Virgil Tracy
| Virgil Tracy | |
|---|---|
| Thunderbirds character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "Trapped in the Sky" (30 September 1965) |
| Last appearance | Thunderbirds (2004 film) |
| Created by | Gerry Anderson |
| Portrayed by |
David Holliday (1965; voice work) Jeremy Wilkin (1966, 1968; voice work) Dominic Colenso (2004 film) |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Family |
Jeff Tracy (father) John Tracy (brother) Scott Tracy (brother) Gordon Tracy (brother) Alan Tracy (brother) Grandma Tracy (grandmother) |
| Nationality | American |
Virgil Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds.
Third son of Jeff Tracy (instigator and financier behind International Rescue), Virgil was named after astronaut Virgil Grissom. Sources vary in the canon of the Thunderbirds series as to Virgil's age and birth date. On the factfile for the DVD compilation Virgil's Birthday is stated as August 15, 2041 making him 24 years old. After studying at Denver School of Advanced Technology, he took up his role in International Rescue as principal pilot of Thunderbird 2. Besides piloting the delivery carrier of the rescue equipment he is usually called upon to operate the equipment and effect a rescue on site. Virgil occasionally pilots other Thunderbird crafts, for instance in "Ricochet", Virgil is seen piloting Thunderbird 3 on return from Thunderbird 5 after helping sort out a communications blackout that put International Rescue out of operation for a couple of hours.
Virgil is as dedicated to his calling as any of his brothers. For instance, in "Terror in New York City," when Virgil is seriously injured when TB2 is mistakenly attacked by a US warship, his first thoughts upon reawakening are his alarm at the fact that his craft is out of service for repairs when it could be needed at any time. Furthermore, he later has to be ordered back to bed by his father when such an emergency occurs. His off-duty demeanour is much less boisterous than his other brothers, indulging in painting and playing the piano.
Along with Jeff and Scott, Virgil is the only other Tracy to appear in all 32 episodes of Thunderbirds. However, he does not play a role in every rescue operation. He was also the first character to use the International Rescue radio code "F-A-B" in the first episode.
Virgil was voiced by American actor David Holliday for the 26 episodes of series 1 (1965). When Holliday was no longer available, British-Canadian actor Jeremy Wilkin provided the voice for the 6 episodes of series 2 (1966) and the two feature films. Dominic Colenso portrayed Virgil in the 2004 live action film.
Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan is nicknamed "Virgil" (after Virgil Tracy) for his likeness to the character.[1]
References
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||
