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{{real world}}
{{real world}}
{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox Person
|image = William Russell headshot.jpg
|image     = William Russell headshot.jpg
|aka =  
|aka       =  
|birth date = [[19 November (people)|19 November]] [[1924 (people)|1924]]
|birth date = [[19 November (people)|19 November]] [[1924 (people)|1924]]
|job title = [[Actor]]
|death date = [[3 June (people)|3 June]] [[2024 (people)|2024]]
|role = [[Ian Chesterton]]
|job title = [[Actor]]
|story = [[#Credits|See credits section]]
|role       = [[Ian Chesterton]]
|time = [[1963 (production)|1963]]-[[1965 (production)|1965]] (TV)<br/>2009-present (audio)
|story     = [[#Credits|See credits section]]
|non dwu = ''The Adventures of Sir Lancelot'', ''St. Ives'', ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''The Great Escape'', ''Harriet's Back in Town'', ''Father Brown'', ''[[Superman]]'', ''The Black Adder'', ''[[Robin Hood|Robin of Sherwood]]'', ''[[Coronation Street]]''
|time       = 1963-65, 1999, 2005, 2009-14, 2016, 2020, 2022
|imdb= 0751511
|non dwu   = ''The Adventures of Sir Lancelot'', ''St. Ives'', ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''The Great Escape'', ''Harriet's Back in Town'', ''Father Brown'', ''[[Superman]]'', ''[[Blackadder (series)|The Black Adder]]'', ''[[Robin Hood|Robin of Sherwood]]'', ''[[Coronation Street (series)|Coronation Street]]''
}}{{you may|William Russell (The Angel of Scutari)|n1=the DWU journalist|William Russell (The Thief of Sherwood)|n2=the same actor within the DWU}}
|imdb       = 0751511
'''William Russell''' (born '''William''' '''Russell Enoch''' on [[19 November (people)|19 November]] [[1924 (people)|1924]]<ref>[[REF]]: ''[[Who-ology: The Official Miscellany]]''</ref> in Sunderland, [[England]]<ref>[https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=15138 Aveleyman]</ref>) played [[Ian Chesterton]] in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' from "[[The Pilot Episode]]" to ''[[The Chase (TV story)|The Chase]]''. As one of [[Susan Foreman]]'s teachers, he was one of the first of [[the Doctor]]'s [[companion]]s to appear in the series.
}}{{you may|William Russell (The Angel of Scutari)|n1=the in-universe journalist|William Russell (The Thief of Sherwood)|n2=Russell's in-universe counterpart}}
'''William Russell''' (born '''William''' '''Russell Enoch''' on [[19 November (people)|19 November]] [[1924 (people)|1924]]<ref>[[REF]]: ''[[Who-ology: The Official Miscellany]]''</ref> in Sunderland, [[England]]<ref>[https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=15138 Aveleyman]</ref>, died [[3 June (people)|3 June]] [[2024 (people)|2024]]<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/jun/04/william-russell-obituary</ref>) played [[Ian Chesterton]] in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' from "[[The Pilot Episode]]" to ''[[The Chase (TV story)|The Chase]]''. As one of [[Susan Foreman]]'s teachers, he was one of the first of [[the Doctor]]'s [[companion]]s to appear in the series.


Russell appeared in British films from 1950 onwards, appearing in well-known productions such as {{wi|The Man Who Never Was}} (1956) and {{wi|The Great Escape}} (1963). He later had a minor role in ''[[Superman]]'' (1978) as a member of the {{w|Krypton}}ian Council.
Russell had originally been intended to reprise his character of Ian for the 1983 story ''[[Mawdryn Undead (TV story)|Mawdryn Undead]]'', but scheduling conflicts required the story to be rewritten to instead bring back [[Nicholas Courtney]] as another, later regular character, [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]].


