Terry Sue-Pratt: Grange Hill child star haunted by tragedy
On FEBRUARY 8, 1978 Benny Green was the first pupil to appear on screen in Grange Hill.
With a red duffel bag over his shoulder, viewers watched as the school caretaker remonstrated with him for kicking his football against the wall.
For Terry Sue-Patt, the actor who played Benny, it was the start of a childhood career which saw him become one of Grange Hill’s most-loved characters.
After four years he left the series and went on to appear in pop music videos. Minor TV and film roles followed, including 1989’s The Firm but he was never able to better the role of Benny and it proved to be the pinnacle of his acting career.
Born in Islington, north London, Sue-Patt was one of six children born to African parents and went to Sir William Collins Comprehensive School.
At the same time he studied at the Anna Scher Theatre School.
Sue-Patt appeared in various Children’s Film Foundation productions before his teens and got his big break as Benny when Colin Cant, the original director of Grange Hill, spotted him practising his football skills.
According to his father Alston, he had never come to terms with his brother Michael’s death in a car crash in 1989 in which he was the front-seat passenger and Michael was the driver
“Benny Green is really like me so there’s little acting required,” the actor said. “I love football and as a kid I was a bit of a sheep and liked knocking around in a group. The character sums me up. Sensitive, a bit shy but determined to succeed, come what may.”
The idea for the show, set in a London comprehensive, was to reflect the realities of school life and tackle the issues that children faced, such as bullying and drugs.
Creator Phil Redmond, who was also behind Brookside and Hollyoaks, said: “The reason it worked so well is because it’s about school – something everyone has to face in one shape or form.
“I always thought that television could do more for children than tame things like ‘Robin Hood’ or endless period dramas.”
For Sue-Patt the success of Grange Hill came as a total surprise but in 1982 he decided to leave, despite being offered a part on the spin-off show Tucker’s Luck. “I turned it down. I felt that the character had gone far enough and I wanted to do other things,” he said.
At the time of his death he was working as a stencil artist but more recently had been plagued by debts and drink problems.
According to his father Alston, he had never come to terms with his brother Michael’s death in a car crash in 1989 in which he was the front-seat passenger and Michael was the driver.
Sue-Patt was found lying face down in bed in his housing association flat in Walthamstow, east London, after a worried friend raised the alarm.
