William Hartnell

Actor Jan 8 (died age 67) Saint Pancras, London, England, UK 1933–2025 (92 year career)

6.5 avg rating

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 u…

Known For

Film

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

Film

Doctor Who

The Doctor

Film

An Adventure in Space and Time

The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

Film

Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song

The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)

Film

Doctor Who: The Next Doctor

The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

Film

Odd Man Out

Fencie - the barman

Film

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

Film

This Sporting Life

'Dad' Johnson

Filmography

Acting (135)

Movies (125)

Lights Out

2025

as The 1st Doctor

Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War

2025

as Dr. Who (archive footage) (uncredited)

5.4

Doctor Who: The Savages

2025

as The Doctor (voice)

Doctor Who at the Proms

2024

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

7.2

Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker

2024

as The Doctor (voice)

8.0

Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour

2023

as The Doctor (archive footage)

6.1

Talking Doctor Who

2023

as Self / The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

5.0

Doctor Who: Galaxy 4

2021

as The Doctor (voice)

6.0

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

2017

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

8.0

Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song

2015

as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)

8.0

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

2013

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

8.2

An Adventure in Space and Time

2013

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

7.7

Don't Lose Your Head: The Making of 'The Reign of Terror'

2012

as The Doctor (archive footage)

Vision On

2012

as The Doctor (archive footage)

Mounting the Rescue

2009

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

The Sets of Marinus

2009

as The Doctor (archive footage)

Doctor Who: The Next Doctor

2008

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

7.4

The Ties That Bind Us

2008

as The First Doctor (archive footage)

Inside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS

2006

as The Doctor (archive footage)

8.0

Masters of Sound

2006

as The Doctor (archive footage)

8.0

Creation of the Daleks

2006

as The Doctor (archive footage)

8.0

Doctor Who: Origins

2006

as The Doctor (archive footage)

8.5

Future Memories: Making 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth'

2003

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

Remembering 'The Aztecs'

2002

as The Doctor (archive footage)

What's a Carry On?

1998

as Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage) (uncredited)

7.8

Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks

1984

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage) (uncredited)

7.9

Doctor Who: The Five Doctors

1983

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

7.7

Doctor Who: Mawdryn Undead

1983

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

7.0

Doctor Who: Earthshock

1982

as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)

8.1

That's Carry On!

1977

as Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage)

5.7

Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius

1976

as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)

8.1

Doctor Who: The Three Doctors

1973

as The Doctor

7.4

Doctor Who: Day of the Daleks

1972

as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)

7.9

Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet

1966

as The Doctor (1)

8.0

Doctor Who: The War Machines

1966

as The Doctor

7.4

Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker

1966

as The Doctor

5.7

Doctor Who: The Gunfighters

1966

as The Doctor

6.3

Doctor Who: The Smugglers

1966

as The Doctor

5.7

Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan

1966

as The Doctor

7.9

Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks

1966

as The Doctor in the mirror (uncredited)

8.1

Doctor Who: The Savages

1966

as The Doctor

7.2

Doctor Who: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve

1966

as The Doctor / Abbot of Amboise

7.2

Doctor Who: The Ark

1966

as The Doctor

6.8

Doctor Who: The Space Museum

1965

as The Doctor

6.5

Doctor Who: The Time Meddler

as The Doctor

Doctor Who: Galaxy 4

as The Doctor

Doctor Who: The Rescue

1965

as The Doctor

6.4

Doctor Who: The Crusade

1965

as The Doctor

6.2

Doctor Who: The Web Planet

1965

as The Doctor

5.6

Doctor Who: The Chase

1965

as The Doctor

6.5

Doctor Who: The Romans

1965

as The Doctor

7.9

Doctor Who: The Myth Makers

1965

as The Doctor

7.2

Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror

1964

as The Doctor

6.3

Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction

1964

as Dr. Who

5.7

Doctor Who: The Aztecs

1964

as The Doctor

7.5

Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

1964

as The Doctor

7.5

Doctor Who: Planet of Giants

1964

as The Doctor

7.0

Doctor Who: The Sensorites

1964

as The Doctor

5.1

Doctor Who: The Keys of Marinus

1964

as The Doctor

5.9

Doctor Who: Marco Polo

1964

as The Doctor

7.2

Doctor Who: The Daleks

as Dr. Who

Tomorrow at Ten

as Freddie Maddox

This Sporting Life

as 'Dad' Johnson

Heavens Above!

