Derek Martin dead: EastEnders’ Charlie Slater legend dies aged 92

EastEnders legend Derek Martin has died. The soap legend, who was 92, was best known for playing Charlie Slater on the BBC soap opera, a role he held from 2000 to 2011, with occasional appearances in 2013 and 2016.

An announcement, posted by a family friend on Facebook, shared on Saturday evening read: “It is with deepest regret to announce that Derek Martin / Derek Rapp. Age of 92. At 7pm this evening Derek has sadly passed away in Hospital about an hour ago. My Mum and his Son David was with Derek the whole time. Derek was truly an amazing person who was very talented in the filming industry and many other things. A great man, Father of two Sons & a fantastic family friend. We will miss you Derek. RIP.”

The late actor, who was a keen golf and football fan, had also been a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats, an entertainment charity founded in 889. Fellow members have since paid tribute to Derek on social media. Ian Richards said: “So very sad to hear of the passing of PKR Derek Martin, ‘king of the eggs’, if you know, you know. A genuinely warm and funny man who’s company always had me rolling in laughter, his massive charity work, largely unreported, but never dismissed by those who knew him well. RIP Derek the world is a sadder place without you.”

Ian Henry added: “It was a joy to be in his company. He had so many stories and was a very funny man. He achieved so much in his long and distinguished career, not least his iconic portrayal of Charlie Slater in EastEnders for so many years. His presence will be sorely missed.”

Derek, born Derek William Rapp, started his career as a stuntman on Doctor Who. However, after breaking his collarbone while filming Elizabeth R, he made the decision to focus on acting.

And after appearing in the likes of Law & Order, King and Castle and Eldorado, he soon found himself appearing in The Bill, Only Fools and Horses and Little Britain – as himself. But to millions, he was known as the loveable London cabbie, Charlie on EastEnders.

Charlie first appeared in the soap in September 2000. Derek, however, had originally auditioned for the roles of Den Watts and Frank Butcher in the 1980s and made the shortlist for both.

When he auditioned for Charlie, he was offered a contract with a minimum term of three years, with the potential to stay for a longer period of time. Of the role of Charlie, Derek said it was like putting on an “old coat, and he had hoped to remain on the show until he died.

His character was known for being the glue which held the Slater family together and was “positive as long as his family was around him.” Nine years after he first arrived in Walford, it was announced that Derek would be taking a break from the show.

In 2016, Charlie was killed off from EastEnders after the character suffered a heart attack, but the actor said it had been “wonderful.” Speaking of his departure, he commented: “I spoke to Dominic, the executive producer, and he explained [the storyline] and said he’d give me a good send-off. In a way, it’s closure, after 11 years, which for an actor is wonderful.”

But while he openly admitted he loved his time on the soap, in 2022, Derek said that the show was “miserable” and needed to inject humour back into the storylines. He said that the show no longer included “affairs and beating people up” as they hoped to appeal to a younger audience.

Speaking to The Sun, Derek said: “You’ve got to have humour because there’s always something to laugh about in life. You used to have Charlie, Patrick Trueman [Rudolph Walker] and Jim Branning [John Bardon] sitting at the allotments with a few beers, just talking about silly things. That’s what happens in real life. You need that on EastEnders.

“I’ve nothing against youngsters, they’re the future, but it’s like the BBC is trying to turn EastEnders into Hollyoaks with so many youngsters, and everyone’s having affairs and beating people up.”

Tributes have since poured in across social media, with one fan writing: “Some sad news this evening as Derek Martin, Walford’s very own Charlie Slater, has passed away. Thoughts with his family, friends and all those who worked with him.”

“I’m so sad to read this. Farewell Derek Martin – a lovely man, a fantastic actor, and an EastEnders icon,” said a second. A third went on to write: “Very sad to hear that Derek Martin has died. He created a wonderful character in Charlie Slater – the perfect head of the clan.”

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Source: Mirror