Family Fortunes

Background:

British actor Les Dennis first gained notice as part of the wacky “Madhouse” team and appeared in the series “Russ Abbot's Madhouse” (1982-1984) and the specials that followed. He went on to earn success as part of a comedy duo with fellow “Madhouse” regular Dustin Gee (died in 1986), with whom he headlined his first TV show, “Les and Dustin's Laughter Show” (1984-1985). He eventually emerged on his own with “The Les Dennis Laughter Show” (BBC, 1987-1991). Dennis further boosted his fame as the host of the hit TV game show “Family Fortunes,” which ran from 1987 to 2002. Dennis has acted in such films as “Intimate Relations” (1996), “Large” (2001) and “Fat Slags” (2004) and was cast as a regular in the TV series “Brookside” (2001) and “Crossroads” (2003). Dennis' more recent stage credits include “Marlon Brando's Corset” (2006), where he was critically applauded for portraying author Nick Chase, “Certified Male” (2007), “The Servant of Two Masters” and “Cinderella.”

Dennis has been married three times. He and first wife Lynne Heseltine (divorced in 1990) have a child together. He was then married to actress Amanda Holden from 1995 to 2003. Dennis’ current wife is Claire Nicholson, whom he married in November 2009. They have one child together.

The multi-faceted entertainer published an autobiography in 2009.

Liverpool

Childhood and Family:

Les Dennis was born Leslie Dennis Heseltine on October 12, 1954, in Liverpool, England. He divorced his first wife, Lynne Heseltine, in 1990 after having one child together. On June 4, 1995, he married actress Amanda Holden (born on February 16, 1971). Five years later, in May 2000, the couple became estranged after Les discovered his wife was having an affair with actor Neil Morrissey. They reconciled shortly thereafter, but finally divorced in November 2003.

Dennis married his third wife, Claire Nicholson, in November 2009. They have one child together.

Certified Male

Career:

A noted stage and television entertainer, Les Dennis made a strong impression on stage with performances in such productions as “Amos Hart,” “Bill Snibson in Me and My Girl,” “Mr. Wonderful,” “Skylight,” “Misery,” “Cherished Disappointments In Love” and “Murderer.” He also toured in a production of “Just Between Ourselves” and joined Christopher Cazenove and John Duttine in a national tour of “Art.”

First stepping in front of the TV camera in 1974 as a winning competitor in “New Faces,” which was hosted by Derek Hobson, Dennis rose to prominence as a yes-man to Russ Abbot in the sketch comedy show “Madhouse,” where he played various characters from 1982 to 1984. While on the show, he met fellow impressionist Dustin Gee and they then formed a comedy duo. After leaving “Madhouse,” the two men starred in their own show called “Les and Dustin's Laughter Show,” which aired on BBC from 1984 to 1985. They also headlined the LWT series “Go For It” and guest starred in such shows as “Live From Her Majesty's” and “The Royal Variety Show.” Their partnership was over, however, when Gee died of a heart attack in 1986.

After the tragedy, Dennis went on to perform on his own in “Les Dennis' Laughter Show,” which ran from 1988 to 1991, and with Russ Abbot in “The Russ Abbot Show” from 1988 to 1991 and the short lived “The Russ Abbot Show” in 1995. He also started his famous hosting gig on Central Television's game show “Family Fortunes” in 1987, which went on to become one of the most successful TV game shows in the United Kingdom and received a 2000 National TV nomination for Most Popular Quiz. Dennis stayed with the show until it left the airwaves in 2002.

Dennis made his debut as a film actor in 1996 with a supporting role in “Intimate Relations,” which was written and directed by Philip Goodhew and starred Julie Walters. He next provided his voice for the animated TV film “Wyrd Sisters” (1997), based on the Terry Pratchett novel, starred with his then-wife Amanda Holden in television’s “Happy Birthday Shakespeare” (2000) and guest starred as Charles Lee in an episode of “Doctors” (2000). He next appeared on the large screen in Justin Edgar's “Large” (2001), in which he appeared as Steve. Also in 2001, he joined the cast of the British soap “Brookside” in the reoccurring role of Jeff Evans.

A year after the demise of “Family Fortunes,” in 2003, Dennis portrayed Dr. Harry Richmond in the last season of the TV series “Crossroads,” a modern adaptation of the popular British soap opera of the same name that originally ran from 1964 to 1988. The following year, he supported David Jason, Hywel Bennett and Roy Hudd in the TV film “The Second Quest” and was cast in the comedy film “Fat Slags,” which starred Fiona Allen. His more recent TV acting credits include guest starring in episodes of such shows as “New Street Law” (2006), “The Bill” (2006), “Holby City” (2007) and “Hotel Trubble” (2009).

Dennis made his return to the game show realm in 2006 in “In the Grid” for Five TV. The same year, he also portrayed scriptwriter Nick Chase in a new comedy play called “Marlon Brando's Corset,” which toured the United Kingdom and earned praise for his performance. He followed it up by starring in “Certified Male,” a successful play that debuted at the Edinburgh Festival in August 2007. He then joined a touring production of “The Servant of Two Masters,” for director Michael Bogdanov, and costarred with Hollywood veteran Mickey Rooney in the pantomime “Cinderella” at the Sunderland Empire.

In 2009, Dennis starred in the short video “Waiting In Rhyme” by director Kevin Powes. He was then cast in “The All Star Impressions Show,” in which he performed the song “It’s Not Unusual.”

Awards:
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