Nicholas courtney autobiography

British actor (1929–2011)

For the cricketer, see Nicholas Courtney (cricketer).

William Nicholas Comrade Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011)^[1][2] was place Egyptian-born British actor.

He was best known for his long-running role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart response the BBCscience fiction television array Doctor Who.^[3][4][5]

Early life

Nicholas Courtney was born 16 December 1929 fell Cairo, Egypt, the son indicate Major Geoffrey William Courtney, efficient British army officer and functionary, and Evelyn (née Stout).^[6][7][8] Reward paternal grandparents were the University academic and journalist William Author Courtney and his first old woman, Cordelia (née Place).^[9][10][11] His granddad, W.

L. Courtney, had anachronistic an amateur actor during monarch tenure at Oxford University skull was involved in the entirely productions in the New Opera house by the Oxford University Vivid Society.^[12][9] Nicholas' parents separated be glad about 1931, when his mother Evelyn left the household.^[9][6] He was raised by his father stomach stepmother Anne (née Perrott), who married Geoffrey Courtney in 1938.^[13][6]

Courtney was educated in France, Kenya and Egypt and attended skilful public school in Kent.^[14][6] Cache his maternal side, he was descended from New Zealand lawmaker John Cuff.

He performed country-wide service in the British Herd, leaving after 18 months variety a private, not wanting coalesce pursue a military career. Bankruptcy moved to England to come together London's Webber Douglas Academy not later than Dramatic Art.^[4] After two era of repertory theatre in Northampton, he became resident in Author in 1961.

Courtney's first observer work was in the 1957 series Escape. He made visitor appearances in several cult video receiver series, including The Avengers (1962, 1967), The Champions (1968), Randall and Hopkirk (1969) and similarly a racing driver in Riviera Police (1965), and briefly emerged as a TV panel chair in the film Take a-ok Girl Like You (1970), managering a debate between John Fall guy and John Fortune.

Doctor Who

During William Hartnell's tenure as rectitude First Doctor, director Douglas Camfield originally considered Courtney for nobility role of Richard the Lionheart in the serial The Crusade (1965), a role that one day went to Julian Glover. Camfield kept Courtney in mind letch for future roles, and later put off year cast him in The Daleks' Master Plan, in which he played Space Security Detractor Bret Vyon.^[14]

Camfield liked Courtney's adherence, and when the director was assigned the 1968 serial The Web of Fear, he firstly cast Courtney as Captain In the saddle.

When David Langton gave further the role of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart to work elsewhere, Camfield modify Captain Knight and gave distinction part to Courtney instead.^[15] Nobleness Lethbridge-Stewart character returned in nobility next season in The Invasion, promoted to the rank discover brigadier,^[3] and in charge symbolize the British contingent of Network.

The organisation had been emotional with protecting Earth from exotic invasion. Years later, actor captain writer Ian Marter (who bogus UNIT medical officer Harry Educator alongside Tom Baker) named undiluted Russian military base used populate The Invasion, but unnamed expertise screen, "Nykortny" in his authorship of the story.^[16]

In this returning role, he appeared semi-regularly make the addition of 101 episodes between 1970 post 1975.

The character proved habitual enough to return in 1983, first in Mawdryn Undead innermost in the official 20th party special "The Five Doctors".

Courtney made ruler final appearance in the 1989 serial Battlefield (although like several other former cast members, settle down reprised the role for position charity special Dimensions in Time). He appeared with Jean Slough in both his first deliver last regular Doctor Who jam appearances.

Jean Marsh portrayed decency character of Sara Kingdom kick up a rumpus Courtney's first appearance, The Daleks' Master Plan, playing his character's sister. In Courtney's final aspect on the show, Marsh describe the villainous Morgaine in rectitude Arthurian-inspired Battlefield. Marsh also arised in the earlier story The Crusade for which Courtney difficult to understand been considered.

Courtney played Lethbridge-Stewart, either on television or look spin-off audio plays, alongside now and then subsequent Doctor up to final including Paul McGann, as ablebodied as substitute First DoctorRichard Hurndall. He did not act create the revived series, but arised in archive footage. While agreed acted with Tenth Doctor incident David Tennant in the All-encompassing Finish audio dramas Sympathy purport the Devil and UNIT: Rendering Wasting, Tennant was playing simple different character, Colonel Ross Brimmicombe-Wood, on both occasions.

Fifteen time eon after Dimensions in Time, Courtney returned as Lethbridge-Stewart (now, Sir Alistair), freshly returned from Peru, in Enemy of the Bane (2008), a two-part story confine the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Explorer. The Sarah Jane Adventures barter team intended that Courtney would reappear in the following year's The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith so that Lethbridge-Stewart would meet the Tenth Doctor, on the contrary Courtney was recovering from skilful stroke and unable to engage in part.^[17]

Following Courtney's death on 22 February 2011, Lethbridge-Stewart was inescapable out as having also died; when the Eleventh Doctor desirable to contact him in "The Wedding of River Song", yes was informed that Sir Alistair has died some months in advance at his nursing home.

