- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- January 8, 1908
- Place of Birth
- Saint Pancras, London, England, UK
- Died
- April 23, 1975
William Hartnell
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 under Frank Benson as a general stagehand. He appeared in numerous Shakespearian plays, including The Merchant of Venice (1926), Julius Caesar (1926), As You Like It (1926), Hamlet (1926), The Tempest (1926) and Macbeth (1926). He also appeared in She Stoops to Conquer (1926), School for Scandal (1926) and Good Morning, Bill (1927), before performing in Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner (1928). This play w…
Filmography
movieDoctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
2025 · Dr. Who (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieDoctor Who: The Savages
2025 · The Doctor (voice)
movieDoctor Who at the Proms
2024 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
movieDoctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker
2024 · The Doctor (voice)
movieDoctor Who: The Daleks in Colour
2023 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieTalking Doctor Who
2023 · Self / The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
tvTales of the Tardis
2023 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: Galaxy 4
2021 · The Doctor (voice)
tvDoctor Who: Galaxy 4
2021 · Doctor Who
movieMission to the Unknown
2019 · Dr. Who
movieDoctor Who: Twice Upon a Time
2017 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
movieDoctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
2015 · The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
movieDoctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
2013 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
movieAn Adventure in Space and Time
2013 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
tvDoctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
2013 · Self
movieDon't Lose Your Head: The Making of 'The Reign of Terror'
2012 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieVision On
2012 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieThe Sets of Marinus
2009 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieMounting the Rescue
2009 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
movieDoctor Who: The Next Doctor
2008 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
movieThe Ties That Bind Us
2008 · The First Doctor (archive footage)
movieCreation of the Daleks
2006 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieMasters of Sound
2006 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieInside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS
2006 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieDoctor Who: Origins
2006 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieFuture Memories: Making 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth'
2003 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
movieRemembering 'The Aztecs'
2002 · The Doctor (archive footage)
movieWhat's a Carry On?
1998 · Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieDoctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks
1984 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieDoctor Who: The Five Doctors
1983 · The First Doctor (archive footage)
movieDoctor Who: Mawdryn Undead
1983 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
movieDoctor Who: Earthshock
1982 · The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
movieThat's Carry On!
1977 · Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage)
movieDoctor Who: The Brain of Morbius
1976 · The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
movieDoctor Who: The Three Doctors
1973 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: Day of the Daleks
1972 · The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
movieDoctor Who: The Power of the Daleks
1966 · The Doctor in the mirror (uncredited)
movieDoctor Who: The Tenth Planet
1966 · The Doctor (1)
movieDoctor Who: The Smugglers
1966 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The War Machines
1966 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Savages
1966 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Gunfighters
1966 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker
1966 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Ark
1966 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
1966 · The Doctor / Abbot of Amboise
movieDoctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Myth Makers
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: Galaxy 4
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Time Meddler
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Chase
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Space Museum
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Crusade
1965 · The Doctor
tvDoctor Who: Lost in Time
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Web Planet
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Romans
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Rescue
1965 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: Planet of Giants
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Reign of Terror
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Sensorites
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Aztecs
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Keys of Marinus
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: Marco Polo
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Edge of Destruction
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: The Daleks
1964 · The Doctor
movieDoctor Who: An Unearthly Child
1963 · The Doctor
tvDoctor Who
1963 · The Doctor
movieThe World Ten Times Over
1963 · Dad
movieTo Have and to Hold
1963 · Insp. Roberts
movieTomorrow at Ten
1963 · Freddie Maddox
movieHeavens Above!
1963 · Major Fowler
movieThis Sporting Life
1963 · 'Dad' Johnson
tvGhost Squad
1961
moviePiccadilly Third Stop
1960 · Colonel
movieAnd the Same to You
1960 · Walter 'Wally' Burton
movieJackpot
1960 · Supt. Frawley
movieThe Desperate Man
1959 · Smith
movieThe Night We Dropped a Clanger
1959 · Sgt. Bright
tvNo Hiding Place
1959
movieThe Mouse That Roared
1959 · Will Buckley
movieShake Hands with the Devil
1959 · Sergeant Jenkins
movieStrictly Confidential
1959 · Grimshaw
movieCarry On Sergeant
1958 · Sergeant Grimshawe
On the Run
1958 · Tom Casey
movieDate with Disaster
1958 · Tracey
movieThe Hypnotist
1957 · Inspector Ross
movieHell Drivers
1957 · Cartley, Hawlett Manager
tvThe Army Game
1957 · Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore
movieYangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst
1957 · Leading Seaman Leslie Frank
movieTons of Trouble
1956 · Bert
moviePrivate's Progress
1956 · Sgt. Sutton
Doublecross
1956 · Herbert Whiteway
movieJosephine and Men
1955 · Detective Sgt. Parsons
movieFootsteps in the Fog
1955 · Herbert Moresby
movieWill Any Gentleman...?
1953 · Detective Inspector Martin
movieThe Holly and the Ivy
1952 · Company Sergeant Major
movieThe Ringer
1952 · Sam Hackett
movieThe Pickwick Papers
1952 · Irate Cabman
movieThe Magic Box
1952 · Recruiting Sergeant
movieThe Dark Man
1951 · Superintendent of Police
movieDouble Confession
1950 · Charlie Durham
movieThe Lost People
1949 · Barnes
movieNow Barabbas
1949 · Warder Jackson
movieEscape
1948 · Inspector Harris
movieBrighton Rock
1948 · Dallow
movieTemptation Harbour
1947 · Jim Brown
movieOdd Man Out
1947 · Fencie - the barman
movieAppointment with Crime
1946 · Leo Martin
movieA Defeated People
1946 · Commentator (voice)
movieMurder in Reverse?
1945 · Tom Masterick
movieThe Agitator
1945 · Peter Pettinger (as Billy Hartnell)
movieStrawberry Roan
1944 · Chris Lowe
movieThe Way Ahead
1944 · Sgt. Ned Fletcher
movieHeadline
1943 · Dell
movieThe Dark Tower
1943 · Jim Towers (as Bill Hartnell)
movieThe Bells Go Down
1943 · Brookes
movieThe Peterville Diamond
1943 · Joseph (as Bill Hartnell)
movieSabotage at Sea
1942 · Jacob Digby
movieThe Goose Steps Out
1942 · German Officer at Station
movieThey Flew Alone
1942 · Scotty
movieSuspected Person
1942 · Detective Saunders
movieFreedom Radio
1941 · Radio Location Aerial Operator (uncredited)
movieThey Came by Night
1940 · Undetermined Role
Murder Will Out
1939 · Dick
movieThey Drive by Night
1938 · Bus Conductor
movieFarewell Again
1937 · Minor Role
movieMidnight at Madame Tussaud's
1936 · Stubbs
movieThe Crimson Circle
1936
Parisian Life
1936
movieThe Guv'nor
1935 · Car Salesman
The Perfect Flaw
1934 · Vickers
The Lure
1933 · Billy
Follow the Lady
1933 · Mike Martindale