William Hartnell

William Hartnell

Acting

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…

Filmography

80
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War ★ 5.4 Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War 2025 Doctor Who: The Savages Doctor Who: The Savages 2025 Doctor Who at the Proms ★ 7.2 Doctor Who at the Proms 2024 Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker ★ 8.0 Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker 2024 Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour ★ 6.1 Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour 2023 Talking Doctor Who ★ 5.0 Talking Doctor Who 2023 Tales of the Tardis ★ 5.6 Tales of the Tardis 2023 Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 ★ 6.0 Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 2021 Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 2021 Mission to the Unknown Mission to the Unknown 2019 Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time ★ 8.0 Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time 2017 Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song ★ 8.0 Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song 2015 Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor ★ 8.2 Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor 2013 An Adventure in Space and Time ★ 7.7 An Adventure in Space and Time 2013 Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited ★ 6.4 Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited 2013 Don't Lose Your Head: The Making of 'The Reign of Terror' Don't Lose Your Head: The Making of 'The Reign of Terror' 2012 Vision On Vision On 2012 The Sets of Marinus The Sets of Marinus 2009 Mounting the Rescue Mounting the Rescue 2009 Doctor Who: The Next Doctor ★ 7.4 Doctor Who: The Next Doctor 2008 The Ties That Bind Us The Ties That Bind Us 2008 Creation of the Daleks ★ 8.0 Creation of the Daleks 2006 Masters of Sound ★ 8.0 Masters of Sound 2006 Inside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS ★ 8.0 Inside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS 2006 Doctor Who: Origins ★ 8.5 Doctor Who: Origins 2006 Future Memories: Making 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' ★ 9.0 Future Memories: Making 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' 2003 Remembering 'The Aztecs' ★ 7.5 Remembering 'The Aztecs' 2002 What's a Carry On? ★ 7.7 What's a Carry On? 1998 Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks ★ 7.9 Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks 1984 Doctor Who: The Five Doctors ★ 7.8 Doctor Who: The Five Doctors 1983 Doctor Who: Mawdryn Undead ★ 7.0 Doctor Who: Mawdryn Undead 1983 Doctor Who: Earthshock ★ 8.1 Doctor Who: Earthshock 1982 That's Carry On! ★ 5.8 That's Carry On! 1977 Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius ★ 8.1 Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius 1976 Doctor Who: The Three Doctors ★ 7.4 Doctor Who: The Three Doctors 1973 Doctor Who: Day of the Daleks ★ 7.9 Doctor Who: Day of the Daleks 1972 Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks ★ 8.1 Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks 1966 Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet ★ 7.9 Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet 1966 Doctor Who: The Smugglers ★ 5.8 Doctor Who: The Smugglers 1966 Doctor Who: The War Machines ★ 7.4 Doctor Who: The War Machines 1966 Doctor Who: The Savages ★ 7.2 Doctor Who: The Savages 1966 Doctor Who: The Gunfighters ★ 6.3 Doctor Who: The Gunfighters 1966 Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker ★ 5.7 Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker 1966 Doctor Who: The Ark ★ 6.8 Doctor Who: The Ark 1966 Doctor Who: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve ★ 7.2 Doctor Who: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve 1966 Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan ★ 7.9 Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan 1965 Doctor Who: The Myth Makers ★ 7.2 Doctor Who: The Myth Makers 1965 Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 ★ 5.5 Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 1965 Doctor Who: The Time Meddler ★ 7.4 Doctor Who: The Time Meddler 1965 Doctor Who: The Chase ★ 6.5 Doctor Who: The Chase 1965 Doctor Who: The Space Museum ★ 6.5 Doctor Who: The Space Museum 1965 Doctor Who: The Crusade ★ 6.1 Doctor Who: The Crusade 1965 Doctor Who: Lost in Time Doctor Who: Lost in Time 1965 Doctor Who: The Web Planet ★ 5.6 Doctor Who: The Web Planet 1965 Doctor Who: The Romans ★ 7.8 Doctor Who: The Romans 1965 Doctor Who: The Rescue ★ 6.4 Doctor Who: The Rescue 1965 Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth ★ 7.5 Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth 1964 Doctor Who: Planet of Giants ★ 7.1 Doctor Who: Planet of Giants 1964 Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror ★ 6.3 Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror 1964 Doctor Who: The Sensorites ★ 5.1 Doctor Who: The Sensorites 1964 Doctor Who: The Aztecs ★ 7.5 Doctor Who: The Aztecs 1964 Doctor Who: The Keys of Marinus ★ 5.9 Doctor Who: The Keys of Marinus 1964 Doctor Who: Marco Polo ★ 7.2 Doctor Who: Marco Polo 1964 Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction ★ 5.8 Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction 1964 Doctor Who: The Daleks ★ 7.3 Doctor Who: The Daleks 1964 Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child ★ 7.4 Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child 1963 Doctor Who ★ 7.9 Doctor Who 1963 The World Ten Times Over ★ 7.4 The World Ten Times Over 1963 To Have and to Hold ★ 5.3 To Have and to Hold 1963 Tomorrow at Ten ★ 6.0 Tomorrow at Ten 1963 Heavens Above! ★ 6.6 Heavens Above! 1963 This Sporting Life ★ 7.0 This Sporting Life 1963 Ghost Squad ★ 6.0 Ghost Squad 1961 Piccadilly Third Stop ★ 6.7 Piccadilly Third Stop 1960 And the Same to You ★ 5.9 And the Same to You 1960 Jackpot ★ 6.0 Jackpot 1960 The Desperate Man ★ 5.0 The Desperate Man 1959 The Night We Dropped a Clanger ★ 5.8 The Night We Dropped a Clanger 1959 No Hiding Place ★ 4.8 No Hiding Place 1959 The Mouse That Roared ★ 6.3 The Mouse That Roared 1959