William Russell

Actor Nov 19 (died age 99) Sunderland, County Durham, England, UK 1950–2023 (73 year career)

6.4 avg rating

Biography

William Russell Enoch (19 November 1924–3 June 2024) was an English actor. He achieved prominence in 1956 when he took the title role in the ITV television series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956–1957). In 1963, he became part of the original lead cast of BBC1's Doctor Who, playing the role of schoolteacher Ian Chesterton opposite William Hartnell from the show's first episode until 1965. Russell's film roles include parts in The Man Who Never Was (1956), The Great Escape (1963) and Superman…

Known For

Film

The Great Escape

Sorren

Film

Superman

8th Elder

Film

Doctor Who

Ian Chesterton

Film

An Adventure in Space and Time

Harry

Film

Executive Order

6.9 2022

Film

The Man Who Never Was

Joe

Film

Death Watch

Dr. Mason

Film

Doctor Who: The Daleks

Ian Chesterton

Filmography

Acting (99)

Movies (65)

Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour

2023

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage)

6.1

Executive Order

2022

6.9

William Russell: In Conversation

2022

as Self

The Doctors: The William Hartnell Years

2017

An Adventure in Space and Time

2013

as Harry

7.7

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

2012

as Himself

Vision On

2012

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage)

Rediscovering the Urge to Live

Last Stop White City

as Self

Mounting the Rescue

as Self

The Sets of Marinus

2009

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage)

What Has 'The Romans' Ever Done For Us?

2009

as Self

Dennis Spooner: Wanna Write a Television Series?

2009

The Ties That Bind Us

2008

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage)

Inside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS

2006

as Self / Ian Chesterton

8.0

Masters of Sound

2006

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage)

8.0

Creation of the Daleks

2006

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage)

8.0

Doctor Who: Origins

2006

as Self

8.5

Over the Edge: The Story of 'The Edge of Destruction'

2006

as Self / Ian Chesterton

7.0

Tales of Isop

2005

as Self

Future Memories: Making 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth'

2003

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage)

Remembering 'The Aztecs'

2002

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage)

Henry V at Shakespeare's Globe

1997

as King Charles VI of France / Bishop of Ely / Sir Thomas Erpingham

The Affair

as Dr. Hastings

The Four Minute Mile

as AAA Official

Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks

1984

as Ian Chesterton (archive footage) (uncredited)

7.9

Little Girls Don't

1981

as Daddy

Dead Man's Kit

1980

as Senior Officer

Death Watch

as Dr. Mason

Terror

as Lord Garrick

Instant Enlightenment Including VAT

as Don

Superman

as 8th Elder

Newsworthy - The Girl Who Saw a Tiger

1976

as Mr Rose

Three Men in a Boat

1975

as Doctor

6.0

Doctor Who: The Space Museum

1965

as Ian Chesterton

6.5

Doctor Who: The Rescue

1965

as Ian Chesterton

6.4

Doctor Who: The Crusade

1965

as Ian Chesterton

6.2

Doctor Who: The Web Planet

1965

as Ian Chesterton

5.6

Doctor Who: The Chase

1965

as Ian Chesterton

6.5

Doctor Who: The Romans

1965

as Ian Chesterton

7.9

Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror

1964

as Ian Chesterton

6.3

Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction

1964

as Ian Chesterton

5.7

Doctor Who: The Aztecs

1964

as Ian Chesterton

7.5

Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

1964

as Ian Chesterton

7.5

Doctor Who: Planet of Giants

1964

as Ian Chesterton

7.0

Doctor Who: The Sensorites

1964

as Ian Chesterton

5.1

Doctor Who: The Keys of Marinus

1964

as Ian Chesterton

5.9

Doctor Who: Marco Polo

1964

as Ian Chesterton

7.2

Doctor Who: The Daleks

as Ian Chesterton

The Great Escape

as Sorren

Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child

as Ian Chesterton

Return to Sender

as Mike Cochran

The Share Out

as Mike Stafford

Adventure Story

as Hephaestion

The Adventures of Hal 5

The Big Chance

as Bill Anderson

The Man Who Never Was

as Joe

Above Us the Waves

as Ramsey

One Good Turn

as Alec Bigley

They Who Dare

as Lieutenant Poole

The Gay Dog

as Leslie Gowland

Malta Story

as Officer at Prison

The Saint's Return

as Keith Merton

Intimate Relations

as Michael

Gift Horse

as Crewman

Television (34)

Doctor Who

as Ian Chesterton

Heartbeat

as Gabriel Firth

Agatha Christie's Poirot

as Lanscombe

Casualty

as Mo Meredrew

Robin of Sherwood

as The Duke of Gloucester

7.6

Blackadder

1983

as The Duke of Winchester

Shoestring

Testament of Youth

Strangers

as Bamford Harker

Disraeli

as Wyndham Lewis

Armchair Thriller

as Senior officer (uncredited)

4.2

The Professionals

1977

as Charles Holly

7.5

BBC2 Play of the Week

1977

as Headmaster / Lord Folkestone / Chapman

The Hanged Man

as Peter Kroger

Father Brown

as Reverend Wilfred Bohun

Van der Valk

as Rokin

Great Performances

Justice

as Dr. Victor Ainsworth

Play for Today

as Don

The Main Chance

as Arnold Galbraith

Breaking Point

Doctor Who: Lost in Time

1965

as Ian

Detective

1964

as Bill Cartwright

Doctor Who

as Ian Chesterton

Doctor Who

as Self

Dr. Finlay's Casebook

Suspense

as John Richards

Coronation Street

as Ted Sullivan

Sunday-Night Play

as Lord Bleane

Nicholas Nickleby

1957

as Nicholas Nickleby

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot

1956

as Sir Lancelot du Lac

Armchair Theatre

as Smoky

Lilli Palmer Theatre

as Boy

Sunday Night Theatre

1950

as Bill Bolton

3.5