After starring in several short-lived TV series, including playing the lead in a 1955 series entitled ''St. Ives'', his big break was the title role in {{wi|The Adventures of Sir Lancelot}} on [[ITV]] in 1956, the sale of which to the {{w|NBC}} network in the [[United States of America|USA]] made it possible for it to be the first [[United Kingdom|British]] [[television]] series to be shot in colour. Following this, he won a role in ''Doctor Who'' as one of the Doctor's companions, science teacher Ian Chesterton, appearing in the bulk of the first two seasons of the programme.
In 1999 he returned to the role of Ian Chesterton for the video release of the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''[[The Crusade (home video)|The Crusade]]'', from which two episodes are currently missing. Russell provided linking narration to cover the gaps, in character as an aged Ian reminiscing about the events of the story. Since 2002 he has also provided audio commentaries for various ''Doctor Who'' [[List of BBC DVD releases|DVD releases]], read audio book versions of three early ''Doctor Who'' novelisations featuring Ian and provided linking narration for CD releases of the fan-recorded soundtracks of serials with missing episodes in which he appeared. From 2009, Russell has reprised the role of Ian for [[Big Finish Productions]]' ''[[Companion Chronicles]]'' and ''[[The Lost Stories]]''. In 2013 he voiced the [[First Doctor]] for the anniversary story ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]''. 88 years old at the time of recording, he became the oldest actor to play the Doctor in any medium. He has since reprised the role in subsequent First Doctor releases for ''[[The Early Adventures]]'' range.


He has subsequently played a number of roles in theatre and on television, perhaps the highest-profile being ''Disraeli'', {{wi|Testament of Youth}} and the part of Ted Sullivan, the short-lived second husband of Rita Sullivan in ''[[Coronation Street]]''. (Ted already had a terminal illness when he married Rita in 1992, and died peacefully while watching a [[cricket]] match.) He also had a small part in an episode of the first series of {{wi|Blackadder}} (1983) as a late replacement for {{w|Wilfrid Brambell}}, who had become impatient with delays to his scene and left the set before shooting it.
In 2013, [[Jamie Glover]] played Russell in ''[[An Adventure in Space and Time (TV story)|An Adventure in Space and Time]]''. Russell himself appeared in the production as well, playing a security guard named [[Harry (An Adventure in Space and Time)|Harry]].


In the 1980s, the actor began using his birth name, Russell Enoch, professionally (although he continues to be credited as William Russell in ''Doctor Who''-related projects), but reverted to William Russell during the 1990s when he took the role of Ted in ''Coronation Street''. He is sometimes also credited as Enoch Russell.
In 2022, he reprised the role of Ian on television for the first time since 1965. (''[[The Power of the Doctor (TV story)|TV: The Power of the Doctor]]''). In doing so, he became the oldest actor to work on modern televised ''Doctor Who'' at the time of their involvement in production, aged 96 at the time his scenes were recorded. His cameo in the episode reportedly broke the Guinness World Record for the longest gap between televised appearances as the same character.<ref>https://screenrant.com/doctor-who-ian-chesterton-william-russell-world-record/</ref>


Russell had originally been intended to reprise his character of Ian for the 1983 story ''[[Mawdryn Undead]]'', but scheduling conflicts required the story to be rewritten to instead bring back [[Nicholas Courtney]] as another, later regular character, [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]].
== Career ==
Russell appeared in British films from 1950 onwards, appearing in well-known productions such as {{wi|The Man Who Never Was}} (1956) and {{wi|The Great Escape}} (1963). He later had a minor role in ''[[Superman]]'' (1978) as a member of the [[Krypton (planet)|Kryptonian]] Council.


In 1999 he returned to the role of Ian Chesterton for the video release of the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''[[The Crusade (home video)|The Crusade]]'', from which two episodes are currently missing. Russell provided linking narration to cover the gaps, in character as an aged Ian reminiscing about the events of the story. Since 2002 he has also provided audio commentaries for various ''Doctor Who'' [[List of BBC DVD releases|DVD releases]], read audio book versions of three early ''Doctor Who'' novelisations featuring Ian and provided linking narration for CD releases of the fan-recorded soundtracks of serials with missing episodes in which he appeared. From 2009, Russell has reprised the role of Ian for [[Big Finish Productions]]' [[Companion Chronicles]] and [[The Lost Stories]]. In 2013 he voiced the [[First Doctor]] for the anniversary story ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]''. 88 years old at the time of recording, he became the oldest actor to play the Doctor in any medium. He has since reprised the role in subsequent First Doctor releases.
After starring in several short-lived TV series, including playing the lead in a 1955 series entitled ''St. Ives'', his big break was the title role in {{wi|The Adventures of Sir Lancelot}} on [[ITV]] in 1956, the sale of which to the {{w|NBC}} network in the [[United States of America|USA]] made it possible for it to be the first [[United Kingdom|British]] [[television]] series to be shot in colour. Following this, he won a role in ''Doctor Who'' as one of the Doctor's companions, science teacher Ian Chesterton, appearing in the bulk of the first two seasons of the programme.


