Todd Carty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Todd Carty
Carty in 2009 at Wendy Richard's funeral service
Born	Todd Robert Carty (1963-08-31) 31 August 1963 (age 61) Willesden, London, England
Nationality	British Irish
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1967–present
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Partner(s)	Dina Clarkin (1990–present)
Children	2

Todd Carty is a famous actor and director from England. He was born on August 31, 1963. Todd grew up acting on TV, in plays, and in movies. He is well-known for playing characters like Tucker Jenkins in Grange Hill and Tucker's Luck. He also played Mark Fowler in EastEnders and PC Gabriel Kent in The Bill. Todd has been acting for many years, starting when he was very young.

Todd Carty's Early Life

Todd Carty was born in Willesden, London. His mother was from Ireland. Later, his mother married Thomas Jennings. Thomas adopted Todd, and Todd's name officially changed to Todd John Jennings. Because of his mother, Todd is a citizen of both the United Kingdom and Ireland. He grew up in different parts of London, including Kilburn and West Hampstead. Todd has two younger sisters. They work as a lawyer and a teacher. Todd went to a special acting school called Phildene Stage School in west London.

Todd Carty's Acting Career

Starting Out in Acting

Todd Carty first appeared on TV when he was only four years old. It was in an advertisement for Woolworths. He also did other commercials and public safety films. One of these was with Jon Pertwee, who played Doctor Who.

Todd's first professional stage role was in a musical called Lionel!. But he became famous as a child actor for playing Tucker Jenkins. This was in the BBC children's show Grange Hill from 1978 to 1982. He then starred in a spin-off show called Tucker's Luck from 1983 to 1985.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Todd also appeared in other TV shows. These included Z-Cars and Our Mutual Friend. He also acted in films like Please Sir! (1971) and Professor Popper's Problem (1974). In 1983, he played Oswyn in the fantasy movie Krull. He acted alongside famous actors like Liam Neeson.

Big Roles in EastEnders and The Bill

In 1990, Todd Carty took over the role of Mark Fowler in the popular BBC show EastEnders. He played Mark for 13 years, becoming one of the longest-running male actors on the show. In 2002, the BBC announced that Mark Fowler would leave the show. Todd and the producers agreed it was time for the character to move on. Todd's last appearance as Mark was in February 2003. His character rode away on his motorbike. Mark Fowler later died off-screen in 2004.

After leaving EastEnders in 2003, Todd joined another TV show called The Bill. He played the character PC Gabriel Kent from 2003 to 2005. Todd later said he left EastEnders earlier than planned to take on this new role.

Other TV Shows and Movies

Todd Carty has appeared in many other films and TV shows. In 1989, he starred as Randy Candy in The Candy Show. While still on EastEnders, he acted with Nick Berry in The Black Velvet Band (1997). This was a drama set in the Victorian era.

In 2000, Todd was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life. His family and friends, including Wendy Richard and Norman Wisdom, were guests.

After The Bill, Todd acted in the film Treasure of Albion (2006). He also played Mr Haig in The School that Roared (2009). For this film, he was also the second-unit director. He appeared as Mr Keller in the 2010 film Blame.

Todd has also guest-starred in TV series like Heartbeat and Holby City. In 2008, he played Kev Blake in Doctors.

In 2003, Todd returned to Grange Hill as Tucker Jenkins. He played the uncle of a student. He came back again for the final series of Grange Hill in 2008. This was a special episode to celebrate the show's 30th birthday. Todd appeared as Tucker in the very last episode of Grange Hill.

In 2008, Todd was a guest on the BBC show I'd Do Anything. He helped choose a boy to play Oliver Twist in a new stage show.

Todd and his older son, James, filmed a TV series together for Channel 5. It was called Dangerous Adventures For Boys. James, who was 11 at the time, became the youngest person to drive a steam train on a special line. In 2014, Todd was a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef. In 2017, he appeared as Mike in the film Silver Birches.

Dancing on Ice

Todd Carty was a contestant on the fourth series of Dancing on Ice in 2009. He skated with professional skater Susie Lipanova. The judges often criticized his skating skills. In one famous moment, Todd lost control and skated off the ice. Susie had to finish the routine alone! But the public loved him and voted for him to stay. He was eliminated in the fifth round.

He also competed in the ninth and final "All-Stars" series of Dancing on Ice in 2014.

Radio, Presenting, and Stage Work

Todd has done a lot of work on radio dramas. These include Les Misérables and The Three Loves of Ida Bliss. He has also narrated many documentaries, like Paddington Green.

In 1989, Todd played Tucker again in a musical stage version of Grange Hill. From 2007 to 2008, he toured the UK in a play called The Business of Murder. Todd and Wendy Richard, who played his TV mother in EastEnders, presented a show called 50 Greatest Families on Sky One in 2008.

Todd also acted in a BBC Radio 4 play called "Bringing Eddie Home." This play was based on a true story about a couple trying to bring their son's body home. From 2010 to 2015, Todd starred as Patsy in the touring show of Spamalot, a funny musical.

Pantomime Performances

Todd Carty has performed in many pantomimes, which are fun, musical plays often performed around Christmas. He played Ali Baba in the BBC Christmas pantomime Aladdin. He was also Buttons in Cinderella in 1993. He later starred with Barbara Windsor in Dick Whittington.

He played "King Rat" in Dick Whittington with Basil Brush from 2005 to 2006. He played King Rat again in 2007. In 2008, Todd starred as the evil Ferdinand Fleshcreep in Jack and the Beanstalk. He played Buttons again in Cinderella in 2009. In 2014, he was in the Aladdin pantomime in Chatham. He played Flashcreep again in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2016. From 2019 to 2020, he played Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

Directing and Producing Films

Todd Carty and his partner, Dina Clarkin, have their own film company called Swordfish Productions. In 2007, Todd started directing episodes of the BBC show Doctors. Todd directed his first full-length movie, The Perfect Burger, in 2010. This film was made with young filmmakers.

Todd Carty's Personal Life

Todd Carty lives in Muswell Hill, north London. He has been with his partner, Dina Clarkin, since 1990. Dina is an actress, writer, and film producer. Her father is also an actor. Todd and Dina have known each other since they were children. They have two sons named James and Thomas. Todd has said that Dina is his "soul mate."

Todd Carty's Filmography