as Major Fowler

Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child

1963

as Dr. Who

7.4

The World Ten Times Over

as Dad

To Have and to Hold

as Insp. Roberts

And the Same to You

as Walter 'Wally' Burton

5.6

Piccadilly Third Stop

as Colonel

Jackpot

as Supt. Frawley

The Desperate Man

as Smith

Strictly Confidential

1959

as Grimshaw

4.5

Shake Hands with the Devil

1959

as Sergeant Jenkins

6.6

The Mouse That Roared

1959

as Will Buckley

6.3

The Night We Dropped a Clanger

1959

as Sgt. Bright

5.2

Carry On Sergeant

1958

as Sergeant Grimshawe

Date with Disaster

as Tracey

On the Run

as Tom Casey

Hell Drivers

1957

as Cartley, Hawlett Manager

6.7

Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst

1957

as Leading Seaman Leslie Frank

The Hypnotist

as Inspector Ross

Private's Progress

as Sgt. Sutton

Tons of Trouble

as Bert

Doublecross

as Herbert Whiteway

Footsteps in the Fog

as Herbert Moresby

Josephine and Men

as Detective Sgt. Parsons

6.0

Will Any Gentleman...?

1953

as Detective Inspector Martin

The Pickwick Papers

as Irate Cabman

The Ringer

as Sam Hackett

The Holly and the Ivy

1952

as Company Sergeant Major

6.5

The Magic Box

1952

as Recruiting Sergeant

6.4

The Dark Man

1951

as Superintendent of Police

Double Confession

as Charlie Durham

The Lost People

as Barnes

Now Barabbas

as Warder Jackson

Escape

as Inspector Harris

Brighton Rock

as Dallow

Odd Man Out

as Fencie - the barman

7.3

Temptation Harbour

1947

as Jim Brown

5.1

Appointment with Crime

1946

as Leo Martin

5.9

A Defeated People

1946

as Commentator (voice)

6.1

The Agitator

1945

as Peter Pettinger (as Billy Hartnell)

Murder in Reverse?

as Tom Masterick

The Way Ahead

as Sgt. Ned Fletcher

Strawberry Roan

as Chris Lowe

The Peterville Diamond

1943

as Joseph (as Bill Hartnell)

5.3

The Dark Tower

1943

as Jim Towers (as Bill Hartnell)

Headline

as Dell

The Bells Go Down

as Brookes

Sabotage at Sea

as Jacob Digby

The Goose Steps Out

as German Officer at Station

6.7

Suspected Person

1942

as Detective Saunders

They Flew Alone

as Scotty

Freedom Radio

as Radio Location Aerial Operator (uncredited)

They Came by Night

as Undetermined Role

Murder Will Out

as Dick

They Drive by Night

as Bus Conductor

Farewell Again

as Minor Role

The Crimson Circle

Midnight at Madame Tussaud's

as Stubbs

Parisian Life

The Guv'nor

as Car Salesman

The Perfect Flaw

as Vickers

The Lure

1933

as Billy

Follow the Lady

1933

as Mike Martindale

Television (10)

Tales of the Tardis

2023

as The Doctor

5.4

Doctor Who: Galaxy 4

2021

as Doctor Who

Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited

2013

as Self

6.4

Doctor Who

2005

as The Doctor (archive footage)

7.6

Doctor Who: Lost in Time

1965

as The Doctor

Doctor Who

as The Doctor

Doctor Who

as Dr Who

Ghost Squad

No Hiding Place

The Army Game

as Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore

6.0