He WAS so good for us
Minder legend Dennis Waterman dead at 74
WITH RULA
DENNIS Waterman, famous for playing hard-nosed characters in The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks, died yesterday in hospital in Spain, at the age of 74, with his fourth wife Pam at his side.
A statement from the actor’s family read: “We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved Dennis, passed away very peacefully in hospital in Spain, on Sunday afternoon, with Pam by his side.”
Comedian Matt Lucas, who with David Walliams parodied Waterman in sketch show Little Britain, led the tributes, posting: “I grew up watching Dennis Waterman’s iconic performances in The Sweeney and Minder.
“His guest appearance in our Little Britain Live show at Hammersmith Apollo – in which he hilariously duetted with David’s absurd impersonation of him – remains the absolute highlight of my career.”
Waterman became a household name in the 1970s as DS George Carter in The Sweeney, with John Thaw as Jack Regan, his Flying Squad partner.
Waterman then starred as Terry Mccann in Minder, playing the bouncer and partner of George Cole’s dodgy dealer character Arthur Daley.
Waterman sang the Minder theme song, I Could Be So Good for You, as well as those for other shows he starred in – Stay Lucky, On The Up, and New Tricks – giving rise to the joke on Little Britain, where David Walliams portrayed a tiny Dennis Waterman turning down roles if he could not “write the theme tune, sing the theme tune”.
Waterman who was married four times – to Penny Dixon, actresses Patricia Maynard and Rula Lenska, and Pam Flint – claimed he lost his virginity at about the age of 14 to a teacher at his school.
He said: “She was a teacher, but not my actual teacher. When it came to it, she said, ‘Alright, alright but you’ve got to help me with the marking first’.”
He wed Penny in 1972, but they split four years later after Waterman reportedly cheated on her with Dudley Moore’s then-partner model Suzy, actress Romy Schneider and producer’s assistant Theophila Littleton.
A year after splitting with Penny, he wed Patricia. They had two daughters, Hannah, who became an actress, and Julia. But his affairs continued, and they divorced in 1987.
He wed Rula Lenska shortly after, but they divorced in 1998 amid allegations Waterman had been violent towards her. He denied the claims, until 2012, when he confessed he had slapped and punched Rula twice.
Waterman met fourth wife Pam in 1996 when he appeared in panto in Windsor where she was working as a stage manager.
After a career spanning more than 60 years, he put his success down to good fortune, saying: “I plan my golf more than my career. I’ve always been lucky. I’m lucky I’ve been successful, because I can’t do anything else.”