What did Dennis Waterman die of? Exploring late Minder star's legacy as he passes away at 74

Dennis Waterman, who appeared in Minder and New Tricks, has died at the age of 74, his family has announced. According to a statement from his family, The Sweeney star died of natural causes at his home in Spain.

It read:

"We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved Dennis passed away very peacefully at his home in Spain. The family kindly asks that our privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

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What was late Dennis Waterman known for?

He was born in London in 1948 and educated at the Corona Theatre School. Waterman began his showbiz career at a young age and was invited to join Stratford's Royal Shakespeare Company after appearing in a role for the Children's Film Foundation.

The sometimes singer played bodyguard Terry McCann in Minder, and he rose to prominence as tough nut cop George Carter opposite John Thaw in The Sweeney.

Waterman portrayed Gerry Standing in the BBC's New Tricks, and he also appeared in ITV's Where The Heart Is, The Canterbury Tales, and Moses Jones, both for the BBC.

He became well-known for singing the theme songs for many of his shows, and as a result, he was caricatured in Little Britain by David Walliams.

He starred in the BBC's hard-hitting drama Moses Jones in 2009, a role he said he enjoyed because it cast him in a different light. He stated:

"I really enjoyed it because it was a very different kind of character — and that's important. On television in Britain, I'm sort of the cheeky chappie, everybody's mate, but I've never played anything like that in the theatre. Strangely, you get cast as different things in different parts of the media."

He had been married several times, including to actress Rula Lenska until 1998, and his daughter, Hannah, went on to become a TV star in her own right, landing a role as Laura Beale in EastEnders.

The star's talents did not stop with acting. He was also a musician, having recorded albums and singles, including songs that charted in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Waterman was also a part of the popular Friends On Tour tour, on which he shared the road with Sheena Easton and Gerard Kenny.

Dennis Waterman also appeared in the Royal Court Theater productions of Twelfth Night, Edward Bond's Saved, and Sergeant Musgrave's Dance.