Reminder

by Dennis Waterman, Jill Arlon

From his first starring role in Just William to the huge TV successes with The Sweeney and Minder, Dennis Waterman had an amazing theatrical career, which has also combined with an equally dramatic love life. There were affairs with Suzy Kendall and Romy Schneider, and some failed marriages, the last being with Rula Lenska. Now Waterman wants to set the record straight about his rumbustious, action-packed life.

Genres: Biography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 7, 1999

About the author

Dennis Waterman (24 February 1948 – 8 May 2022) was an English actor and singer. He was best known for his tough-guy leading roles in television series including The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks, singing the theme tune of the latter two.

Waterman's acting career spanned 60 years, starting with his childhood roles in film and theatre, and his adult roles in film, television, and West End theatre. He was known for the range of roles he played, including drama (Up the Junction), horror (Scars of Dracula), adventure (Colditz), comedy (Fair Exchange), comedy-drama (Minder), musical (Windy City) and sports (The World Cup: A Captain's Tale), as well as police TV series such as The Sweeney. He appeared in 29 films, the last being released in 2020. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[Steve Cann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've long been an admirer of Dennis's work, & it was great at last to read his memoirs to find out all about how he got into acting as a child, his stage screen work, & not to mention his personal life various marriages.

Unlike some autobiogs, this one is fairly swift to read, & he never dwells too long on any one thing - allowing (for instance) single chapters documenting his time in The Sweeney & Minder.
He's brutally honest & frank, which I really loved, & not afraid to highlight the highs (as well as the lows) of his long career. I especially liked that various important people in his life are allowed their 'say' too - with verbatim passages sprinkled throughout from his first two wives & his two daughters, plus John Thaw & George Cole to name a few too.
The stormy break-up of his third marriage was much-publicized in the press, but here Dennis is able to set the record straight & give his own honest account of exactly what happened.

One thing I didn't know was about his wealth of theatre work, starting from a young age - he was also a member of the RSC, & for a while at drama school studied ballet too. All quite different from the 'tough guy' image that perhaps he's been labelled with from his work in The Sweeney & Minder. Not to mention his work as a singer, & his footballing prowess!

This book covers the first 50 years of his life - let's hope he writes some more to cover what came next in the 2000s too.
There's much to be enjoyed here, & Dennis comes across as a very likeable, unpretentious & dedicated person, & one who has sealed his place in the hearts & minds of many of us who have so enjoyed his excellent work over the decades.

[Richard Luck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining and incredibly honest. Interesting that he felt Minder should have shut up shop after the third series, when it still had plenty of gas in the tank. And then, there's the remarkable material about his life as a child star. Who knew Dennis Waterman starred in an American sitcom in his early teens? I do now. And here are the credits! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2cDY...

[Kieran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old fashioned 'geezer with a heart' who likes birds, booze, banter and bars (plus sport!) would like a stress free life surrounded by the better people from his past and present....

[Chanelle Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shame it wasn't longer, both my Dad and myself enjoyed listening to it.