Call the Midwife star Daniel Laurie is well known in his own right for playing Reggie Jackson in the BBC hit period drama, but did you know that his dad is also a famous face?
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Daniel is the son of ‘Dirty Den’ star Leslie Grantham, who starred in EastEnders between 1985 to 2005 as one of the soap’s most famous villains. The actor originally played the iconic role from 1985 to 1989 after being killed off, then returned once again in 2003 before he was killed for a second time - this time for good - in 2005.
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The actor also shared sons Spike and Jake with his ex-wife, Jane Laurie, who he split from after 31 years of marriage in 2013. The actor sadly passed away from lung cancer in 2018, aged 71.
Daniel followed in his dad’s footsteps as an actor, and has also appeared in Finding Alice and Vera.
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Jane has previously opened up about her son Daniel, who has Down Syndrome, and his early years. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said: "When I suggested perhaps we should have a test to find out about the Down’s Syndrome, Leslie shook his head and said firmly: 'Whatever we get, it’s our baby.’ He was so sure.”
Daniel is one of Leslie's three son
She continued: "I deliberately didn't even have a scan until I was four-and-a-half months pregnant because I didn’t want anyone to put any pressure on me or even to discuss the option of an abortion… Any fears I may have had about not being able to love him went in a split second. I just looked into his eyes and saw a bottomless pool of endless love… When he was just a few days old, Leslie looked down at the baby and said: 'You know, there are some hard things in life, but this isn’t one of them.'
“Leslie was fantastic. He took the eldest two boys firmly under his wing, and the three of them formed a special bond which they have to this day."
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