William Russell, one of the earliest companions in BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, has died aged 99. He passed away on June 3.
The Doctor Who X account posted the news, writing: “We’re sad to report the passing of William Russell, a legend in #DoctorWho history – who played one of the first and original companions to the Doctor, Ian Chesterton.”
Current showrunner Russell T Davies, who is into his second stint at the helm, also posted his condolences to X.
“An absolute legend, for Doctor Who and the whole of television,” he wrote. “In 1963, William created the template for the Doctor’s companion, and that’s still going strong, 61 years later. He’s adored by fandom, and will never be forgotten.”
Born in 1924, Russell quickly gained prominence in the UK when he was cast as lead in ITV’s The Adventures of Sir Lancelot in the mid-1950s.
William Russell (left) with William Hartnell, Jacqueline Hill & Carole Ann Ford in ‘Doctor Who’ (1963)
BBC/Everett Collection
In 1963, he landed the Doctor Who role, playing Chesterton, a schoolteacher who acted opposite William Hartnell, the very first Doctor, until 1965. He appeared in 77 episodes of the sci-fi series’ original run, and also reprised the character for various podcasts and one 2022 cameo in ‘The Power of the Doctor’ episode.
Doctor Who remains a huge success and recently launched its latest incarnation with Ncuti Gatwa, which is co-produced for Disney+.
During a lengthy acting career, Russell’s other acting credits included film roles in The Man Who Never Was, Superman and The Great Escape. He also played Ted Sullivan in Coronation Street, along with appearing more recently in Agatha Christie: Poirot and An Adventure in Space and Time.
Russell is survived by wife Etheline and four children, including Alfred Enoch, who starred in the Harry Potter movies.
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