William Hartnell
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker as The Doctor (voice)
- 2023 · Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 2023 · Tales of the Tardis as The Doctor
- 2023 · Talking Doctor Who as Self / The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
- 2021 · Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 as The Doctor (voice)
- 2017 · Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
- 2013 · Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
- 2013 · An Adventure in Space and Time as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
- 2013 · Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited as Self
- 2012 · Don't Lose Your Head as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 2012 · Vision On as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 2009 · The Sets of Marinus as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 2006 · Creation of the Daleks as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 2006 · Masters of Sound as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 2006 · Inside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 2005 · Doctor Who as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 2002 · Remembering 'The Aztecs' as The Doctor (archive footage)
- 1983 · Doctor Who: The Five Doctors as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
- 1982 · Doctor Who: Earthshock as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
- 1977 · That's Carry On! as Sergeant Grimshawe
- 1973 · Doctor Who: The Three Doctors as The Doctor
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet as The Doctor (1)
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The Smugglers as The Doctor
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The War Machines as The Doctor
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The Savages as The Doctor
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The Gunfighters as The Doctor
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker as The Doctor
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The Ark as The Doctor
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve as The Doctor/Abbot of Amboise
- 1966 · Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: The Myth Makers as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: The Time Meddler as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: The Chase as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: The Space Museum as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: The Crusade as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: Lost in Time as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: The Web Planet as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: The Romans as The Doctor
- 1965 · Doctor Who: The Rescue as The Doctor
- 1964 · Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth as The Doctor
- 1964 · Doctor Who: Planet of Giants as The Doctor
- 1964 · Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror as The Doctor
- 1964 · Doctor Who: The Sensorites as The Doctor
- 1964 · Doctor Who: The Aztecs as The Doctor
- 1964 · Doctor Who: The Keys of Marinus as The Doctor
- 1964 · Doctor Who: Marco Polo as The Doctor
- 1964 · Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction as Dr. Who
- 1964 · Doctor Who: The Daleks as Dr. Who
- 1963 · Doctor Who as The Doctor
- 1963 · Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child as Dr. Who
- 1963 · The World Ten Times Over as Dad
- 1963 · To Have and to Hold as Insp. Roberts
- 1963 · Heavens Above! as Major Fowler
- 1963 · This Sporting Life as 'Dad' Johnson
- 1962 · Tomorrow at Ten as Freddie Maddox
- 1961 · Ghost Squad as
- 1960 · Piccadilly Third Stop as Colonel
- 1960 · And the Same to You as Walter 'Wally' Burton
- 1960 · Jackpot as Supt. Frawley
- 1959 · The Desperate Man as Smith
- 1959 · The Night We Dropped a Clanger as Sgt. Bright
- 1959 · No Hiding Place as
- 1959 · The Mouse That Roared as Will Buckley
- 1959 · Shake Hands with the Devil as Sergeant Jenkins
- 1959 · Strictly Confidential as
- 1958 · Carry On Sergeant as Sergeant Grimshawe
- 1958 · Date with Disaster as Tracey
- 1957 · The Hypnotist as Inspector Ross
- 1957 · Hell Drivers as Cartley, Hawlett Manager
- 1957 · The Army Game as
- 1957 · Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst as Leading Seaman Leslie Frank
- 1956 · Tons of Trouble as Bert
- 1956 · Private's Progress as Sgt. Sutton
- 1956 · Doublecross as Herbert Whiteway
- 1955 · Josephine and Men as Detective Sgt. Parsons
- 1955 · Footsteps in the Fog as Herbert Moresby
- 1953 · Will Any Gentleman...? as Detective Inspector Martin
- 1952 · The Holly and the Ivy as Company Sergeant Major
- 1952 · The Ringer as Sam Hackett
- 1952 · The Pickwick Papers as Irate Cabman
- 1952 · The Magic Box as Recruiting Sergeant
- 1951 · The Dark Man as Superintendent of Police
- 1950 · Double Confession as Charlie Durham
- 1949 · The Lost People as Barnes
- 1949 · Now Barabbas as Warder Jackson
- 1948 · Escape as Inspector Harris
- 1948 · Brighton Rock as Dallow
- 1947 · Temptation Harbour as Jim Brown
- 1947 · Odd Man Out as Fencie - the barman
- 1946 · Appointment with Crime as Leo Martin
- 1945 · Murder in Reverse? as Tom Masterick
- 1945 · The Agitator as Peter Pettinger (as Billy Hartnell)
- 1944 · Strawberry Roan as Chris Lowe
- 1944 · The Way Ahead as Sgt. Ned Fletcher
- 1943 · Headline as Dell
- 1943 · The Dark Tower as Jim Towers (as Bill Hartnell)
- 1943 · The Bells Go Down as Brookes
- 1943 · The Peterville Diamond as Joseph (as Bill Hartnell)
- 1942 · Sabotage at Sea as Jacob Digby
- 1942 · The Goose Steps Out as German Officer at Station
- 1942 · They Flew Alone as Scotty
- 1942 · Suspected Person as Saunders
- 1941 · Freedom Radio as Radio Location Aerial Operator (uncredited)
- 1940 · They Came by Night as Undetermined Role
- 1939 · Murder Will Out as Dick
- 1938 · They Drive by Night as Bus Conductor
- 1937 · Farewell Again as Minor Role
- 1936 · Midnight at Madame Tussaud's as Stubbs
- 1936 · The Crimson Circle as
- 1936 · Parisian Life as
- 1935 · The Guv'nor as Car Salesman
- 1934 · The Perfect Flaw as Vickers
- 1933 · The Lure as Billy
- 1933 · Follow the Lady as Mike Martindale