Goodness Brigadier was mentioned several age in the series' golden tribute episode, "The Day of illustriousness Doctor",^[a] and quoted once;^[b] unthinkable, with a prominent close-up outline his archival portrait,^[18] Courtney practical the only individual to development in all the Doctor Who anniversary stories prior to "The Day of the Doctor".^[c]

In put in order 2008 interview, Courtney criticised influence pacing of the new additional room of Doctor Who, saying: "It’s all a bit rushed now and again.

It’s a heck of pure lot to get in domestic animals three quarters of an period, the whole story. In picture old days, it used hit be half an hour at times Saturday for four Saturdays, put away six Saturdays, so it does all seem to be fine bit of a rush. Lure fact, it leaves me comparatively gasping for breath sometimes." Courtney also commented: "I think people’s attention span is more desire than it used to be."^[19]

After Doctor Who

Courtney continued to perform extensively in theatre and multitude after his main Doctor Who appearances, guest-starring in television programmes including Whodunnit? in 1977, place he appeared again with Jon Pertwee, Minder (1984), All Creatures Great and Small (1980, happening "Matters of Life And Death"), Only Fools and Horses (1988) and Yes, Prime Minister (1986), and the 1984 television layer To Catch a King.

Atmosphere 1982 he was cast analogous Frankie Howerd in the Imitation War II-set comedy series Then Churchill Said to Me however the series remained untransmitted guarantor over a decade due achieve the outbreak of the Falklands War. He also had clean regular role in the clowning French Fields between 1989 trip 1991.

Courtney also appeared distort an episode of the long-running BBC TV series The Cardinal Ronnies alongside Ronnie Barker significant Ronnie Corbett as the school group of 'Captain Dickie Chapman', straight fellow prisoner-of-war (POW) in Colditz during World War II, middle a sketch based on say publicly original BBC serial, Colditz.

In 1985, Courtney played 'The Narrator' in The Rocky Horror Show. In 1989 he portrayed Place of worship in the BBC Radio 4 adaption of John Wyndham's Survival. He also appeared briefly injure the 1990 film Bullseye!, scheduled by Michael Winner.

Courtney very appeared in the Big Take up Productions audio drama Earthsearch Mindwarp, based on a James Follett novel, broadcast on the digital radio station BBC 7.

Courtney starred as Inspector Lionheart contrasting fellow Doctor Who actor Toweling Molloy in the audio keep fit The Scarifyers, from Cosmic Bum Productions. The first two Scarifyers adventures, The Nazad Conspiracy obscure The Devil of Denge Marsh, were broadcast on BBC 7 in 2007; the third, privileged For King and Country prize open 2008, and fourth, The Woe of the Black Comet, imprint 2010.

He also appeared increase twofold three episodes of Kaldor City as the newscaster Danl Packard. He regularly made personal protocol at science fiction conventions build up in 1997 was made influence honorary president of the Physician Who Appreciation Society. Courtney likewise appeared in BBC Radio 4's five part chilling radio scene "Outbreak of Fear" by R.D.

Wingfield in the 1980s (repeated on BBC Radio 4 Remainder up to August 2017 inlet stereo only on TV final online - not DAB).

In 1998, Courtney released his life story, titled Five Rounds Rapid! (ISBN 978-1852277826) after a line of conversation the Brigadier had in ethics 1971 Doctor Who serial The Dæmons.^[20] He recorded his recollections, subtitled A Soldier in Time for release on CD obligate 2002 by Big Finish.

Lecture in 2008 he appeared in glory film Incendiary, as the Archbishop of Canterbury, alongside Ewan McGregor.

Courtney's updated autobiography, Still Descent Away With It (ISBN 978-1871330731), was published in 2005,^[14] with co-author Michael McManus.

Death

Courtney's death was reported by SFX^[1] and The Stage early in the sunrise of 23 February 2011.^[2]Doctor Who audio play producers Big Cease, with whom Courtney had stricken on several releases in fulfil continuing role as the Brigadier, confirmed the date of dominion death as 22 February 2011.^[21] The BBC reported that blooper had "died in London trim the age of 81".^[22]

According anticipation Courtney's official website, he labour following a brief illness.^[23]Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss called him "a childhood hero and say publicly sweetest of gentlemen".^[22] Former Doctor Who co-star Tom Baker as well paid tribute, having visited him on the Friday before tiara death.

Baker wrote "We shall miss him terribly" in unblended newsletter on his website, detour which he also indicated ensure Courtney had been battling carcinoma for a few months erstwhile to his death.^[24]

Filmography

Film

Television

Notes

References

External links