Reggie Jackson has been a Call the Midwife fan favourite since arriving in Poplar six years ago. The character, who is wonderfully brought to life by actor Daniel Laurie, entered the BBC One period drama through a tragic storyline.
His mother suffered a heart attack in a church and left Reggie at home on his own wondering where his beloved mother had got to. But thankfully his distant cousin Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) and his wife Violet (Annabelle Apsion) stepped up to care for Reggie as their own son.
As Reggie has Down's syndrome he was given a permanent place at the Glasshouse Trust, a care facility with a community of young adults with disabilities. But he regularly visits his family and friends in the East End and loves catching up with pal Cyril Robinson (Zephryn Taitte).
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Daniel's age and famous dad
Daniel is 28 years old. When he was in his late teens, he attended a drama school in South West London, near where he lived. He recently revealed bullies forced him out of education before he found fame on the BBC period drama.
He opened up about his struggles with children who picked on him as Daniel felt no choice but to leave school. He then found a safe haven after launching an acting career aged 17, and years later he was nominated as Best Actor in this year's TV Choice Awards for his portrayal of Call the Midwife's Reggie
However, incredible acting talent must run through the blood of Daniel's family as he is the son of late actor and EastEnders legend Leslie Grantham. Grantham played 'Dirty' Den Watts in the BBC soap and was an original cast member when the soap launched in 1985, before being killed off in 1989.
He then returned to EastEnders in 2003 for two more years in an epic comeback storyline. In a 2006 interview with the Daily Mail, Daniel's mum Jane praised Leslie as a "fantastic" dad.
She said: "When he was just a few days old, Leslie looked down at the baby and said 'you know, there are some hard things in life, but this isn’t one of them'."
Grantham passed away in 2018, leaving behind his three sons and ex-wife. Actor Cliff Parisi worked alongside Grantham during their time in EastEnders together before working closely with his real-life son Daniel in Call the Midwife.
What else has Daniel been in?
Before arriving in Call the Midwife in 2016, Daniel landed his first major acting role in 2016 when he was cast as Jamie in the Sky One comedy drama Stella alongside Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones, who also created the show.
In 2020, he played Adam Beecher in one episode of ITV's crime series Vera and also played Sheemie in The Dark Tower.
One year later, in 2021, Daniel portrayed Zach in the ITV drama Finding Alice starring alongside famous TV stars Keeley Hawes, Nigel Havers, and Joanna Lumley.
Daniel Laurie will reprise his role as Reggie Jackson in the Call the Midwife special this Christmas Day followed by a new series in the new year.
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