Mike Reid, best known for playing Frank Butcher in EastEnders, died penniless and was buried in an unmarked grave, according to reports. The actor, who rose to fame as a comedian before joining the BBC soap, suffered a series of personal tragedies and financial ruin that left him destitute by the time of his death in 2007 at age 67.
Reid's life was marked by the murder-suicide of his youngest son Mark in 1990. Mark, who had severe mental health issues, shot dead a friend before setting himself alight and dying from his injuries. Months later, Reid's granddaughter died from cot death. Earlier, his first child had died five days after birth.
The actor also lost his fortune in a catastrophic property venture in Spain, which plunged him and his relatives into serious financial difficulty. In his autobiography, Reid wrote that he had lost "everything that mattered."
Despite his fame, Reid's final years were spent in financial hardship, and he was buried in an unmarked grave. His life story, from East End roots to national stardom and tragic decline, mirrors the turbulent storylines he portrayed on screen.
