Leslie Calmond Dayman (19 January 1933 – 20 October 2023), credited as Les Dayman, was an Australian actor with a career spanning over 50 years, he was best known for his performances on television (serials and telemovies) and film, major small screen roles including Homicide, Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, and E Street.

Leslie Dayman
Born
Leslie Calmond Dayman

(1933-01-19)19 January 1933
Died20 October 2023(2023-10-20) (aged 90)
Other namesLes Dayman, Les Daymen
Occupations
  • Actor
  • theatre director
  • narrator
Years active1955–2008
Notable work
ParentLes Dayman (father)

Early life

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Leslie Calmond Dayman was born at Burn Brae Private Hospital[1] in Footscray,[2] Melbourne, on 19 January 1933. He was the son of Ria Dilks and Les "Bro" Dayman, whose address is given as 49 Napier Street, Footscray.[1] His father was an Australian Rules footballer who played in both the South Australian Football League and Victorian Football League for the Port Adelaide Football Club and Footscray Football Club,[citation needed] and the baby's birth was announced in the Adelaide Advertiser.[1]

Career

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Dayman started his career in theatre in 1955 and thereafter worked as an actor, director and narrator.[3]

Television roles

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Dayman was best known as a staple of the small screen in numerous serial roles. His television career began in 1964 in a TV film, and he appeared in the police procedural crime series Homicide as senior detective Bill Hudson in 104 episodes from 1966 to 1968.[citation needed]

In the 1980s, he was a regular cast member in three major Australian soap operas, all of which had international success: in Grundy Television's Sons and Daughters, he played Roger Carlyle, a ruthless shady businessman in episodes broadcast in 1984 and 1985; also in 1985, he starred in Prisoner, another Grundy production, as Geoff MacRae, one of three male prisoners in a 6-month story arc, and in E Street, he played Senior Sergeant George Sullivan for the series entire run from 1989 to 1993. opposite co-star Cecily Polson who played his wife Martha O'Dare.[citation needed]

Other credits

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Other television appearances included Division 4, Bellamy, Cop Shop, Holiday Island, A Country Practice, Water Rats, Stingers, All Saints, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Sara Dane. Movie appearances include Weekend of Shadows, Gallipoli, Oscar and Lucinda, Footy Legends, Stepfather of the Bride, The Silence and Holy Smoke!. He acted in many South Australian Theatre Company productions and was its director from 1968 to 1969.[citation needed]

Death

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Leslie Dayman died on 20 October 2023[4]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1964 Weather at Pinetop Cal TV movie
1974 Parent Teacher Interviews The Parent / The Major Short film
1976 Democracy Short film
1977 How to Gromble a Flub Performer Documentary short film
1978 Weekend of Shadows Riley Feature film
1979 Pesticides: Friends or Foe Documentary short film
1981 Gallipoli Artillery Officer Feature film
1981 Revenge Short film
1981 Bush Corridors Phil Green Documentary short film
1983 With Prejudice Shadbolt Feature film
1983 Molly Bill Ireland Feature film
1984 Stanley: Every Home Should Have One Second detective Film
1985 I Can't Get Started Sgt. Beale Film
1986 The Last Frontier TV movie
1987 Witch Hunt David Rofe QC TV movie
1997 Oscar and Lucinda Glassworks Forman Feature film
1998 In the Winter Dark Minister Film
1998 Poppy's Head Poppy Short film
1999 Holy Smoke! Bill Feature film
2000 Cheek to Cheek George Short film
2004 Out on the Tiles Desmond Short film
2006 The Silence Edwin Hall TV movie
2006 Footy Legends Bob Feature film
2006 Stepfather of the Bride Grandpa Bob TV movie

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1966–1968 Homicide Roy Smith / Detective (later Senior Detective) Bill Hudson TV series
1974 Division 4 Jimmy Morgan TV series
1980 The Last Outlaw Jack Lloyd TV miniseries
1981 I Can Jump Puddles Ted Wilson TV series
1981 Holiday Island TV series
1981 Bellamy Peter Bellamy TV series
1982 Sara Dane Convict Leader TV miniseries
1984 Bodyline Bert Oldfield TV miniseries
1985 Possession TV series
1985 Special Squad Mr. Fitzgerald TV series
1984–1985 Sons and Daughters Roger Carlyle TV series
1984–1985 Prisoner Geoff McRae TV series
1987 Willing and Abel TV series
1987 Rafferty's Rules Sregrant Davis TV series
1982–1988 A Country Practice Blind Freddie / Warwick 'Wok' Larsen / Owen Butler / Phonse McGrath TV series
1989–1993 E Street Senior Sergeant George Sullivan TV series
1995 Blue Murder Commissioner Avery TV miniseries
1997 Big Sky Phillip TV series
1997–1999 Water Rats Ken Miles / Alan Rismore TV series
1998 Federation Voice TV miniseries
2000 Stingers Ossie Fischer TV series
2002 Blue Heelers Frank Jarvis TV series
2000–2008 All Saints Ray Hanson / Viv Woods / Kevin Goldman TV series

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Family Notices". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 30 January 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 25 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Mainly about people". The Record (Melbourne). Vol. XXXX, no. 42. Victoria, Australia. 19 October 1935. p. 2. Retrieved 25 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Leslie Dayman". AusStage.
  4. ^ Davison, Katherine (24 October 2023). "E Street, Prisoner, Sons and Daughters star Leslie Dayman dead aged 85". 7news.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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