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In this wiki, started on 16 February, 2005, we are currently working on 114,366 articles.
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Spotlight Article
William Hartnell was the first actor to portray the Doctor on Doctor Who. For many, his remains the definitive portrayal of the character, and elements of his portrayal are evident in the performances of all his successors on the television series.
Hartnell was born in St Pancras, London, England in 1908, the only child of an unmarried mother, and raised primarily by his aunt Bessie (Wood, 208). Hartnell never discovered the identity of his father (whose particulars are left blank on the birth certificate) and, despite efforts made by Hartnell in later years, was never traced. Often known as Billy, he was educated at home and at Imperial Service College. After training as a jockey, and boxer, he studied acting at the Italia Conti Academy and entered the theatre in 1924 working under Frank Benson. The first of more than sixty film appearances was Say It With Music in 1932. Hartnell usually played comic characters, until 1944 when he was cast in the robust role of sergeant Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead. From then on his career was defined by playing mainly policemen, soldiers, and thugs — although he was noted for his ability to bring complexity to such roles, for example his widely praised performance as Dallow in Brighton Rock.
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