William Russell (actor)
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| William Russell | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Russell Enoch November 19, 1924 Sunderland, England |
| Spouse(s) | Balbina Gutierrez (divorced) Etheline Margareth Lewis Enoch |
William Russell (born William Russell Enoch on November 19, 1924 in Sunderland, England) is a British actor, mainly known for his television work.
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[edit] Doctor Who
Russell was one of the four original cast members to pilot and begin Doctor Who in 1963 (opposite William Hartnell, Carole Ann Ford and Jacqueline Hill). Russell played the character of Ian Chesterton during Season 1 and Season 2 of Doctor Who. He continues to work with the role of Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who recording some of the earlier stories such as The Aztecs, The Crusadeand The Romans. He provided linking narration for the missing episodes, in character as an aged Ian reminiscing about the events of the story. Since 2002 he has also provided audio commentaries for various Doctor Who stories DVD releases. He read audio book versions of three early Doctor Who novelisations. He gave linking narration for CD releases of the fan-recorded off-air soundtracks of serials in which he appeared from which some or all of the episodes are also missing.
[edit] Movies
Russell appeared in British films from 1950 onwards, appearing in well-known productions such as They Who Dare (1953 , The Man Who Never Was (1956) and The Great Escape (1963). He also later had a minor role in Superman: The Movie (1978).
His big break was the title role in The Adventures of Sir Lancelot on ITV in 1956, which for sale to the NBC network in the U.S. became the first British television series to be shot in colour. Following this, he won a role in Doctor Who as one of the Doctor's companions, science teacher Ian Chesterton, appearing in the bulk of the first two seasons of the programme.
[edit] Theatre
He has subsequently played a number of roles in theatre with The Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre and the opening season of The Globe Theatre.
[edit] Television
On television he played in many plays and series including Disraeli, Testament of Youth and the part of Ted Sullivan, the short-lived second husband of Rita Sullivan in Coronation Street. (Ted already had a terminal illness when he married Rita in 1992, and died peacefully while watching a bowling match). He also had a small part in an episode of the first series of Blackadder (1983), as a late replacement for Wilfrid Brambell, who had become impatient with delays to his scene and left the set before shooting it.
In the 1980s, while being in the Actors Touring Company he used the name of Russell Enoch, professionally. However, when he left the Company he reverted to William Russell.
He continued to act in other roles on stage and television, the last being as the character of Lanscombe in an episode of the 2005 series of Agatha Christie's Poirot ("After the Funeral").
From his first marriage to Balbnina Gutierrez a French actress, he has three children Vanessa, Laetitia and Robert and three grandchildren Elise, Amy and James. Alfred Enoch, his son from his second marriage to Etheline Margareth Lewis Enoch a Brazilian physician, plays Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films.
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Russell, William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Enoch, Russell (Real name) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | English actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 19, 1924 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sunderland, England UK |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