In 2013, [[Jamie Glover]] played Russell in ''[[An Adventure in Space and Time (TV story)|An Adventure in Space and Time]]''. Russell himself appeared in the production as well, playing a security guard named Harry.
He has subsequently played a number of roles in theatre and on television, perhaps the highest-profile being ''Disraeli'', {{wi|Testament of Youth}} and the part of Ted Sullivan, the short-lived second husband of Rita Sullivan in ''[[Coronation Street (series)|Coronation Street]]''. (Ted already had a terminal illness when he married Rita in 1992, and died peacefully while watching a [[cricket]] match.) He also had a small part in an episode of the first series of ''[[Blackadder (series)|Blackadder]]'' (1983) as a late replacement for {{w|Wilfrid Brambell}}, who had become impatient with delays to his scene and left the set before shooting it.
 
In the 1980s, the actor began using his birth name, Russell Enoch, professionally (although he continues to be credited as William Russell in ''Doctor Who''-related projects), but reverted to William Russell during the 1990s when he took the role of Ted in ''Coronation Street''. He is sometimes also credited as Enoch Russell.


== Personal life ==
William Russell's son is {{w|Alfred Enoch}}, who played {{iw|harrypotter|Dean Thomas}} in the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' films.
William Russell's son is {{w|Alfred Enoch}}, who played {{iw|harrypotter|Dean Thomas}} in the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' films.
Russell passed away on [[3 June (people)|3 June]] [[2024 (people)|2024]], over five months shy of his 100th birthday.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/jun/04/william-russell-obituary</ref> That week's ''Doctor Who'' episode, {{cs|Rogue (TV story)}}, was dedicated to his memory. He is the longest-lived regular cast member of ''Doctor Who''.


== Credits ==
== Credits ==
As [[Ian Chesterton]]
=== Television ===
=== Television ===
==== ''Doctor Who'' ====
==== Doctor Who ====
* [[The Pilot Episode]]
* [[The Pilot Episode]]
* ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]''
* ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]''
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* ''[[The Sensorites (TV story)|The Sensorites]]''
* ''[[The Sensorites (TV story)|The Sensorites]]''
* ''[[The Reign of Terror (TV story)|The Reign of Terror]]''
* ''[[The Reign of Terror (TV story)|The Reign of Terror]]''
* ''[[Planet of Giants (TV story)|Planet of the Giants]]''
* ''[[Planet of Giants (TV story)|Planet of Giants]]''
* ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)|The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]''
* ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)|The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]''
* ''[[The Rescue (TV story)|The Rescue]]''
* ''[[The Rescue (TV story)|The Rescue]]''
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* ''[[The Space Museum (TV story)|The Space Museum]]''
* ''[[The Space Museum (TV story)|The Space Museum]]''
* ''[[The Chase (TV story)|The Chase]]''
* ''[[The Chase (TV story)|The Chase]]''
* ''[[The Power of the Doctor (TV story)|The Power of the Doctor]]''


=== Direct-to-video ===
=== Direct-to-video ===
* ''[[Ian Chesterton: An Introduction (home video)|Ian Chesterton: An Introduction]]''
* ''[[The Crusade (home video)|The Crusade]]'' (linking material for ''[[The Crusade (TV story)|The Crusade]]'' VHS)
* ''[[The Crusade (home video)|The Crusade]]: VHS release''
* ''[[Planet of Giants (home video)|Planet of Giants]]: DVD release'' (voice)
* ''[[Planet of Giants (home video)|Planet of Giants]]: DVD release'' (voice)


=== Other ===
=== Audio ===
* ''[[An Adventure in Space and Time (TV story)|An Adventure in Space and Time]]'' as [[Harry (An Adventure in Space and Time)|Harry]]
==== Special Releases ====
 
=== Audio dramas ===
==== Main Range ====
* ''[[The Game (audio story)|The Game]]'' as Lord [[Darzil Carlisle]]
 
