Career Letitia Dean

1 career

1.1 career
1.2 eastenders
1.3 other work

1.3.1 pantomimes


1.4 awards

career
early career

dean began performing professionally @ age of 12, when cast pepper in hit stage musical, annie, @ london s victoria palace theatre. trained singer, played lead female, sandy, in stage musical grease, , sang rock group called young uns , toured country supporting stage acts such bobby davro , tom o connor.

between ages of 13 , 17, dean appeared in numerous television programmes, including: love story; tales out of school;. matthew kelly sitcom relative strangers; grange hill, playing student named lucinda oliver; , role of dawn in channel 4 soap opera brookside.

in 1984, dean auditioned play 1 of original characters in bbc1 s brand new soap opera, eastenders—she selected interview on strength of photograph alone. creators of eastenders, tony holland , julia smith, looking bouncy, attractive, oddly vulnerable young woman play part of sharon watts, , out of various applicants had seen, dean had of qualities. dean lied roots part. casting directors looking real east end actors, falsely claimed born , brought in hackney, east london. lie paid off , got part, clinching deal because of laugh, holland , smith described dirtiest in world!

eastenders

dean played sharon watts, troubled , spoilt adopted daughter of landlords dirty den (leslie grantham) , angie watts (anita dobson), show s inception in 1985 until 1995 — sharon becoming 1 of popular , long-running characters in serial.

while appearing on eastenders, dean forayed singing fellow eastenders castmate, paul medford (who played kelvin carpenter). song penned pair part of plotline in eastenders (known banned) prompted bbc release song single. song, outa nothing , reached number 12 in uk singles chart in november 1986.

dean featured in 1 of soap s popular storylines, love triangle featuring sharon, husband grant mitchell (ross kemp) , brother phil (steve mcfadden). plot, nicknamed sharongate , gave soap 1 of highest episode ratings in october 1994, watched on 25.3 million viewers. desire pursue other acting roles prompted dean leave soap in 1995.

six years after initial exit, dean lured eastenders producer john yorke, reprised role of sharon 2001 2006. in december 2004 sunday mirror reported executive producer kathleen hutchison offered double dean s salary £150,000 year £300,000 year, persuade remain in show, making 1 of highest paid actresses in british soap. dean s character left serial again in january 2006. dean s exit announced in august 2005 , official eastenders press report stated merely taking scheduled break , due on set later in 2006; however, did not happen, , in june 2006 bbc denied press speculation there immediate plans return series.

in february 2012, producer bryan kirkwood announced dean make third return eastenders, having been absent period of 6 years. made return on 13 august 2012 after fleeing wedding fiancé john hewland, son, dennis rickman jr. , phil mitchell. 1 of 3 remaining original cast members, along adam woodyatt , gillian taylforth.

other work

away eastenders dean has had various theatre , television roles. starred in 2 series of bbc drama hello girls, set in derby telephone exchange in 1960s; medical dramas casualty , doctors; itv police drama bill; romantic comedy lucy sullivan getting married, , channel 4 sitcom drop dead donkey busty weathergirl. starred in 1995 film england, england, told story of musician , court composer henry purcell.

on stage starred nurse fay in joe orton comedy play, loot, working alongside actor michael elphick. played prostitute in revival of chris dyer s 1960s play rattle of simple man @ alexandra theatre, birmingham.

in 2007 dean participated in fifth series of bbc celebrity dance contest, strictly come dancing. partnered professional dancer, darren bennett. dean , bennett voted out in quarter-finals (week 10), 1 week before semi-final. commenting on experience, dean said s been incredible. ve got thank [darren bennett] patience, hard work, injuries. s been wonderful. dean 1 of several celebrities took part in 2008 strictly come dancing uk arena tour. competed against former eastenders stars, louisa lytton (ruby allen, 2005–2006), , matt di angelo (deano wicks, 2006–08). tour began in january 2008 , visited various venues throughout uk, proceeds going children in need appeal.

in april 2008 announced letitia dean starring in stage show high school musical ms darbus. dean commented, s lovely opportunity me [...] s different ve ever done - doing american accent , playing kind of character. production played @ london s hammersmith apollo june 2008 until 31 august 2008.

in january 2009 dean released fitness dvd entitled letitia dean s lean routine after dropped size 14 size 10 on intensive dieting , dancing regime. dean joined cast of stage production of calendar girls in 2009, playing cora (miss july); production requires cast appear on stage naked.

pantomimes

as television , theatre work, dean regularly appears in seasonal pantomimes—she , other eastenders stars such steve mcfadden rumoured have special clause in contracts permits them time off filming star in pantomime each year. in 2001 starred snow white @ orchard in dartford; , in 2004 starred in jack , beanstalk @ birmingham hippodrome, alongside british comedians joe pasquale , don maclean. in 2006, dean appeared wicked witch in snow white , 7 dwarfs @ deco, northampton, taking on role former eastenders co-star, gillian taylforth, pulled out due ill health. december 2007 saw letitia dean appear fairy godmother in cinderella, @ regent theatre, ipswich. december 2008 saw letitia dean appear wicked queen in snow white , 7 dwarfs, @ grove theatre, in dunstable , played role again @ ashcroft theatre in croydon in 2009.

awards

in 2004 dean nominated best actress award @ british soap awards, lost out suranne jones coronation street. fellow eastenders actresses jessie wallace , kacey ainsworth nominated. nominated in category of best dramatic performance den s return lost out mark charnock of emmerdale. @ 2005 inside soap awards, dean presented coveted award outstanding achievement homage work in eastenders, has been in (on , off) on 20 years, since age of 17. nominated in category of best couple (shared nigel harman).