From a colorful early career as a meat porter, professional gambler, and stuntman to five decades as a beloved television icon, British entertainment bids
farewell to the man who captured the nation’s heart as *EastEnders* patriarch Charlie Slater: **Derek Martin**.
Derek William Rapp (11 April 1933 – 10 January 2026), known profesionally as Derek Martin, was an English actor. With a career spanning more than five decades, he began as a stuntman before moving into acting, appearing in a range of British television roles, which included starring in the crime dramas Law & Order (1978) and King and Castle (1985–1988), before taking on his most prominent role of Charlie Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2000–2011), returning briefly in 2013 and 2016.