==== Big Finish Special Releases ====
* ''[[The Five Companions (audio story)|The Five Companions]]''
* ''[[The Five Companions (audio story)|The Five Companions]]''
* ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]''
* ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]''
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* ''[[The Fifth Traveller (audio story)|The Fifth Traveller]]''
* ''[[The Fifth Traveller (audio story)|The Fifth Traveller]]''


==== Companion Chronicles ====
==== The Companion Chronicles ====
* ''[[The Transit of Venus (audio story)|The Transit of Venus]]''
* ''[[The Transit of Venus (audio story)|The Transit of Venus]]''
* ''[[The Rocket Men (audio story)|The Rocket Men]]''
* ''[[The Rocket Men (audio story)|The Rocket Men]]''
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==== Susan's War ====
==== Susan's War ====
* ''[[Sphere of Influence (audio story)|Sphere of Influence]]''
* ''[[Sphere of Influence (audio story)|Sphere of Influence]]''
Other Roles
=== Other ===
* ''[[An Adventure in Space and Time (TV story)|An Adventure in Space and Time]]'' - [[Harry (An Adventure in Space and Time)|Harry]]
=== Audio ===
==== Doctor Who Main Range ====
* ''[[The Game (audio story)|The Game]]'' - Lord [[Darzil Carlisle]]


=== Audiobook readings ===
=== Audiobook readings ===
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=== Documentary ===
=== Documentary ===
* ''[[Myth Makers]]: [[MM VHS 33|William Russell]]''
* ''[[Myth Makers]]: [[MM VHS 33|William Russell]]''
* ''[[Tales of Isop]]''
* ''[[Tales of Isop (documentary)|Tales of Isop]]''
* ''[[Over the Edge]]''
* ''[[Over the Edge: The Story of "The Edge of Destruction" (documentary)|Over the Edge]]''
* ''[[Inside the Spaceship (documentary)|Inside the Spaceship]]''
* ''[[Inside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS (documentary)|Inside the Spaceship]]''
* ''[[Doctor Who: Origins]]''
* ''[[Doctor Who: Origins (documentary)|Doctor Who: Origins]]''
* ''[[Mounting The Rescue]]''
* ''[[Mounting The Rescue (documentary)|Mounting The Rescue]]''
* ''[[Girls! Girls! Girls!]]''
* ''[[Girls! Girls! Girls! (documentary series)|Girls! Girls! Girls!]]''
* ''[[Dennis Spooner: Wanna Write a Television Series?]]''
* [[What has "The Romans" ever done for us? (documentary)|''What has "The Romans" ever done for us?'']]
* ''[[Last Stop White City]]''
* ''[[Dennis Spooner: Wanna Write a Television Series? (documentary)|Dennis Spooner: Wanna Write a Television Series?]]''
* ''[[Rediscovering the Urge to Live]]''
* ''[[Last Stop White City (documentary)|Last Stop White City]]''
* ''[[Rediscovering the Urge to Live (documentary)|Rediscovering the Urge to Live]]''
* ''[[The Doctors Revisited - The First Doctor (documentary)|The Doctors Revisited - The First Doctor]]''
* ''[[The Doctors Revisited - The First Doctor (documentary)|The Doctors Revisited - The First Doctor]]''
* ''[[Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty]]''
* ''[[Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty]]''
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== Footnotes ==
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{NameSort}}


{{NameSort}}
[[es:William Russell]]
[[ru:Уильям Расселл]]


[[Category:Doctor Who regular cast]]
[[Category:Doctor Who regular cast]]
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[[Category:Special Releases voice actors]]
[[Category:Special Releases voice actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish regular cast]]
[[Category:Big Finish regular cast]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed companions of the Doctor]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed Ian Chesterton]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed the First Doctor]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed the First Doctor]]
[[Category:Susan's War voice actors]]
[[Category:Susan's War voice actors]]
 
[[Category:1963 Doctor Who cast reprising their roles in 2005 Doctor Who]]
[[es:William Russell]]
[[ru:Уильям Расселл]]

Latest revision as of 20:13, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

You may be looking for the in-universe journalist or Russell's in-universe counterpart.

