Background
Thompson has a twin sister, Elaine, who was born ten minutes after him.
Thompson has a twin sister, Elaine, who was born ten minutes after him.
From the age of thirteen they combined to form the singing duo Elaine and Derek. They released one eponymously titled album, on the Parlophone label in 1961, before going on to appear in the feature film Gonks Go Beat (1965). They then formed folk trio Odin"s People with Larry Johns, who recorded two singles in 1967.
In the mid 60s Derek worked as Stage Manager in The Nonentities Theatre in Kidderminster.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s Thompson became a regular face in British Broadcasting Corporation and Independent Television dramas. Appearances include Softly Softly, Play for Today, Harry"s Game, and Rock Follies.
Before he appeared in Casualty, he had a recurring role, as Doctor of Science Jimmy Fenton, in the Independent Television police drama The Gentle Touch. He had minor film roles in Yanks (1979) and Breaking Glass (1980), and also played Jeff, Harold Shand"s lieutenant, in The Long Good Friday (1980).
He played an Ireland Republican Army hitman in the television series The Price and the film Wild Geese II, both in 1985.
Casualty
Thompson began portraying Charlie Fairhead in Casualty in 1986 and is the only original cast member remaining on the show. In 2004 his character went on a six-month sabbatical, which remains his most notable absence from the show in over a quarter of a century. Currently, he is allowed a certain amount of time off from filming per year, meaning that he is absent from more episodes than any other current cast member.
Apart from Casualty, he has also played Charlie in the spin-off shows Holby City and HolbyBlue.