William Russell (English actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Russell
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Russell pictured in Blighty in August 1953
|
|
| Born |
William Russell Enoch
19 November 1924 |
| Died | 3 June 2024 (aged 99) |
| Other names | Russell Enoch |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1949–2022 |
|
Notable work
|
Doctor Who |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 4, including Alfred Enoch |
William Russell Enoch (born 19 November 1924 – died 3 June 2024) was a famous English actor. He was known by two names: Russell Enoch and William Russell. He acted for over 70 years in plays, movies, and TV shows. He first became well-known for playing the main character in the TV series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956–1957). In 1963, he joined the first cast of the popular BBC show Doctor Who. He played the schoolteacher Ian Chesterton from the very first episode until 1965.
William Russell also appeared in several movies, including The Man Who Never Was (1956), The Great Escape (1963), and Superman (1978). On television, he played Ted Sullivan in Coronation Street in 1992. Later in his life, he returned to Doctor Who for a special appearance in 2022. He played Ian Chesterton again in "The Power of the Doctor", 57 years after his character left the show. This earned him a Guinness World Record for the longest time between TV appearances!
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
William Russell Enoch was born on 19 November 1924 in Sunderland, a town in County Durham, England. His parents were Eva Compston and Alfred James Enoch. He went to Wolverhampton Grammar School and Oxford University. From a young age, he was very interested in acting.
During his national service in the Royal Air Force, he helped organize entertainment for others. After university, he started acting in repertory theatre, which means performing in different plays with a group of actors.
Becoming Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who
In 1963, William Russell was chosen to play Ian Chesterton in the new TV show Doctor Who. Ian was a science teacher and was the Doctor's first male companion (traveling friend). Russell appeared in almost all episodes of the first two seasons.
He was one of the four original actors in Doctor Who. He starred alongside William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor. The other original cast members were Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright and Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman. Later, Maureen O'Brien joined as Vicki.
His first time filming for the show was a pilot episode that wasn't shown until much later. The first episode that aired was part of a story called An Unearthly Child. William Russell and Jacqueline Hill left the show together in an episode called "The Planet of Decision," which was part of the story The Chase.
Later Doctor Who Connections
Even after leaving Doctor Who, William Russell stayed connected to the show. He often lent his voice to audiobooks of old Doctor Who episodes that were missing their video parts. He also appeared in new Doctor Who audio stories made by Big Finish Productions.
In 1999, he even returned to play Ian Chesterton for the video release of an old story called The Crusade. Some episodes of this story were lost, so he filmed new scenes to help connect the existing parts. He also shared his memories and thoughts in audio commentaries and interviews for the Doctor Who DVDs.
In 2013, the BBC made a TV movie called An Adventure in Space and Time. This movie was about how Doctor Who was created. William Russell had a small role in it, playing a security guard.
That same year, he played both Ian Chesterton and even the First Doctor in an audio play called The Light at the End. This was made to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary. At 88 years old, he became the oldest person to play the Doctor at that time.
His very last acting role was a special appearance as Ian Chesterton in the 2022 Doctor Who episode "The Power of the Doctor". This return, 57 years after his character's last appearance, earned him a Guinness World Record.
Personal Life
In 1953, William Russell married Balbina Gutierrez. They had three children named Robert, Laetitia, and Vanessa. They later divorced.
In 1984, he married his second wife, Etheline Margareth Lewis, who was a doctor from Barbados and Brazil. Their son, Alfred Enoch, was born in 1988. Alfred also became an actor! He is well-known for playing Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter movies and Wes Gibbins in the TV series How to Get Away with Murder. William and Alfred even acted together in the 2020 movie Executive Order.
William Russell passed away on 3 June 2024, at the age of 99.
Notable Roles
William Russell had a long and varied acting career. Here are some of his most notable roles in film and television:
Film Roles
He appeared in many British films starting in the 1950s. Some well-known movies he was in include:
- They Who Dare (1954)
- One Good Turn (1955)
- The Man Who Never Was (1956)
- The Great Escape (1963)
- Superman (1978), where he played an "8th Elder"
Television Roles
His big break on TV was playing the main character in The Adventures of Sir Lancelot in 1956. This was the first British TV series to be filmed in color for sale to American TV. He also acted in many other TV plays and series, such as:
- Nicholas Nickleby (1957), playing the main character
- Disraeli (1978)
- Testament of Youth (1979)
- Coronation Street (1992), where he played Ted Sullivan
- A small part in The Black Adder (1983)
- Robin of Sherwood (1986), as the Duke of Gloucester
- Agatha Christie's Poirot (2005), in the episode "After the Funeral"
Audio Roles
William Russell also lent his voice to many audio plays and audiobooks, especially related to Doctor Who. He often played Ian Chesterton in these stories, helping to continue the adventures of his character for fans. He also narrated several stories.
Images for kids
-
Russell pictured in Blighty in August 1953
See also
In Spanish: William Russell (actor británico) para niños
