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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
January 8, 1908
Died
April 23, 1975
Place of Birth
Saint Pancras, London, England, UK
Also Known As
- Billy Hartnell
- Bill Hartnell
- Уильям Хартнелл
- William Henry Hartnell
William Hartnell
0.9 Popularity
Biography
William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975), also known as Billy Hartnell or Bill Hartnell, was an English actor. Hartnell played the first incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, from 1963 to 1966. He was also known for his roles as Sergeant Grimshaw, the title character of the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant in 1958, and Company Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in the sitcom The Army Game from 1957 until 1958, and again in 1960. Hartnell entered the theatre in 1925 working under Frank Benson as a general stagehand. He appeared in numerous Shakespearian plays, including The Merchant of Venice (1926), Julius Caesar (1926), As You Like It (1926), Hamlet (1926), The Tempest (1926) and Macbeth (1926). He also appeared in She Stoops to Conquer (1926), School for Scandal (1926) and Good Morning, Bill (1927), before performing in Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner (1928). This play was written by Robert Neilson Stephens and E. Lyall Swete. It featured the actress Heather McIntyre, whom he married during the following year. His first of more than sixty film appearances was in Say It With Music (1932). Hartnell continued to play comic characters until he was cast in the robust role of Sergeant Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead (1944). From then on his career was defined by playing mainly policemen, soldiers, and thugs. Hartnell's performance in This Sporting Life was noted by Verity Lambert, the producer who was setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC entitled Doctor Who; and, mainly on the strength of that performance, Lambert offered him the title role.
Known For
5.3
Dr. Who (archive footage) (uncredited)
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
2025
0.0
The Doctor (voice)
Doctor Who: The Savages
2025
7.2
The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
Doctor Who at the Proms
2024
8.0
The Doctor (voice)
Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker
2024
6.1
The Doctor (archive footage)
Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour
2023
5.0
Self / The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
Talking Doctor Who
2023
5.0
The Doctor
Tales of the Tardis
2023
0.0
The Doctor (voice)
Doctor Who: Galaxy 4
2021
0.0
Doctor Who
Doctor Who: Galaxy 4
2021
8.0
The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time
2017
Credits
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
as Dr. Who (archive footage) (uncredited)
2025
5.3
Doctor Who: The Savages
as The Doctor (voice)
2025
0.0
Doctor Who at the Proms
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2024
7.2
Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker
as The Doctor (voice)
2024
8.0
Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2023
6.1
Talking Doctor Who
as Self / The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2023
5.0
Tales of the Tardis
as The Doctor
2023
5.0
Doctor Who: Galaxy 4
as The Doctor (voice)
2021
0.0
Doctor Who: Galaxy 4
as Doctor Who
2021
0.0
Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2017
8.0
Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
2015
8.0
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2013
8.2
An Adventure in Space and Time
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2013
7.7
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
as Self
2013
6.4
Don't Lose Your Head: The Making of 'The Reign of Terror'
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2012
0.0
Vision On
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2012
0.0
The Sets of Marinus
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2009
0.0
Mounting the Rescue
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2009
0.0
Doctor Who: The Next Doctor
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2008
7.4
The Ties That Bind Us
as The First Doctor (archive footage)
2008
0.0
Creation of the Daleks
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2006
8.0
Doctor Who: Origins
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2006
8.5
Masters of Sound
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2006
8.0
Inside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2006
8.0
Future Memories: Making 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth'
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
2003
0.0
Remembering 'The Aztecs'
as The Doctor (archive footage)
2002
0.0
What's a Carry On?
as Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage) (uncredited)
1998
7.8
Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage) (uncredited)
1984
7.8
Doctor Who: The Five Doctors
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
1983
7.7
Doctor Who: Mawdryn Undead
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
1983
7.0
Doctor Who: Earthshock
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
1982
8.1
That's Carry On!
as Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage)
1977
5.7
Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius
as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
1976
8.2
Doctor Who: The Three Doctors
as The Doctor
1973
7.1
Doctor Who: Day of the Daleks
as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
1972
7.9
Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks
as The Doctor in the mirror (uncredited)
1966
8.1
Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet
as The Doctor (1)
1966
8.0
Doctor Who: The Smugglers
as The Doctor
1966
5.7
Doctor Who: The War Machines
as The Doctor
1966
7.4
Doctor Who: The Savages
as The Doctor
1966
7.3
Doctor Who: The Gunfighters
as The Doctor
1966
6.0
Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker
as The Doctor
1966
5.6
Doctor Who: The Ark
as The Doctor
1966
6.8
Doctor Who: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
as The Doctor / Abbot of Amboise
1966
7.5
Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan
as The Doctor
1966
7.8
Doctor Who: The Myth Makers
as The Doctor
1965
7.3
Doctor Who: Galaxy 4
as The Doctor
1965
5.7
Doctor Who: The Time Meddler
as The Doctor
1965
7.3
Doctor Who: The Chase
as The Doctor
1965
6.3
Doctor Who: The Space Museum
as The Doctor
1965
6.6
Doctor Who: The Crusade
as The Doctor
1965
6.2
Doctor Who: Lost in Time
as The Doctor
1965
0.0
Doctor Who: The Web Planet
as The Doctor
1965
5.7
Doctor Who: The Romans
as The Doctor
1965
7.9
Doctor Who: The Rescue
as The Doctor
1965
6.2
Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
as The Doctor
1964
7.3
Doctor Who: Planet of Giants
as The Doctor
1964
7.0
Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror
as The Doctor
1964
6.4
Doctor Who: The Sensorites
as The Doctor
1964
5.0
Doctor Who: The Aztecs
as The Doctor
1964
7.5
Doctor Who: The Keys of Marinus
as The Doctor
1964
5.9
Doctor Who: Marco Polo
as The Doctor
1964
7.3
Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction
as Dr. Who
1964
5.7
Doctor Who: The Daleks
as Dr. Who
1964
7.3
Doctor Who
as The Doctor
1963
7.9
Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child
as Dr. Who
1963
7.4
The World Ten Times Over
as Dad
1963
7.0
To Have and to Hold
as Insp. Roberts
1963
5.3
Tomorrow at Ten
as Freddie Maddox
1963
5.7
Heavens Above!
