Derek Martin

Acting

Derek Martin

Born 1933-04-11 · Bow, London, England, UK

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.

Acting credits

Candleshoe poster
6.9

When ex-con artist Harry claims that a secret treasure is hidden inside Candleshoe, an English estate, he creates an elaborate plan to find and steal the prize. By convincing a girl named Casey to impersonate the estate owner's long-lost granddaughter, Harry hopes to uncover the treasure's location. But when Casey has a change of heart, she must follow the clues and find the treasure, in order to save Candleshoe and stop Harry before it is too late.

Candleshoe

1977

Adventures of a Plumber's Mate poster
4.2

Randy plumber Sid South enjoys a profession which offers him ample opportunity to bed sexy housewives.

Adventures of a Plumber's Mate

1978

Priest of Love poster
5.0

Following the banning and burning of his novel, "The Rainbow," D.H. Lawrence and his wife, Frieda, move to the United States, and then to Mexico. When Lawrence contracts tuberculosis, they return to England for a short time, then to Italy, where Lawrence writes "Lady Chatterley's Lover."

Priest of Love

1981

Ragtime poster
7.0

A young black pianist becomes embroiled in the lives of an upper-class white family set among the racial tensions, infidelity, violence, and other nostalgic events in early 1900s New York City.

Ragtime

1981

The Evil of Frankenstein poster
6.2

Once hounded from his castle by outraged villagers for creating a monstrous living being, Baron Frankenstein returns to Karlstaad. High in the mountains they stumble on the body of the creature, perfectly preserved in the ice. He is brought back to life with the help of the hypnotist Zoltan who now controls the creature. Can Frankenstein break Zoltan's hypnotic spell that incites the monster to commit these horrific murders or will Zoltan induce the creature to destroy its creator?

The Evil of Frankenstein

1964

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu poster
4.9

Fu Manchu's 168th birthday celebration is dampened when a hapless flunky spills Fu's age-regressing elixir vitae. Fu sends his lackeys to round up ingredients for a new batch of elixir, starting with the Star of Leningrad diamond, nabbed from a Soviet exhibition in Washington. The FBI sends agents Capone and Williams to England to confer with Nayland Smith, an expert on Fu.

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu

1980

The Cutter poster
NR

'The Cutter' is a master of his craft – gangland killings using a cut-throat razor. When his son disturbs him in his work and announces that he wants to follow in his father's footsteps, 'The Cutter' is faced with a dilemma.

The Cutter

1992

Dark Water poster
5.0

In order to enjoy a romantic private swim together, Jo and Eddie hide when their local swimming pool is closing for the evening. But unknown to them, a killer is on the loose - and in the building with them.

Dark Water

1980

The Sex Thief poster
5.4

A struggling pulp fiction writer who doubles as an incompetent jewel thief. He gets caught in the act every time, but he uses his looks and charm to make the best of it. Soon he becomes a celebrity. Wealthy women start leaving their jewels out like milk and cookies for Santa Claus in hopes that the sex thief will unlawfully invade their domiciles.

The Sex Thief

1973

Print-Out poster
NR

Corrupt builder Ballard is approached by Bernie Fermor, a young computer engineer with a roll of names from Ballard's business which he intends to blackmail him with. Ballard plays it cool and then has the engineer followed,he wants the Mr Big behind the demand, but the engineer is found dead.

Print-Out

1979

Doctor Who: Inferno poster
8.6

UNIT is providing security cover at an experimental drilling project at Eastchester, designed to penetrate the Earth's crust and release a previously untapped source of energy. Soon, however, the drill head starts to leak an oily green liquid that transforms those who touch it into vicious primeval creatures with a craving for heat. The Doctor is accidentally transported "sideways in time" by the partially repaired TARDIS control console into a parallel universe where the drilling project is at a more advanced stage. Thwarted by his friends' ruthless alter egos, he works to save both universes.

Doctor Who: Inferno

1970

Rifleman poster
NR

Private Semple returns to his Antrim home after the Battle of the Somme, the village's sole survivor from all the 'brave boys of Ulster' who volunteered; but the battle scars go far deeper than anyone suspects.

