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Dexter Fletcher
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Dexter Fletcher (born 31 January 1966) is an English actor, best known for his lead role as Spike Thomson in the British TV comedy Press Gang alongside Julia Sawalha.
rained at the Anna Scher Theatre School. Fletcher's first film part was as Baby Face in Bugsy Malone (1976). He made his stage debut the following year in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. As a child actor Fletcher was a regular feature in British productions in the early 1980s such as The Long Good Friday, The Elephant Man, and The Bounty.
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Encyclopedia
Dexter Fletcher (born 31 January 1966) is an English actor, best known for his lead role as Spike Thomson in the British TV comedy Press Gang alongside Julia Sawalha.
Biography
Acting work
He trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School. Fletcher's first film part was as Baby Face in Bugsy Malone (1976). He made his stage debut the following year in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. As a child actor Fletcher was a regular feature in British productions in the early 1980s such as The Long Good Friday, The Elephant Man, and The Bounty. As an adult, he has appeared on television as rebellious teenager Spike Thomson in Press Gang and also Murder Most Horrid (1991) with Dawn French. His American accent was so convincing that he often was mistaken for a genuine American. He has starred in the films The Rachel Papers (1989), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Layer Cake (2004) and Universal's Doom as a communications officer nicknamed "Pinky".
On television, he has appeared in the major BBC / HBO drama, Band of Brothers and in a supporting role in the BBC One historical drama The Virgin Queen (US PBS 2005, UK 2006). He also appeared in Kylie Minogue's 1997 released music video Some Kind of Bliss. Fletcher has starred on BBC One in two series based on the Imogen Edwards-Jones's book, Hotel Babylon (the fourth season is due to be broadcast in the UK in 2009). He also appeared in one episode, "The Booby and the Beast", of BBC's Robin Hood series 2 as the German Count Friedrich and in the 2008 radio series The Way We Live Right Now.
He also appeared in 'Bo! Selecta' spin off, 'A Bears Tail' as 'The Scriptwriter' after fellow 'Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels' star Nick Moran portrayed this role in the pilot, but not in the series proper.
Presenting
Fletcher tried his hand at presenting for the now defunct Channel 4 show Gamesmaster in 1993. The TV show was in its third series and rumour had it then current presenter Dominik Diamond wasn't happy about the show's decision to accept McDonalds as a sponsor and consequently left the show. Dexter was originally slated to be a special guest on the third series but was then asked to be presenter.
Fletcher recalls presenting GamesMaster was 'very unforgiving' and 'quite intimidating'. He claimed the most difficult part was 'just getting up, taking a deep breath, and going out there and doing it'. His style of presenting was heavily criticised by viewers who said his 'in your face' method was too 'OTT' and didn't suit the show. Some viewers suspected his genuine Cockney accent was put on for effect. The series finished in 1994 and Diamond returned for the last four series until the show end in January 1998.
Fletcher has been the voice for McDonald's television adverts and (feigning a US accent) is the narrator of The Game audio book written by Neil Strauss.
Personal life
Fletcher dated Press Gang costar Julia Sawalha and also had a relationship with Liza Walker. He married Dalia Ibelhauptaite in Westminster, London in 1997; supposedly his best man was fellow actor Alan Rickman.
Filmography
External links
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