Trip in 2012, where he traveled across Europe alongside fellow actor John Altman. The program featured celebrities competing in challenges while on a coach tour, and Martin's pairing with Altman, known for his role as "Nasty Nick" in , highlighted their shared background. Martin made brief returns to in subsequent years, reprising his role as for a guest appearance in December 2013 and another in January 2016. These short stints provided closure to ongoing storylines involving the Slater family, marking his final on-screen contributions to the series at age 82. In recognition of his contributions to the entertainment industry, Martin was elected King Rat of the Grand Order of Water Rats, serving from 2010 to 2011 as member number 845. The Grand Order of Water Rats is a historic and founded in , dedicated to supporting members of the theatrical profession and their dependents facing hardship due to age, illness, or other challenges through fundraising events like shows, dinners, and balls. As King Rat, the highest office in the organization, Martin led efforts to uphold its charitable objectives, continuing a tradition held by notable figures in British entertainment. Martin retired from acting around 2016 following his last EastEnders appearance, at the age of 83, after a spanning over five decades from work to prominent roles. His longevity in the industry was attributed to his authentic portrayal of working-class characters, though he has since stepped back from professional commitments. As of 2025, at age 92, Martin has no major acting activities reported, occasionally appearing at fan conventions such as the Utopia 2025 event to discuss his early career.

Personal life

Marriages and family

Derek Martin was married twice, both unions ending in divorce. His first marriage, to J. Mitchell, took place in 1961. His second marriage was to Christine Ann Rigg in 1971 and lasted approximately 11 years until 1982. During this time, Martin and Rigg adopted twin sons, , when the infants were just four weeks old. After their , Martin and Rigg remained on amicable terms and became great friends later in life. Rigg passed away around 2016. Martin has described his ongoing close bond with his sons, including discussing ’s battle with , emphasizing the enduring family ties formed through .

Health challenges and retirement

In May 2010, Martin underwent replacement surgery on his left at the in , a procedure prompted by decades of accumulated damage from his work, including falls from horses and intense fight scenes, compounded by age-related wear. The production team incorporated the injury and recovery into his character's storyline, allowing him to appear on crutches during filming. Martin had a second knee replacement on his right knee in 2011, addressing persistent pain that had required regular painkillers during his time on the soap. These operations, combined with ongoing physiotherapy, restored much of his mobility, enabling him to participate in activities like and a winning appearance on Celebrity Coach Trip in 2012. In 2015, Martin suffered a from a fall, leading to a full surgery later that year; he credited physiotherapy for his subsequent recovery and return to an active lifestyle, including and walking his . This series of orthopedic procedures reflected a broader pattern of challenges stemming from his physically demanding career, which intensified as he entered his 80s. Following his exit from EastEnders in January 2016—where his character died of a heart attack—Martin retired from acting at age 82, marking the end of a career spanning stunts and over 50 television and film roles. The cumulative toll of his injuries contributed to this transition, as he shifted focus away from professional commitments. As of 2025, now aged 92, Martin maintains a private life with his family, avoiding public appearances and new projects while residing in the UK; he last spoke publicly about his career in a 2022 interview reflecting on the soap's evolution.

References

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