The Stage

EastEnders star Reid dies aged 67

Published Monday 30 July 2007 at 10:20 by Patrick Newley

Tributes have flooded in for Mike Reid, the former star of EastEnders who made his name as a stand-up comedian in ITV’s The Comedians and has died of a heart attack aged 67.

Reid was best known for playing second-hand car dealer Frank Butcher in the BBC soap, which he joined in 1987. After taking a couple of lengthy breaks he made his last appearance as Frank in December 2005.

John Yorke, controller of BBC drama series, said the skill with which Reid played Butcher made him one of EastEnders’ most popular stars. “Mike’s genius was to capture the heart of that flawed dreamer and make generations of viewers love him,” he said. “Albert Square - and British television - will be a far poorer place without him, as will the lives of those who loved and worked with him throughout his extraordinary career.”

Born in Hackney in 1940, Reid went straight from school into a job as a coalman. Later he became a steward in the Merchant Navy and then did a variety of labouring jobs before working as a singer and comic in London clubs and pubs.

For five years he worked as a stunt man on films such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Spartacus and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. He had also been a stunt double for Roger Moore in The Saint.

His big break came as a comic in the early seventies when he was one of the original members of The Comedians, alongside Bernard Manning, Colin Crompton and Frank Carson. He became renowned for his catchphrase ‘Terr-i-fic’ and his aggressive style of joke-telling.

He moved into children’s TV to manage the hectic game show, Runaround, and later played Arthur Mullard’s brother, Benny Briggs, in Yus My Dear, as well as appearing in the drama Big Deal.

His role as Frank in EastEnders made him an international name. He went on to star in the gangster movie, Snatch, directed by Guy Ritchie, and later returned to stand-up comedy.

Reid died suddenly at his home in Spain on Sunday 29 July. Comedian Russ Abbot said: “My memories of Mike will be of the person behind the scenes. Nothing was too much trouble, he was kind, he was generous and he was honest.”

A full obituary will appear in a letter issue of The Stage.