Leslie Grantham

Leslie Grantham (30 April 1947-15 June 2018 ) played Kiston in the Doctor Who serial Resurrection of the Daleks.

Best known for his work in the soap opera EastEnders, Grantham had a notorious past that coincided with a longtime Doctor Who connection. In 1966, whilst serving in the British Army in West Germany, he shot and killed a taxi driver named Felix Reese during a botched robbery attempt. He was convicted of murder and spent a decade in prison. During his imprisonment, he met and befriended Louise Jameson prior to her being cast as Leela.

As recounted by Jameson in Doctor Who Magazine #428, she and Grantham became pen pals and she encouraged him to become an actor. After being released from prison in 1977, Grantham studied his craft and made his first TV appearance in Resurrection of the Daleks. Soon after, he successfully auditioned for the role of pub landlord Den "Dirty Den" Watts in EastEnders. It was only after he made his first appearance in the soap that his past was made public by UK tabloids.