William Hartnell
Born January 08, 1908 (Age: 118)
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Saint Pancras, London, England, UK
Biography
William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975), also known as Billy Hartnell or Bill Hartnell, was an English actor. Hartnell played the first incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, from 1963 to 1966. He was also known for his roles as Sergeant Grimshaw, the title character of the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant in 1958, and Company Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in the sitcom The Army Game from 1957 until 1958, and again in 1960. Hartnell entered the theatre in 1925 working under Frank Benson as a general stagehand. He appeared in numerous Shakespearian plays, including The Merchant of Venice (1926), Julius Caesar (1926), As You Like It (1926), Hamlet (1926), The Tempest (1926) and Macbeth (1926). He also appeared in She Stoops to Conquer (1926), School for Scandal (1926) and Good Morning, Bill (1927), before performing in Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner (1928). This play was written by Robert Neilson Stephens and E. Lyall Swete. It featured the actress Heather McIntyre, whom he married during the following year. His first of more than sixty film appearances was in Say It With Music (1932). Hartnell continued to play comic characters until he was cast in the robust role of Sergeant Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead (1944). From then on his career was defined by playing mainly policemen, soldiers, and thugs. Hartnell's performance in This Sporting Life was noted by Verity Lambert, the producer who was setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC entitled Doctor Who; and, mainly on the strength of that performance, Lambert offered him the title role.
William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975), also known as Billy Hartnell or Bill Hartnell, was an English actor. Hartnell played the first incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, from 1963 to 1966. He was also known for his roles as Sergeant Grimshaw, the title character of the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant in 1958, and Company Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in the sitcom The Army Game from 1957 until 1958, and again in 1960.
Hartnell entered the theatre in 1925 working under Frank Benson as a general stagehand. He appeared in numerous Shakespearian plays, including The Merchant of Venice (1926), Julius Caesar (1926), As You Like It (1926), Hamlet (1926), The Tempest (1926) and Macbeth (1926). He also appeared in She Stoops to Conquer (1926), School for Scandal (1926) and Good Morning, Bill (1927), before performing in Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner (1928). This play was written by Robert Neilson Stephens and E. Lyall Swete. It featured the actress Heather McIntyre, whom he married during the following year. His first of more than sixty film appearances was in Say It With Music (1932).
Hartnell continued to play comic characters until he was cast in the robust role of Sergeant Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead (1944). From then on his career was defined by playing mainly policemen, soldiers, and thugs.
Hartnell's performance in This Sporting Life was noted by Verity Lambert, the producer who was setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC entitled Doctor Who; and, mainly on the strength of that performance, Lambert offered him the title role.
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Filmography
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
2013
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as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
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Age: 105
The Sets of Marinus
2009
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as The Doctor (archive footage)
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Age: 101
Mounting the Rescue
2009
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as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
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Age: 101
Creation of the Daleks
2006
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as The Doctor (archive footage)
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Age: 98
Masters of Sound
2006
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as The Doctor (archive footage)
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Age: 98
Doctor Who: Origins
2006
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as The Doctor (archive footage)
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Age: 98
What's a Carry On?
1998
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as Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage) (uncredited)
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Age: 90
The World Ten Times Over
1963
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as Dad
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Age: 55
To Have and to Hold
1963
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as Insp. Roberts
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Age: 55
Tomorrow at Ten
1963
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as Freddie Maddox
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Age: 55
Heavens Above!
1963
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as Major Fowler
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Age: 55
This Sporting Life
1963
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as 'Dad' Johnson
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Age: 55
Piccadilly Third Stop
1960
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as Colonel
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Age: 52
And the Same to You
1960
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as Walter 'Wally' Burton
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Age: 52
Jackpot
1960
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as Supt. Frawley
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Age: 51
The Desperate Man
1959
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as Smith
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Age: 51
The Night We Dropped a Clanger
1959
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as Sgt. Bright
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Age: 51
The Mouse That Roared
1959
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as Will Buckley
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Age: 51
Shake Hands with the Devil
1959
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as Sergeant Jenkins
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Age: 51
Strictly Confidential
1959
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as Grimshaw
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Age: 50
Carry On Sergeant
1958
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as Sergeant Grimshawe
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Age: 50
No Image
On the Run
1958
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as Tom Casey
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Age: 50
Date with Disaster
1958
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as Tracey
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Age: 49
Tons of Trouble
1956
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as Bert
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Age: 48
Private's Progress
1956
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as Sgt. Sutton
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Age: 48
No Image
Doublecross
1956
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as Herbert Whiteway
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Age: 48
Josephine and Men
1955
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as Detective Sgt. Parsons
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Age: 47
Footsteps in the Fog
1955
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as Herbert Moresby
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Age: 47
Will Any Gentleman...?
1953
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as Detective Inspector Martin
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Age: 45
Double Confession
1950
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as Charlie Durham
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Age: 42
Murder in Reverse?
1945
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as Tom Masterick
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Age: 37
The Agitator
1945
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as Peter Pettinger (as Billy Hartnell)
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Age: 37
Sabotage at Sea
1942
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as Jacob Digby
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Age: 34
The Goose Steps Out
1942
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as German Officer at Station
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Age: 34
They Flew Alone
1942
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as Scotty
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Age: 34
Suspected Person
1942
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as Detective Saunders
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Age: 34
Freedom Radio
1941
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as Radio Location Aerial Operator (uncredited)
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Age: 33