Rifleman

1980

Doctor Who: Image of the Fendahl poster
7.0

The present day: just as the Fourth Doctor and Leela arrive in Fetchborough, England, Professor Fendelman prepares to experiment on a fossilized skull which science says should not exist. The skull is actually an artefact of the Fendahl, a god-like being who feeds on the life force of others. It has begun to awaken and kill. Worse yet, others seek to exploit the Fendahl's dreadful power.

Doctor Who: Image of the Fendahl

1977

Eskimo Nell poster
4.0

Three young men, a scriptwriter, a producer and a director are called in by Benny U Murdoch, an exotic movie producer. He wants to make a new erotic movie starring a big woman - the "Eskimo Nell" of the title. However problems start from the beginning, the scriptwriter is a virgin, a lover of penguins and hasn't a clue on how to write an erotic movie, each of the three main backers want a different type of movie - a western, an erotic and a kung-fu movie with different people in the main part. However problems really start for the three when Benny runs off with all the money and they have to make three different versions of the same film and try not to let the backers and stars know what has happened. And this is made harder when there is a clean-up-filth society breathing down their necks....

Eskimo Nell

1975

Spaghetti House poster
6.3

Three black militants kidnap the waiters in an Italian restaurant in London. Soon the victims befriend their kidnappers.

Spaghetti House

1982

The Aerodrome poster
7.0

In the future England is ruled by a fascist government, and one day the leaders begin the construction of a heavily guarded, mysterious airport. BBC adaptation of Rex Warner's 1941 novel of the same name. A stereotypical village in a somewhat alternative England is taken over wholesale by 'The Air Force.' Living in the village is young Roy, who has just learned he is not who he thought he was. Attempting to forge a new sense of identity, he joins the dashing Air Force, seduced by its dynamism and direct and brutal ways.

The Aerodrome

1983

Keep It Up, Jack! poster
3.8

Failed music hall performer Jack James inherits a brothel when his ancient Aunt dies. He takes over the running of the business and falls in love with its star attraction, beautiful prostitute Virginia.

Keep It Up, Jack!

1974

The Big Switch poster
4.7

Playboy John Carter picks up a woman in a discotheque and takes her home. When she is murdered and he is framed for the crime, he finds himself drawn into a seedy underworld plot.

The Big Switch

1968

Boston Kickout poster
6.3

School leaver Phil moves with his father from inner-city London to the satellite Hertfordshire New Town of Stevenage, where they are promised a brighter future...but all Phil finds there is a bleak, cultural wilderness; a world of unemployment, violence, alcoholism and drug abuse in 90s Britain

Boston Kickout

1995

Jake's End poster
NR

'Motors can stall, shooters can jam. But Jake's end of it'll be all right.' Jake's a professional, a married man with a reputation to maintain-and a bank to rob.

Jake's End

1982

The Counterfeit Man poster
8.0

On Jupiter's moon Ganymede, an alien life-form has taken over the body of a human astronaut, creating an almost perfect copy. It then begins the long return journey to Earth.

The Counterfeit Man

1965

EastEnders: Pat and Mo poster
7.0

This special episode revealed what caused the feud between Pat Evans and Mo Harris that lasted until Pat's death. Pat and Mo meet at the grave of Pat's brother and Mo's husband, Jimmy Harris, and reminisce about old times through a series of flashbacks. Mo's brother, Stan Porter also appeared in the episode.

EastEnders: Pat and Mo

2004

Bet Your Life poster
NR

Like alcoholism, gambling is a disease. Ches, a compulsive gambler, is sent for medical help. A wonder drug perhaps? Or hypnosis maybe? Ches finds that his psychiatrist has other ideas.

Bet Your Life

1976

The Hope and the Glory poster
NR

Sam, a quiet West Indian working as a London Transport ticket collector, strikes up an unlikely, but warm, friendship with Joe, an old man who has a room in the same house.

The Hope and the Glory

1984