Orson Welles was a filmmaker and radio actor in the 20th century.
At the time of his The War of the Worlds broadcast in October 1938, Welles encountered the Eighth Doctor and his companion Charley Pollard and shared an adventure involving a real invasion. (AUDIO: Invaders from Mars)
He was also known for acting in other radio programs including The Shadow. (AUDIO: Invaders from Mars; PROSE: The Shadow of Weng-Chiang)
After 1938, Welles made several Shakespearean films but the Eighth Doctor did not believe that they were terribly subtle adaptations. (AUDIO: The Time of the Daleks)
Behind the scenes
- One of the members of Welles' Mercury Theatre of the Air troupe, who participated in both The War of the Worlds and Citizen Kane, George Coulouris, guest starred in the 1964 Doctor Who story The Keys of Marinus as Arbitan. Welles' line "George, what are you doing with those keys?" in Invaders from Mars is an in-joke referring to Coulouris' role in Doctor Who.