Leslie Dennis Heseltine was born in Chesterton Street, Garston on the 12th of October 1953. For a while, he lived in a pre-fab in Speke before moving to Childwall where he attended Stockton Wood School, as well as the overspill classes at Joseph Williams Primary School, also attended by Paul and Mike McCartney. He then went to Rose Lane School where Jimmy Tarbuck had gone to from Dovedale School, and then Quarry Bank High School, after passing his 11-plus, which was John Lennon’s old school. He remembers his early days “We went to Butlins in Pwllheli every year, and when I was ten I went in to the Junior Talent Competition and I came third. I then went into the adult competition when I was 14 and won it and got my free week at Butlins as a prize."
As a school boy he had a Saturday job in Burtons, a mens clothing store, and started in entertainment working as a stand-up comedian in the North West Social and Working Men's clubs. ( see more here - http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2019/01/merseyside-mirth-makers-les-dennis.html )
Following his successful stint as the host of ITV’s Family Fortunes between 1987 and 2002 Les went on to enjoy a thriving career as an actor, starring with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the English National Opera and in numerous hit plays and musicals in the West End and on tour, as well as a regular role in the 'soap' 'Coronation Street' (2014-16). He remembers when he was 17 going on a school trip to Stratford to see Shakespeare’s 'Twelfth Night' and thought, "Oh, I really want to do this." As they recorded the whole series of Family Fortunes, all 16 shows in three weeks, it meant that for the rest of the year he could go off and do a rep play at the likes of Oldham Coliseum or Birmingham Rep and learn his craft as an actor. He'd been divorced from his first wife, and during the TV quiz show’s run he met actress Amanda Holden while performing in 'The Sound of Music' in 1993, and they married in 1995. however they split up briefly in 2000 after Amanda had an affair with 'Men Behaving Badly' actor Neil Morrissey who they had both appeared with in the TV movie 'Happy Birthday Shakespeare'. Having had a stint as Amos Hart in the stage musical 'Chicago' in London working at the Oldham Coliseum, he had become known as a talented actor who in 2001 joined the cast of 'Brookside' for 6 episodes. While separated from Amanda, Les appeared in 2002 on 'Celebrity Big Brother' and although finishing runner-up, he had what the press perceived as a breakdown live on television. Afterwards the phone didn't ring for a while until Ricky Gervais offered him a part in his series 'Extras' (2005), as a washed-up, middle-aged television star who is cuckolded by a younger man. Les said, "People kept saying it was a brave move but it gave me a chance to show that I’ve got a sense of humour about myself. I took it with both hands and it opened me to a whole new demographic. He then worked with Ricky Gervais again on the series 'Life's Too Short' (2001-2014), and his one-man play 'Jigsy', a dark comic drama about an ageing stand-up comedian played at the Assembly Rooms on the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012, earned him a Best Actor award at the LDP Arts Awards and a stack of 4 and 5 star reviews from the national press. In 2014 Les showed his acting prowess at Derby Theatre when he played Victor Smiley in Peter James’ play 'The Perfect Murder'. Then, in 2014, it was announced that he was joining 'Coronation Street' where he stayed for two-and-a-half years. However it got to the stage where he wasn't allowed to do other things that he wanted to do because of his 'soap' committment, so when he did leave he went straight on to star as Uncle Fester in the 'Addams Family Musical' tour (2017) and then into other theatre jobs that he really enjoyed.
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| In the 2021 ENO production of HMS Pinafore broadcast on Sky Arts |
In early in 2019 Les was cast by the Royal Shakespeare Company in two Restoration plays in its smaller Swan Theatre. He played a corrupt senator in the tragedy 'Venice Preserved' by Thomas Otway, acting alongside his niece Jodie McNee, and was also in John Vanbrugh’s comedy 'The Provoked Wife'. Having starred with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the English National Opera and in numerous hit plays and musicals in the West End and on tour, far too many to mention, and playing the lead role of King Arthur in 'Spamalot' (2013) in the West End, in July 2022 it was announced that he was to play the role of Grandad, in the smash hit West End show 'Only Fools and Horses The Musical'
Dad-of-three Les said, "As a kid I was always a massive fan of Monty Python so when Spamalot came to town I thought ‘I'd really love to be in that’ and now I’m excited that I’m actually not just in it, but playing the lead role. I’m really looking forward to always looking on the bright side of life." It has recently been announced that he is set to star in Shakespeare North Playhouse and Not Too Tame’s upcoming production of 'Twelfth Night' in 2024, taking on the role of Malvolio in a
“contemporary revamp” of the classic comedy, set against the backdrop of
the music industry. Les has a grown-up son Philip from his first marriage to Lynn Webster in 1974 and having married Claire Nicholson in 2009, the couple have two children: a daughter, Eleanor Grace, who was born on 24 April 2008 and a son, Thomas Christopher, who was born on 14 April 2011.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2024/04/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-david.html
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