William Russell (born William Russell Enoch on 19 November 1924[1] in Sunderland, England[2], died 3 June 2024[3]) played Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who from "The Pilot Episode" to The Chase. As one of Susan Foreman's teachers, he was one of the first of the Doctor's companions to appear in the series.

Russell had originally been intended to reprise his character of Ian for the 1983 story Mawdryn Undead, but scheduling conflicts required the story to be rewritten to instead bring back Nicholas Courtney as another, later regular character, the Brigadier.

In 1999 he returned to the role of Ian Chesterton for the video release of the Doctor Who serial The Crusade, from which two episodes are currently missing. Russell provided linking narration to cover the gaps, in character as an aged Ian reminiscing about the events of the story. Since 2002 he has also provided audio commentaries for various Doctor Who DVD releases, read audio book versions of three early Doctor Who novelisations featuring Ian and provided linking narration for CD releases of the fan-recorded soundtracks of serials with missing episodes in which he appeared. From 2009, Russell has reprised the role of Ian for Big Finish Productions' Companion Chronicles and The Lost Stories. In 2013 he voiced the First Doctor for the anniversary story The Light at the End. 88 years old at the time of recording, he became the oldest actor to play the Doctor in any medium. He has since reprised the role in subsequent First Doctor releases for The Early Adventures range.

In 2013, Jamie Glover played Russell in An Adventure in Space and Time. Russell himself appeared in the production as well, playing a security guard named Harry.

In 2022, he reprised the role of Ian on television for the first time since 1965. (TV: The Power of the Doctor). In doing so, he became the oldest actor to work on modern televised Doctor Who at the time of their involvement in production, aged 96 at the time his scenes were recorded. His cameo in the episode reportedly broke the Guinness World Record for the longest gap between televised appearances as the same character.[4]

Career[[edit] | [edit source]]

Russell appeared in British films from 1950 onwards, appearing in well-known productions such as The Man Who Never Was (1956) and The Great Escape (1963). He later had a minor role in Superman (1978) as a member of the Kryptonian Council.

After starring in several short-lived TV series, including playing the lead in a 1955 series entitled St. Ives, his big break was the title role in The Adventures of Sir Lancelot on ITV in 1956, the sale of which to the NBC network in the USA made it possible for it to be the first British television series to be shot in colour. Following this, he won a role in Doctor Who as one of the Doctor's companions, science teacher Ian Chesterton, appearing in the bulk of the first two seasons of the programme.

He has subsequently played a number of roles in theatre and on television, perhaps the highest-profile being Disraeli, Testament of Youth and the part of Ted Sullivan, the short-lived second husband of Rita Sullivan in Coronation Street. (Ted already had a terminal illness when he married Rita in 1992, and died peacefully while watching a cricket match.) He also had a small part in an episode of the first series of Blackadder (1983) as a late replacement for Wilfrid Brambell, who had become impatient with delays to his scene and left the set before shooting it.

In the 1980s, the actor began using his birth name, Russell Enoch, professionally (although he continues to be credited as William Russell in Doctor Who-related projects), but reverted to William Russell during the 1990s when he took the role of Ted in Coronation Street. He is sometimes also credited as Enoch Russell.

Personal life[[edit] | [edit source]]

William Russell's son is Alfred Enoch, who played Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films.

Russell passed away on 3 June 2024, over five months shy of his 100th birthday.[5] That week's Doctor Who episode, Rogue [+]Loading...["Rogue (TV story)"], was dedicated to his memory. He is the longest-lived regular cast member of Doctor Who.

Credits[[edit] | [edit source]]

As Ian Chesterton

Television[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who[[edit] | [edit source]]

Direct-to-video[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Special Releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Lost Stories[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Early Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Companion Chronicles[[edit] | [edit source]]

Short Trips[[edit] | [edit source]]

Susan's War[[edit] | [edit source]]

Other Roles

Other[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Main Range[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audiobook readings[[edit] | [edit source]]

Target Novelisations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Annual[[edit] | [edit source]]

Documentary[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ REF: Who-ology: The Official Miscellany
  2. ↑ Aveleyman
  3. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/jun/04/william-russell-obituary
  4. ↑ https://screenrant.com/doctor-who-ian-chesterton-william-russell-world-record/
  5. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/jun/04/william-russell-obituary
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