Roger Delgado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roger Delgado
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Delgado as the Master in The Mind of Evil (1971)
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| Born |
Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto
1 March 1918 Whitechapel, London, England
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| Died | 18 June 1973 (aged 55) |
| Cause of death | Car crash |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1939–1973 |
| Known for | First actor to play The Master in Doctor Who (1971–1973) |
| Spouse(s) | Olga Anthonisz (divorced) Kismet Shahani
(m. 1957) |
Roger Delgado was a British actor. He was born on March 1, 1918, and passed away on June 18, 1973. He acted in many TV shows, radio programs, and movies. He was well-known for playing bad guys, or "villains," in his early career.
Delgado became most famous for being the very first actor to play the Master in the popular science fiction show Doctor Who. He played this role from 1971 to 1973.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Roger Delgado was born in a part of London called Whitechapel. This area is in the East End of London. He often told his friend and Doctor Who co-star Jon Pertwee that being born there made him a true Cockney. A Cockney is someone born within hearing distance of the Bow bells church.
Even though he was born in the East End, Roger grew up in Bedford Park in west London. His mother was from Belgium, and his father was from Spain. He went to Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, which was a Roman Catholic school. He also studied for a short time at the London School of Economics but did not finish his degree.
During the Second World War, Roger served in the army. He was part of both the Leicestershire Regiment and the Royal Corps of Signals. He reached the rank of major, which is a high position in the army.
Acting Career
Roger Delgado had a very busy acting career. He performed a lot on stage in Britain. He also appeared on television, in movies, and on the radio. His first time acting on stage was in 1939. His first TV appearance was in 1948.
He was in a BBC TV show called Quatermass II in 1955. He also appeared in a war movie called Battle of the River Plate in 1956. Roger became widely known in Britain when he played Mendoza, a tricky Spanish messenger, in the TV series Sir Francis Drake from 1961 to 1962. After this, many people wanted him to act in their shows.
Roger Delgado often played villain roles. He appeared in many British action-adventure TV shows. These included Danger Man (1961), The Saint (1962 and 1966), The Champions (1969), and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969). He was also in The Avengers (1961 and 1969).
The Master in Doctor Who
Roger Delgado started playing the Master in Doctor Who in late 1970. His first episode as the Master was Terror of the Autons in January 1971. He played this famous villain opposite the Third Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee.
He appeared as the Master in many Doctor Who stories. These included The Mind of Evil, The Claws of Axos, Colony in Space, The Dæmons, The Sea Devils, The Time Monster, and Frontier in Space. The Master was meant to have a final story called The Final Game. This was planned to be the last story for Jon Pertwee's Doctor too. However, this story was canceled after Roger Delgado's sudden death. It was replaced by Planet of the Spiders.
Personal Life
Roger Delgado was married twice. His first marriage was to Olga Anthonisz, but it ended in divorce. In 1957, he married Kismet Shahani. They stayed together until his death in 1973. Kismet Shahani passed away in 2017.
Death
Roger Delgado died on June 18, 1973, while working in Nevşehir, Turkey. He was filming a TV mini-series called La Cloche tibétaine (Tibetan Bell). This show was about a famous journey across Asia in cars.
Roger was killed in a car crash. The car he was riding in went off the road and fell into a deep ditch. Two Turkish film workers also died in the accident. Roger was 55 years old when he passed away.
For many years, people were unsure what happened to Roger Delgado's remains. It was later found that his ashes were scattered on June 27, 1973. This happened at the Garden of Remembrance in Mortlake Cemetery in Southwest London. He had been cremated there.
The TV series he was filming in Turkey continued after his death. It was shown on French and German television in 1974–1975. Roger Delgado can be seen in episode 4 of the series, playing a small character named Paco.
Jon Pertwee, who played the Third Doctor, often said that Roger Delgado's death was one reason he decided to leave Doctor Who the next year.
Film and Television Appearances
Roger Delgado had a long career in both movies and television. He often played characters from different countries, especially villains.
In films, he appeared in many different types of movies. Some of his roles included parts in Battle of the River Plate (1956), The Terror of the Tongs (1961), The Road to Hong Kong (1962), and The Mummy's Shroud (1967). His last film role was in Antony and Cleopatra (1972).
On television, besides his famous role as the Master in Doctor Who, he was a guest star in many popular shows. He appeared in Quatermass II (1955), Sir Francis Drake (1961–1962), and several ITC action series like Danger Man and The Saint. His final TV appearance was in La Cloche tibétaine (1974), which he was filming when he died.
See also
In Spanish: Roger Delgado para niños
