William Hartnell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Hartnell
Hartnell in 1946
Born	William Henry Hartnell (1908-01-08)8 January 1908 London, England
Died	23 April 1975(1975-04-23) (aged 67) Marden, Kent, England
Years active	1925–1973
Spouse(s)	Heather McIntyre ​ (m. 1929)​
Children	1

William Henry Hartnell (born January 8, 1908 – died April 23, 1975) was an English actor. He is best known for playing the First Doctor in the famous science-fiction TV show Doctor Who. He played the role from 1963 to 1966.

Before Doctor Who, Hartnell appeared in many films. These included Brighton Rock (1949) and This Sporting Life (1963). He often played military characters, like Company Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in The Army Game and Sergeant Grimshaw in Carry On Sergeant (1958).

Early Life of William Hartnell

William Hartnell was born on January 8, 1908, in St Pancras, London, England. He was the only child of Lucy Hartnell. He never knew who his father was.

William was raised by a foster mother for some time. He also spent holidays in Devon with his mother's family, who were farmers. There, he learned to ride horses. Once, he had an accident and was kicked by a horse. This left a scar on his temple.

When he was 16, William met an art collector named Hugh Blaker. Blaker became like a guardian to him. He helped William train to be a jockey. He also helped him get into the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, a drama school. William later married Heather McIntyre. They lived in a property near Blaker. Their daughter was born there in 1929.

William Hartnell's Acting Career

Hartnell in 1950

Starting in Theatre and Film

William Hartnell began his acting career in 1925. He worked as a stagehand for Frank Benson. He acted in many plays by William Shakespeare. These included The Merchant of Venice and Hamlet.

In 1928, he acted in a play called Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner. He met actress Heather McIntyre in this play. They got married the next year. His first film role was in Say It With Music (1932). He also did radio work, starting in 1931.

During World War II, Hartnell joined the British Army. He served in the Tank Corps. However, he had to leave after 18 months due to health problems. He then returned to acting.

He often played tough characters like policemen, soldiers, and even villains. This meant he was often "typecast." This means he kept getting similar roles. For example, he played a sergeant in the first Carry On comedy, Carry On Sergeant (1958). He also played a military character in The Mouse That Roared (1959).

His first regular TV role was Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in The Army Game (1957). He also had a supporting role in the film This Sporting Life (1963). In this film, he played a kind rugby talent scout. Hartnell saw himself as a serious actor for theatre and film.

Becoming the Doctor in Doctor Who

The producer of a new BBC science-fiction show, Doctor Who, liked Hartnell's acting in This Sporting Life. She offered him the main role of the Doctor. At first, Hartnell was not sure about joining a children's show. But the producer, Verity Lambert, convinced him.

Playing the Doctor became his most famous role. Hartnell later said he took the part to get away from playing tough, military characters. He also loved the attention and affection he got from children. His first Doctor Who episode aired on November 23, 1963.

By 1966, Hartnell earned a good salary for each episode. He wore a wig to play the Doctor, as the character had long hair. He described the Doctor as a "wizard" and a mix between the Wizard of Oz and Father Christmas.

Some people who worked with Hartnell found him difficult. However, others, like actors William Russell and Peter Purves, and producer Verity Lambert, spoke highly of him. His granddaughter, Jessica Carney, wrote his biography. She said he could sometimes make prejudiced comments. But she added that he was kind to people he liked, no matter their background.

Hartnell's health started to get worse. He had a condition called arteriosclerosis, which affected his memory. This made it hard for him to remember his lines. He also had problems with the new production team. Because of his health, he left Doctor Who in 1966.

The show's producer came up with a clever idea. Since the Doctor is an alien, he could change his body. This was called regeneration. Hartnell suggested Patrick Troughton to play the next Doctor. In the episode The Tenth Planet, the First Doctor changed into the Second Doctor.

Hartnell returned to Doctor Who for the show's tenth anniversary special. This was The Three Doctors (1972–73). By then, his health was much worse. He had to read his lines from cue cards. This was his last acting job. Many of his early Doctor Who episodes are now missing from the archives. This is because old shows were often thrown away back then.

Personal Life

William Hartnell was married to Heather McIntyre from May 9, 1929, until his death. They had one daughter, Heather Anne, and two grandchildren. They lived in different places in England, including Thames Ditton Island and Mayfield, East Sussex. Later in life, they lived in Marden, Kent. Heather Hartnell passed away in 1984.

Later Life and Death

William Hartnell's health continued to decline in the early 1970s. In December 1974, he was admitted to the hospital for good. In early 1975, he had several strokes. These were caused by a brain disease. He died peacefully in his sleep from heart failure on April 23, 1975. He was 67 years old.

Legacy and Tributes

William Hartnell's granddaughter, Judith "Jessica" Carney, wrote his only biography. It is called Who's There? The Life and Career of William Hartnell. It was first published in 1996. She updated and republished it in 2013 for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.

In 2013, the BBC made a TV movie called An Adventure in Space and Time. This film showed how Doctor Who was created. Actor David Bradley played William Hartnell in the movie.

On October 14, 2018, a blue plaque was put up at Ealing Studios. This plaque honors Hartnell's work in film and television. His granddaughter, Jessica Carney, unveiled it.

Filmography

Film

Television

Images for kids

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  Hartnell in 1946

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  Hartnell in 1950

• William Hartnell, 1965.jpg

  William Hartnell as the First Doctor in 1965

See also

In Spanish: William Hartnell para niños