William Russell, Original Doctor Who Companion, Dead at 99

William Russell, an actor who played one of Doctor Who’s first companions, died Monday. He was 99 years old.

“We’re sad to report the passing of William Russell,” the show’s official X account posted, “a legend in #DoctorWho history who played one of the first and original companions to the Doctor, Ian Chesterton.”

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Russell T Davies, the series’ current showrunner, called Russell “an absolute legend.”

“In 1963, William created the template for the Doctor’s companion, and that’s still going strong, 61 years later,” he said in a statement. “He’s adored by [the] fandom, and will never be forgotten.”

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Russell starred in 77 episodes of the sci-fi series’ original run, and also reprised the character (in voice only) for various podcasts and offshoots including Doctor Who: Short Trips, Doctor Who: The Lost Stories and more.

In 2022, Russell earned the Guinness World Record for the longest gap between TV appearances. He reprised Ian in the flesh in an episode titled “The Power of the Doctor” 57 years after the character’s previous appearance.

The actor was also known for portraying Ted Sullivan on the ITV series Coronation Street for 47 episodes in 1992. His other notable credits include the 1963 film The Great Escape, the TV series Harriet’s Back in Town and Superman (1978).

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