Call the Midwife is returning for two Christmas specials followed by series 14 due to air in the new year, and Daniel Laurie is set to reprise he role as Reggie Jackson on the period drama.
Kind-hearted Reggie first appeared in Poplar during series six, in 2017, when his mother died suddenly of a heart attack while visiting a church. Reggie waited for his mum to return home, but she never did in heartbreaking scenes.
The nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House promptly stepped in to take care of Reggie before his distant cousin Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) took him in. Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) and Fred now treat Reggie like a son.
As Reggie has Down syndrome he was given a permanent place at the Glasshouse Trust, a care facility with a community of young adults with disabilities, and he regularly visits his family and friends in the East End.
But away from the period drama, Daniel has a famous father and has also appeared in other popular TV shows, here is everything you need to know about the TV star as Call the Midwife returns.
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Daniel Laurie is the son of a very famous soap star (Image: Getty)
Born in 1995, Daniel is currently 29 years old. During his late teens he attended a drama school in London, but he confirmed that he was forced to leave education due to bullying before he found fame on the period drama.
He spoke candidly about his struggles with bullies, which led him to leave school before finding solace in launching an acting career at the age of 17.
Speaking to in 2022, Daniel explained: “I hated school. I was badly bullied and that made me walk out of school, but because of that, acting found me when I was 17.”
He added: “I can’t forgive myself for walking out but because of [show creator] Heidi Thomas I have bonded and made friends with the cast. If it wasn’t for Call The Midwife, where else would I be?
Daniel Laurie is famed for playing Reggie in Call the Midwife (Image: BBC / Nealstreet Productions / Laura Radford)
“The whole entire show is run by women and I actually love being in Call The Midwife because of them, they make the show what it is. It’s a fantastic show. I love being in the show. We have all been bonded.”
It appears acting talent runs through Daniel’s family as he is the son of late actor and legend Leslie Grantham.
Grantham played ‘Dirty’ Den Watts in the soap and was an original cast member when the soap launched in 1985, before being killed off in 1989. He then returned to in 2003 for two more years in an epic comeback storyline.
In a 2006 interview with the , 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’.”
Leslie Grantham is famed for playing the legendary role of Dirty Den in EastEnders (Image: BBC)
Grantham passed away in 2018, leaving behind his three sons and ex-wife. Actor Cliff Parisi worked alongside Grantham during their time in together before working closely with his real-life son Daniel in Call the Midwife.
Daniel’s big break into significant roles happened in 2016 with the part of Jamie in Sky Ones comedy-drama Stella, where he worked alongside Gavin and Stacey’s Ruth Jones, the mind behind the creation.
His trajectory continued upward with a stint as Adam Beecher in an episode of ITV’s Vera in 2020 and portrayal of Sheemie in The Dark Tower.
Daniel Laurie alongside co-star Cliff Parisi, who also worked along his dad Leslie Grantham (Image: Getty)
In 2021, Daniel took on the role of Zach in ITV’s drama Finding Alice, starring TV favourites Keeley Hawes, Nigel Havers, and Joanna Lumley.
Daniel is set to return as Reggie Jackson in the Call the Midwife this Christmas airing on One on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Then season 14 will follow in the new year which is set to include 8 hour-long episodes. The show’s creators have confirmed that season 15 of the series is also guaranteed, with it expected to air in 2026.