Dennis Rickman
| Dennis Rickman | |||||||||||||||
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| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Nigel Harman | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2003–2005 | ||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 2498 14 April 2003 |
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| Last appearance | Episode 3074 30 December 2005 |
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| Created by | Louise Berridge | ||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Gangster Bookmaker |
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| Family | Watts |
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| Father | Den Watts |
| Mother | Paula Rickman |
| Stepmother | Chrissie Watts (until 2005) |
| Half-sisters |
Vicki Fowler Sharon Watts (adoptive) |
| Wife | Sharon Mitchell (2005–2006) |
| Sons | Dennis Rickman Jnr |
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 in the episode broadcast on 30 December 2005, when he was fatally stabbed as the New Year's Eve midnight fireworks began. He is part of the Watts family, though his identity was unknown for almost thirty years. His storylines centre on his difficult past and childhood, relationship with his infamous father, Den Watts, clashes with the rival Mitchell family, and forbidden 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". Harman described his character as "a bit of a rough diamond" but with "a sensitive side". During his time, Dennis often butted heads with various alpha-males, including Phil Mitchell and Johnny Allen, but was friends with mobster Andy Hunter and developed a warm relationship with local gossip, Dot Cotton.
Dennis quickly became established as the show’s leading man and a "soap sex-symbol", with Harman noted for his "dark good looks" and "fantastic" physique. In 2003, Harman won the "Best Newcomer" award at the National Television Awards, and for two years straight (in 2004 and 2005) won both "Best Actor" and "Sexiest Male" categories at the British Soap Awards and Inside Soap Awards.
Dennis, the product of a fling between Paula Rickman and Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), was born in 1974 and makes his first appearance in handcuffs in April 2003, as he is on day release from prison to attend his mother's funeral. It is gradually revealed that he was neglected as a child by his mother and abused by a succession of her boyfriends, and spent some time living in a children's home. Den was unaware that he had a son, and by the time Dennis meets Den's daughters Sharon and Vicki, 14 years have passed since Den's disappearance and supposed death.
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