John Clarkson Stewart (born 2 March 1952), known as John Altman, is an English actor and singer, perhaps best known for playing Nick Cotton in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was among the show's original cast members appearing in the first episode in February 1985 and appeared on the show on and off as a recurring character. His character was killed off in the 30th anniversary episode of the show which aired in February 2015. Altman has also appeared in several films, television series and stage productions. In 2010, he became the new frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids following the death of former frontman Gary Holton in 1985. Early life Altman was born in Reading, Berkshire, to parents Tina Florence (née Schofield; 1920–2016) and Cecil Clifton Stewart (1923–1991). His maternal grandfather was actor Johnnie Schofield. Career Altman made his acting debut in the 1979 film The First Great Train Robbery where he played a minor role. Also in 1979, he portrayed musician George Harrison in the biographical television film Birth of The Beatles. He made brief appearances in several other films including Quadrophenia (1979), An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Memoirs of a Survivor (1981). In 1980, Altman worked as a model in creating prototypes of the Hawkmen that appear in the Dino De Laurentiis–produced film, Flash Gordon but did not appear in the film itself. In 1982, Altman played the role of a Royal Navy rating alongside Timothy Spall in the Channel 4 film Remembrance. Altman also featured in a 1982 short public information film, "Stupid Git", part of the British government's campaign against drink-driving. In 1985, he began appearing as Nick Cotton in the new BBC television soap opera EastEnders, appearing in the first episode on 19 February that year. He went on to make recurring appearances on the show in a span of 30 years. He has had a major role in many famous storylines in the show including the murders of Reg Cox (whose body was found in the first episode) and Eddie Royle, his attempt to kill his own mother Dot by poisoning her and his various feuds with characters including Pete Beale, Den Watts and Mark Fowler. He also contributed towards the death of his own son Ashley by sabotaging a motorbike which Ashley ended up stealing and crashing. His character was also given his own television spin-off episode