Acting · Saint Pancras, London, England, UK · Born January 8, 1908
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 was written by Robert Neilson Stephens and E. Lyall Swete. It featured the actress Heather McIntyre, whom he married during the following year. His first of more than sixty film appearances was in Say It With Music (1932). Hartnell continued to play comic characters until he was cast in the robust role of Sergeant Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead (1944). From then on his career was defined by playing mainly policemen, soldiers, and thugs. Hartnell's performance in This Sporting Life was noted by Verity Lambert, the producer who was setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC entitled Doctor Who; and, mainly on the strength of that performance, Lambert offered him the title role.
MovieDoctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
2025
as Dr. Who (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieDoctor Who: The Savages
2025
as The Doctor (voice)
MovieDoctor Who at the Proms
2024
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
MovieDoctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker
2024
as The Doctor (voice)
MovieDoctor Who: The Daleks in Colour
2023
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieTalking Doctor Who
2023
as Self / The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
TVTales of the Tardis
2023
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: Galaxy 4
2021
as The Doctor (voice)
TVDoctor Who: Galaxy 4
2021
as Doctor Who
MovieMission to the Unknown
2019
as Dr. Who
MovieDoctor Who: Twice Upon a Time
2017
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
MovieDoctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
2015
as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
MovieDoctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
2013
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
MovieAn Adventure in Space and Time
2013
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
TVDoctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
2013
as Self
MovieDon't Lose Your Head: The Making of 'The Reign of Terror'
2012
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieVision On
2012
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieThe Sets of Marinus
2009
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieMounting the Rescue
2009
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
MovieDoctor Who: The Next Doctor
2008
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
MovieThe Ties That Bind Us
2008
as The First Doctor (archive footage)
MovieCreation of the Daleks
2006
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieMasters of Sound
2006
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieInside the Spaceship: The Story of the TARDIS
2006
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieDoctor Who: Origins
2006
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieFuture Memories: Making 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth'
2003
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
MovieRemembering 'The Aztecs'
2002
as The Doctor (archive footage)
MovieWhat's a Carry On?
1998
as Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieDoctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks
1984
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieDoctor Who: The Five Doctors
1983
as The First Doctor (archive footage)
MovieDoctor Who: Mawdryn Undead
1983
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
MovieDoctor Who: Earthshock
1982
as The Doctor (1) (archive footage)
MovieThat's Carry On!
1977
as Sergeant Grimshawe (archive footage)
MovieDoctor Who: The Brain of Morbius
1976
as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
MovieDoctor Who: The Three Doctors
1973
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: Day of the Daleks
1972
as The Doctor (1) (picture) (uncredited)
MovieDoctor Who: The Power of the Daleks
1966
as The Doctor in the mirror (uncredited)
MovieDoctor Who: The Tenth Planet
1966
as The Doctor (1)
MovieDoctor Who: The Smugglers
1966
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The War Machines
1966
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Savages
1966
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Gunfighters
1966
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker
1966
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Ark
1966
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
1966
as The Doctor / Abbot of Amboise
MovieDoctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Myth Makers
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: Galaxy 4
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Time Meddler
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Chase
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Space Museum
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Crusade
1965
as The Doctor
TVDoctor Who: Lost in Time
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Web Planet
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Romans
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Rescue
1965
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: Planet of Giants
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Reign of Terror
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Sensorites
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Aztecs
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Keys of Marinus
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: Marco Polo
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Edge of Destruction
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Daleks
1964
as The Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: An Unearthly Child
1963
as The Doctor
TVDoctor Who
1963
as The Doctor
MovieThe World Ten Times Over
1963
as Dad
MovieTo Have and to Hold
1963
as Insp. Roberts
MovieTomorrow at Ten
1963
as Freddie Maddox
MovieHeavens Above!
1963
as Major Fowler
MovieThis Sporting Life
1963
as 'Dad' Johnson
TVGhost Squad
1961
MoviePiccadilly Third Stop
1960
as Colonel
MovieAnd the Same to You
1960
as Walter 'Wally' Burton
MovieJackpot
1960
as Supt. Frawley
MovieThe Desperate Man
1959
as Smith
MovieThe Night We Dropped a Clanger
1959
as Sgt. Bright
TVNo Hiding Place
1959
MovieThe Mouse That Roared
1959
as Will Buckley
MovieShake Hands with the Devil
1959
as Sergeant Jenkins
MovieStrictly Confidential
1959
as Grimshaw
MovieCarry On Sergeant
1958
as Sergeant Grimshawe
On the Run
1958
as Tom Casey
MovieDate with Disaster
1958
as Tracey
MovieThe Hypnotist
1957
as Inspector Ross
MovieHell Drivers
1957
as Cartley, Hawlett Manager
TVThe Army Game
1957
as Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore
MovieYangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst
1957
as Leading Seaman Leslie Frank
MovieTons of Trouble
1956
as Bert
MoviePrivate's Progress
1956
as Sgt. Sutton
Doublecross
1956
as Herbert Whiteway
MovieJosephine and Men
1955
as Detective Sgt. Parsons
MovieFootsteps in the Fog
1955
as Herbert Moresby
MovieWill Any Gentleman...?
1953
as Detective Inspector Martin
MovieThe Holly and the Ivy
1952
as Company Sergeant Major
MovieThe Ringer
1952
as Sam Hackett
MovieThe Pickwick Papers
1952
as Irate Cabman
MovieThe Magic Box
1952
as Recruiting Sergeant
MovieThe Dark Man
1951
as Superintendent of Police
MovieDouble Confession
1950
as Charlie Durham
MovieThe Lost People
1949
as Barnes
MovieNow Barabbas
1949
as Warder Jackson
MovieEscape
1948
as Inspector Harris
MovieBrighton Rock
1948
as Dallow
MovieTemptation Harbour
1947
as Jim Brown
MovieOdd Man Out
1947
as Fencie - the barman
MovieAppointment with Crime
1946
as Leo Martin
MovieA Defeated People
1946
as Commentator (voice)
MovieMurder in Reverse?
1945
as Tom Masterick
MovieThe Agitator
1945
as Peter Pettinger (as Billy Hartnell)
MovieStrawberry Roan
1944
as Chris Lowe
MovieThe Way Ahead
1944
as Sgt. Ned Fletcher
MovieHeadline
1943
as Dell
MovieThe Dark Tower
1943
as Jim Towers (as Bill Hartnell)
MovieThe Bells Go Down
1943
as Brookes
MovieThe Peterville Diamond
1943
as Joseph (as Bill Hartnell)
MovieSabotage at Sea
1942
as Jacob Digby
MovieThe Goose Steps Out
1942
as German Officer at Station
MovieThey Flew Alone
1942
as Scotty
MovieSuspected Person
1942
as Detective Saunders
MovieFreedom Radio
1941
as Radio Location Aerial Operator (uncredited)
MovieThey Came by Night
1940
as Undetermined Role
Murder Will Out
1939
as Dick
MovieThey Drive by Night
1938
as Bus Conductor
MovieFarewell Again
1937
as Minor Role
MovieMidnight at Madame Tussaud's
1936
as Stubbs
MovieThe Crimson Circle
1936
Parisian Life
1936
MovieThe Guv'nor
1935
as Car Salesman
The Perfect Flaw
1934
as Vickers
The Lure
1933
as Billy
Follow the Lady
1933
as Mike Martindale
