Les Dennis has said playing a recent unrecognisable role in Death in Paradise has helped to keep him young.
The 69-year-old TV legend played the part of Scouse clairvoyant, Danny Sheridan, on the BBC's drama's Christmas special. But despite being such a well known face, fans didn’t recognise him.
Even his wife Claire and children Eleanor, 15 and 12-year-old Thomas, had to look more than once when they watched the show. Les told The Mirror: "Claire and the kids did a double-take when they first saw me. I’d kept the transformation a secret from them and their reactions were great."
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The actor even agreed he looked totally different, as he said: "Someone said I looked like a cross between Jack Nicholson and Arthur Fowler. But I suppose it was the black hair of Danny… kind of a deranged Jack Nicholson, I think. How can you get more deranged than Jack Nicholson anyway?”
He explained how the look of his dark hair came about as he said: "I didn’t have hair dye that was permanent. They would do it in the morning.
"And at the end of the day, I would have to shower that out as it was very dark. I don’t know what they were using, it was tricky to get out."
Les began his showbiz career more than 50 years ago at stand-up gigs in workingmen’s clubs. He went on to win New Faces in 1974 with a panel which included legendary Liverpool-born funnyman Arthur Askey.
Les then joined Russ Abbot’s Madhouse and formed a double act with Dustin Gee. There was the Family Fortunes years, Celebrity Big Brother – surrounded by chickens – and a long-running role in Coronation Street, years after famously spoofing Mavis Riley.
On his forthcoming 70th birthday, Les said: “I strongly believe not to think of age as a number I’ve been in showbiz from the age of 17 to 70. My work keeps me going and feeling young It’s all good.”
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