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| Dennis Rickman | |||||||||||||||||||
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| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||
| File:Dennis ee.jpg | |||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Nigel Harman | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2003–05 | ||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 14 April 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 30 December 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Louise Berridge | ||||||||||||||||||
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Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nigel Harman. He entered the show on 14 April 2003 and made his last appearance on 30 December 2005, when he was fatally stabbed as the midnight fireworks began. He is part of the Watts family; his storylines centring around the troubled relationship with his infamous father, Den and romance with his adopted sister, Sharon.
Dennis is characterised by his roguish manner, a "bad boy" cast in the mould of a "young Dirty Den".[1] During his time, he often butted heads with various alpha-males, including Phil Mitchell and Johnny Allen, but developed a warm friendship with gangster Andy Hunter. Dennis became quickly established as the show’s leading man and a "soap sex-symbol",[2] with Harman noted for his "dark good looks" and "fantastic" physique.[3] The character had numerous romantic liaisons with the show's female line-up, but it was his relationship with Sharon that dominated dramatic action.
Character creation
editBackground
editDennis Rickman was created by the show's producers as the hardman successor to the character of Steve Owen, who had bowed out during the previous year.[4] It was also part of a move to bring the Watts family back to the forefront of EastEnders, with the re-introduction of Vicki Fowler occurring at the beginning of 2003, and the highly anticipated return of Den Watts in September.[5][6] Executive producer Louise Berridge was also keen to rectify what she felt was a gender imbalance in the cast, commenting after his arrival that Dennis had "provided a surge of testosterone in a show that was rather female-heavy since the arrival of the Slaters."[4]
Casting
edit"They said: 'You've got the job.' I was sitting there in my Sainsbury's fleece, with Mrs Bloggs's groceries in the back, and I just laughed my arse off."
—Nigel Harman[7]
Harman was working as a lorry driver for supermarket chain Sainsbury when he was cast in the role of Dennis Rickman. However, Harman revealed in a 2003 interview that he actually auditioned for a character called "Tim",[8] and had no idea that he was set to join the Watts family as the unknown son of the soap's most "iconic" figure, Den Watts.[9] Part of Harman's appeal lay in his dark good looks and appealing physicality. EastEnders executive producer Louise Berridge noted: "We cast Nigel for his tremendous acting ability and his screen presence, but there's no question he's also a very sexy young man."[4] Dennis Rickman's role as "EastEnders beefcake"[10] made Harman uncomfortable. In an interview with The Independent in 2003 he commented on his character's status as a sex symbol: "It's Dennis, not me... I am a bit embarrassed... I don't get off on it. I walk into the living-room in the morning in my jogging pants, with my hair all over the place, and my flatmates say: 'So, you're supposed to be one of the sexiest men in the country?' And I go: 'I know. I don't get it either.'"[7]
Character development
editPersonality
editDennis Rickman has been described as a "smouldering thug"[11]
Nigel Harman spoke of his character as "a bit of a rough diamond," but "he's got a sensitive side. All that crap."[7]
"tough-as-nails"[12]
Dennis and Den
editRomance with Sharon
editExit and death
editReception
editReferences
edit- ^ Cunningham, Teresa (26 April 2003). "Nigel's a knockout". The Mirror. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ "Nigel Harman on playing Rich Black". Plus One. 23 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ "A woman's guide to Nigel Harmon". Women Republic. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ a b c "Ant & Dec the new Morcombe and Wise". Ananova. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
- ^ "The great British soap comeback". BBC News. 29 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
- ^ Harrison, Jane (9 December 2008). "Dirty Den comes clearn to Ealing Gazette". Ealing Gazette. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b c Gilby, Ryan (2 December 2003). "Nigel Harman: Cockney rebel". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
- ^ Botfield, Jules. "BBC Breakfast interview with Nigel Harman". BBC Breakfast. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ "Why street cred matters". The Guardian. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 2009-12-9.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Hirons, Paul (17 January 2008). "Nigel Harman in City of Vice". TV Scoop. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Wise, Jon (14 June 2009). "Actor Nigel Harman joins Hotel Babylon". People Magazine. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ "Nigel Harman". Hello Magazine. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
External links
edit