John Altman (actor)

John Altman
John Altman in 2014
Born	John Clarkson Stewart 2 March 1952 (1952-03-02) (age 64) Reading, Berkshire, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Actor/Singer
Years active	1976–present
Notable work	See below
Television	EastEnders
Spouse(s)	Bridget Poodhun (m. 1986–97) (divorced)
Children	1
Website	http://www.johnaltman.info

John Clarkson Stewart, known as John Altman, is an English actor and singer, perhaps best known for playing "Nasty" Nick Cotton in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was among the show's original cast members appearing in the very first episode in February 1985 and appeared on the show on and off as a recurring character. His character was killed off in the 30th anniversary episode of the show which aired in February 2015. Altman has also appeared in several other television series and appeared in many stage productions. In 2010 he became the new frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids following the death of former frontman Gary Holton in 1985.

Altman was born in Reading, Berkshire. He made his acting debut in the 1979 film The First Great Train Robbery where he played a minor role. Also in 1979, he portrayed musician George Harrison in the biographical television film Birth of The Beatles. He made brief appearances in several other films including Quadrophenia (1979) and An American Werewolf in London (1981). In 1982, Altman played the role of a Royal Navy rating alongside Timothy Spall in the channel 4 film Remembrance. Altman also featured in a 1982 short public information film, "Stupid Git", part of the British government's campaign against drink-driving.

In 1985, he first appeared as Nick Cotton in the new BBC television soap opera EastEnders appearing in the very first episode in February that year. He appeared in the show on a recurring basis from 1985 to 2015. His character has been part of many famous storylines in the show including the murders of Reg Cox and Eddie Royle, his attempt to kill his own mother Dot by poisoning her and his various feuds with characters like Pete Beale, Den Watts and Mark Fowler. His character was also given his own television spin-off episode The Return of Nick Cotton which aired in October 2000. His character was killed off in the episode that aired on 19 February 2015, which marked the 30th anniversary of the show. A year earlier, his character's death had been announced in the show, only for it to emerge within a few months that Nick had faked his own death.