Person Details

Birthday: 1908-01-08 20:57:27

Death: 1975-04-23 20:57:27

Aliases: Billy Hartnell , Bill Hartnell

Gender: Male

Place of birth: St. Pancras, London, England, UK

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 89

TV Involvements: 5


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

Doctor Who
Average
8

Doctor Who

(1963) The Doctor
Doctor Who
Average
8

Doctor Who

(2005) The Doctor (archive footage)
Tales of the Tardis
Average
6

Tales of the Tardis

(2023) The Doctor
An Adventure in Space and Time
Average
8

An Adventure in Space and Time

(2013) The Doctor (archive footage)
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
Average
8

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

(2013) The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
Odd Man Out
Average
7

Odd Man Out

(1947) Fencie - the barman
Hell Drivers
Average
7

Hell Drivers

(1957) Cartley, Hawlett Manager
Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time
Average
8

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

(2017) The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2024 The Doctor (voice)
2023 The Doctor (archive footage)
The Doctor
Self / The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2021 The Doctor (voice)
2017 The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2013 The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
Self
2012 The Doctor (archive footage)
The Doctor (archive footage)
2009 The Doctor (archive footage)
2006 The Doctor (archive footage)
The Doctor (archive footage)
The Doctor (archive footage)
2005 The Doctor (archive footage)
2002 The Doctor (archive footage)
1983 The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
1982 The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
1977 Sergeant Grimshawe
1973 The Doctor
1966 The Doctor (1)
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor/Abbot of Amboise
The Doctor
1965 The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
1964 The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
The Doctor
Dr. Who
Dr. Who
1963 The Doctor
Dr. Who
Dad
Insp. Roberts
Major Fowler
'Dad' Johnson
1962 Freddie Maddox
1961 N/A
1960 Colonel
Walter 'Wally' Burton
Supt. Frawley
1959 Smith
Sgt. Bright
N/A
Will Buckley
Sergeant Jenkins
N/A
1958 Sergeant Grimshawe
Tracey
1957 Inspector Ross
Cartley, Hawlett Manager
N/A
Leading Seaman Leslie Frank
1956 Bert
Sgt. Sutton
Herbert Whiteway
1955 Detective Sgt. Parsons
Herbert Moresby
1953 Detective Inspector Martin
1952 Company Sergeant Major
Sam Hackett
Irate Cabman
Recruiting Sergeant
1951 Superintendent of Police
1950 Charlie Durham
1949 Barnes
Warder Jackson
1948 Inspector Harris
Dallow
1947 Jim Brown
Fencie - the barman
1946 Leo Martin
1945 Tom Masterick
Peter Pettinger (as Billy Hartnell)
1944 Chris Lowe
Sgt. Ned Fletcher
1943 Dell
Jim Towers (as Bill Hartnell)
Brookes
Joseph (as Bill Hartnell)
1942 Jacob Digby
German Officer at Station
Scotty
Saunders
1941 Radio Location Aerial Operator (uncredited)
1940 Undetermined Role
1939 Dick
1938 Bus Conductor
1937 Minor Role
1936 Stubbs
N/A
1935 Car Salesman
1934 Vickers
1933 Billy
Mike Martindale
Year Character Movie/Tv

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