pertwee

John Devon Roland Pertwee (7 July 1919 [1] – 20 May 1996), better known as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, where he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974

Born John Devon Roland Pertwee

7 July 1919(1919-07-07)

Chelsea, London, England

Died 20 May 1996 (aged 76)

Timber Lake, Connecticut, USA

Spouse(s) Jean Marsh (1955-1960)

Ingeborg Rhoesa (1960-1996)

Doctor Who (1970-1974)

In 1969 he was selected by producer Peter Bryant to take over as the Doctor from Patrick Troughton in the television series Doctor Who. In a departure from the Doctor's first two incarnations, Pertwee played the character as an interplanetary crusader with a penchant for action. He played the Doctor for five seasons from 1970 to 1974, at the time the longest stint of any of the actors who played the part, surpassing predecessors William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton's three years each in the role. Only his immediate successor, Tom Baker, would play the Doctor for longer (seven years from 1974-1981). In early 1974, Pertwee announced he would step down as the Doctor in order to resume his stage career in The Breadwinner, also citing typecasting in the role as a reason for quitting. His final regular appearance in the series was in the story Planet of the Spiders in June 1974.

On 14 April 1971, Pertwee was the subject of Thames Television's This Is Your Life which featured the first television appearance of his son Sean Pertwee, who went on to become an actor.