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Patrick Troughton
Patrick Troughton was one of a select few classically trained actors to be cast by Laurence Olivier in his film Hamlet (1948). The young Troughton was also cast in another acclaimed Olivier production, Richard III (1955).
"When I finished in the role I was fairly young and I had to get back to the variety of roles which I had been doing. Otherwise, if you stay too long you come into a play and everyone says, 'Oh, it's Doctor Who!' And that's no good. You must try and get them to forget -- hoodwink them into forgetting."
Patrick Troughton
Patrick George Troughton
25 March 1920, Mill Hill, London, England
28 March 1987, Columbus, Georgia
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Patrick Troughton was born on 25 March 1920 and grew up in North London, where he was educated at Mill Hill Public School. In his teens he attended the Embassy School of Acting at Swiss Cottage, under Eileen Thorndike. From there he won a scholarship to the Leighton Rallius Studios at the John Drew Memorial Theatre on Long Island in New York, USA.
When the Second World War broke out, he returned to Britain on a Belgian ship. Just in sight of the coast it hit a mine and sank, but Troughton was fortunate enough to escape in a life boat.
In 1939 he joined the Tonbridge Repertory Company before joining the Royal Navy in 1940, rising through the ranks to attain the captaincy of a motor gunboat on duty in the North Sea. When he was demobbed in 1945 he returned to the theatre, working with the Amersham Repertory Company, the Bristol Old Vic Company and the Pilgrim Players at the Mercury Theatre in Nottingham.
He first broke into television, always to remain his favourite medium, in 1947. Notably early work included parts in "Robin Hood" (BBC 1953, title role), "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (ITC 1957, 1959), "Paul of Tarsus" (BBC 1960), title role), "Dr. Finlay's Casebook" (BBC 1962, semi-regular) and, perhaps best remembered of all, "The Old Curiosity Shop" (BBC 1962, as Quilp).
His cinema debut came in 1948, with small roles in "Hamlet" and the TCF production "Escape" (one of the stars of which was William Hartnell).
Patrick Troughton is best known for his portrayal of The Doctor in "Doctor Who" (1963), in (1966-69) replacing William Hartnell.
He was the father of David Troughton and Michael Troughton.
Troughton died while attending a science fiction convention (Magnum Opus Con) in the United States. His successor as the Doctor, Jon Pertwee, also died of a heart attack while visiting the U.S.
He was the grandfather of Sam Troughton and Warwickshire and England cricketer Jim Troughton. They are the sons of David Troughton.
He performed in regional repertory and with the Bristol Old Vic, the BBC Repertory Company and on the stage at London's West End.
Enjoyed reading philosophy and comparative religion.
Claimed to have had a "whale of a time" playing Dr Who on BBC television.
Once claimed his favourite role on television had been Daniel Quilp in "The Old Curiosity Shop" (1962).
He was an excellent swordsman.
Portrayed Adolf Hitler in the play "Eva Braun" on the stage at Edinburgh's Gateway Theatre. [1950]
Children: Joanna, Jane, David, Michael, Peter and Mark.
Stepchildren: Jill and Graham.
He was the only actor to play the Doctor and his archnemesis in the same story, which was "The Enemy of the World," in which he played a Hispanic dictator named Salamander.
Before World War II, he trained as an actor at the Embassy School of Acting in London, UK and at the Leighton Rallius Studio for Actors at the John Drew Memorial Theatre, Long Island, New York in the USA.
Grandchildren: Tierney and Florence Troughton.
He was the first actor to play the legendary folk hero Robin Hood on television, in "Robin Hood" (1953). The series ran for six episodes in March and April 1953 and were broadcast live. Coincidentally, his grandson Sam Troughton plays Much, a trusted friend and ally of the character, in "Robin Hood" (2006).
In 1948, he made his feature film debut as a shepherd in Escape (1948). One of the stars of the film was William Hartnell, his predecessor in the role of the Doctor in "Doctor Who" (1963). They had previously appeared in several plays together, one of which involved Troughton acting as Hartnell's understudy.
Along with Nicholas Courtney, he is one of only two actors to play the same character (the Second Doctor) in "Doctor Who" (1963) in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
When it was announced in 1980 that Peter Davison was to play the Fifth Doctor, he advised the 29-year-old actor to limit his time on the series to three years, as he had done, in order to avoid being typecast. Davison followed this advise. In March 1987, only weeks before Troughton's death, Davison advised Sylvester McCoy, who had been announced as the Seventh Doctor that month, to do likewise.
Of the five other actors to play the Doctor during his lifetime, he worked with all of them except for Tom Baker.
Of the first four actors to play the Doctor in "Doctor Who" (1963), he had the shortest lifespan at 67 years and three days.
He was the earliest living Doctor from the death of William Hartnell on April 23, 1975 until his own death on March 28, 1987. As he predeceased Jon Pertwee, nine months his senior, he was never the oldest living Doctor.
He was the grandfather of Harry Melling (his daughter Joanna Troughton Melling's son).
Far from the first choice for the lead role as the second incarnation of "Doctor Who" (1963). Geoffrey Bayldon, for the second time; Ron Moody; Michael Hordern; and 'Peter Jeffrey (I)' all turned it down.
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"Doctor Who" (1963) gave me a chance to indulge my passion for dressing up and being able to have some sly fun as well as a bit of clowning." "If I had not been an actor I would quite like to have been a teacher. Children keep one young." "I have been asked what impact the part of the Doctor had on my career and I can honestly say none. For, luckily, I got out in time before I was too typecast.
I've done a lot of swashbuckling in my time - ever since Joy Harington gave me my first real television chance in Kidnapped (1956) (TV).
"I'm ready to play anything."
"If, as a character actor, you go around promoting your own personality, you're defeating the very thing you're trying to achieve as an actor, which is to be anonymous as a person and only emerge as somebody else on screen. That's the main reason I've stayed away from interviews. It's like a conjurer telling you how he does his tricks all the time."
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