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.
Early life Leslie Calmond Dayman was born at Burn Brae Private Hospital in Footscray, 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. 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, and the baby's birth was announced in the Adelaide Advertiser.
Career Dayman started his career in theatre in 1955 and thereafter worked as an actor, director and narrator.
Television roles 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.
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.
Other credits 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.
Death Leslie Dayman died on 20 October 2023.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleType 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 film1978 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 YearTitleRoleType 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
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