https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/11/derek-martin-who-played-charlie-slater-in-eastenders-dies-aged-92
Derek Martin had a long career in TV - many may remember him for the hair-raising stunts he was involved in in early '70s Doctor Who, or his role on Only Fools and Horses, or his lead role in the Law & Order series which scandalized the country in the late '70s.
For me, he will always me Charlie Slater, the patriarch of the Slater family. Charlie was a deceptively simple role, but he had to play a man who loved his daughters yet was deeply unaware of what was going on with them, a man who could be comic relief but was also deadly serious, a teddy bear who could give a severe beatdown.
I remember the scene where his disgusting brother Harry tried to shake his hand as he was leaving Walford, and Charlie spit in his face. A very raw, unflinching moment in a land of fake slaps and punches.
There was something special about the OG Slaters, something that has never been recaptured in the many cobbled together versions we've had since 2006. And Derek was the core of what made them special. There was something pure about him which couldn't be replaced.
His relationship with Kat was devastating, moving, and had an honesty I miss on soaps.
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DRW50 ·
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