as Major Fowler
1963
6.4
This Sporting Life
as 'Dad' Johnson
1963
7.0
Ghost Squad
1961
5.0
Piccadilly Third Stop
as Colonel
1960
6.5
And the Same to You
as Walter 'Wally' Burton
1960
5.6
Jackpot
as Supt. Frawley
1960
5.0
The Desperate Man
as Smith
1959
5.0
The Night We Dropped a Clanger
as Sgt. Bright
1959
5.2
No Hiding Place
1959
3.7
The Mouse That Roared
as Will Buckley
1959
6.3
Shake Hands with the Devil
as Sergeant Jenkins
1959
6.5
Strictly Confidential
as Grimshaw
1959
4.5
Carry On Sergeant
as Sergeant Grimshawe
1958
6.4
🎬
On the Run
as Tom Casey
1958
0.0
Date with Disaster
as Tracey
1958
5.3
The Hypnotist
as Inspector Ross
1957
5.3
Hell Drivers
as Cartley, Hawlett Manager
1957
6.7
The Army Game
as Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore
1957
6.0
Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst
as Leading Seaman Leslie Frank
1957
7.2
Tons of Trouble
as Bert
1956
5.0
Private's Progress
as Sgt. Sutton
1956
6.6
🎬
Doublecross
as Herbert Whiteway
1956
7.0
Josephine and Men
as Detective Sgt. Parsons
1955
6.0
Footsteps in the Fog
as Herbert Moresby
1955
7.0
Will Any Gentleman...?
as Detective Inspector Martin
1953
5.6
The Holly and the Ivy
as Company Sergeant Major
1952
6.4
The Ringer
as Sam Hackett
1952
5.8
The Pickwick Papers
as Irate Cabman
1952
6.7
The Magic Box
as Recruiting Sergeant
1952
6.4
The Dark Man
as Superintendent of Police
1951
6.3
Double Confession
as Charlie Durham
1950
6.0
The Lost People
as Barnes
1949
5.7
Now Barabbas
as Warder Jackson
1949
6.5
Escape
as Inspector Harris
1948
5.4
Brighton Rock
as Dallow
1948
6.8
Temptation Harbour
as Jim Brown
1947
5.1
Odd Man Out
as Fencie - the barman
1947
7.3
Appointment with Crime
as Leo Martin
1946
5.9
A Defeated People
as Commentator (voice)
1946
6.1
Murder in Reverse?
as Tom Masterick
1945
6.5
The Agitator
as Peter Pettinger (as Billy Hartnell)
1945
6.0
Strawberry Roan
as Chris Lowe
1944
6.0
The Way Ahead
as Sgt. Ned Fletcher
1944
6.5
Headline
as Dell
1943
6.3
The Dark Tower
as Jim Towers (as Bill Hartnell)
1943
6.1
The Bells Go Down
as Brookes
1943
7.1
The Peterville Diamond
as Joseph (as Bill Hartnell)
1943
5.3
Sabotage at Sea
as Jacob Digby
1942
5.0
The Goose Steps Out
as German Officer at Station
1942
6.7
They Flew Alone
as Scotty
1942
6.0
Suspected Person
as Detective Saunders
1942
5.5
Freedom Radio
as Radio Location Aerial Operator (uncredited)
1941
6.3
They Came by Night
as Undetermined Role
1940
5.0
🎬
Murder Will Out
as Dick
1939
0.0
They Drive by Night
as Bus Conductor
1938
5.8
Farewell Again
as Minor Role
1937
5.0
Midnight at Madame Tussaud's
as Stubbs
1936
5.5
The Crimson Circle
1936
4.8
🎬
Parisian Life
1936
0.0
The Guv'nor
as Car Salesman
1935
7.3
🎬
The Perfect Flaw
as Vickers
1934
0.0
🎬
The Lure
as Billy
1933
0.0
🎬
Follow the Lady
as Mike Martindale
1933
0.0