RIP Les Dayman

 

Prolific actor Leslie Dayman, best known for E Street, Homicide and Prisoner has died.

TV Tonight

By David Knox

October 24, 2023

 

Prolific actor Leslie Dayman, best known for E Street, Homicide and Prisoner has died, aged 85.

The son of VFL footballer Les Dayman, he started a career in theatre in 1955, and thereafter worked as an actor, director and narrator.

Dayman played Sergeant George Sullivan in E Street from 1989 – 1993, head of the Westside police force and described as the backbone of the community, fighting for justice and love of Martha’s (Cecily Polson) life.

He once said, “One of the best storylines I was involved in was featured early in E Streets’ run – where George’s old mate, a retired police officer of high rank is found guilty of a crime – a hit and run I think! George found out and was in an awful dilemma, turned back to the booze but bounced back after doing what he had to do…

“One of the more hilarious consequences of public recognition was the fact I was often mistaken for Brian Wenzel, who was in the long running TV show A Country Practice and vice versa.”

He featured as Sen. Det. Bill Hudson on Homicide from 1966 – 1968 as Geoff Macrae on Prisoner, one of three male prisoners in a 6-month story arc, from 1984 – 1985 and as ruthless shady businessman Roger Carlyle in Sons & Daughters the same year.

Dayman had a prolific career in famed Australian shows including Division 4, The Last Outlaw, I Can Jump Puddles, Cop Shop, Holiday Island, Bellamy, Sara Dane, Bodyline, Possession, Special Squad, Sons & Daughters, The Last Frontier, Willing & Abel, Rafferty’s Rules, Blue Murder, A Country Practice, Big Sky, Water Rats, Stingers, Blue Heelers, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and All Saints.

Films included Gallipoli, Holy Smoke, Oscar & Lucinda, Molly, and The Silence.

He also acted in many South Australian Theatre Company productions and was its director from 1968 to 1969.

DAYMAN, Les (Leslie Ernest Dayman)

Born: 1/19/1938, Footscray, Victoria, Australia

Died: 10/20/2023, Australia

 

Les Dayman’s westerns – actor:

The Last Outlaw – 1980 (Jack Lloyd)

The Last Frontier (TV) – 1986 (Bowman)