Dr Who star dies in sleep
- Publication: News Letter
- Date: 1996-05-21
- Author:
- Page: 9
- Language: English
DOCTOR Who actor Jon Pertwee died in his sleep yesterday morning, aged 76.
The actor's showbusiness career spanned 60 years, but he was best known for his four-year stint as the cult Time Lord, and also for ten years as children's character Worzel Gummidge.
He died of a heart attack at about 4am in Connecticut in the United States, where he was holidaying with his German born second wife Ingeborg and friends.
The actor, who worked until the end, was taking a break between [?] of his one-man tour of Britain which was due to resume on Thursday.
Ironically the news comes as the cult science fiction series is about to enjoy a new lease of life with a feature-film length special on Bank Holiday Monday, with Paul McGann as the latest Doctor.
Pertwee's agent Susan Shaper said: "Sadly, Jon Pertwee, aged 76, died in his sleep of a heart attack this morning. He was staying on holiday with friends and his wife Ingeborg, who was with him when he died.
"He died suddenly, and there was no history of previous illness.
Son Sean, also an actor, if flying out to be with his mother, she said.
Pertwee and Ingeborg also had a daughter, Dariel, another actress.
Pertwee was philosophical about being typecast by his two most well known roles, commenting "I'm very much afraid to say it, but I'm rather a cult figure."
He happily attended Doctor Who conventions and spoke to fans.
Pertwee born into the theatre
JON Pertwee was the comedy actor who turned Doctor Who Into a dandy and won millions of TV fans When, after five years, he gave up the elegant ruffles and velvets of the mercurial time traveller his next role was very different-as Worzel Gummidge the turnip-headed scarecrow.
Pertwee was born in 1919 Into a London theatrical family and was earmarked for showbusiness almost from birth an office job was never on the cards.
His father Roland was a writer, his elder brother Michael became a screenwriter and playwright - and cousin Bill Pertwee became the warden in Dad's Army.
"I suppose anybody named Pertwee has to be an actor or a corn merchant, which is more or less the same thing, though I do have an uncle who's head of the Poetry Society so adds a touch of class," hesaid.
He entered RADA In the mid-1930s and was eventually asked to leave for allegedly writing rude words on the lavatory wall and was told he had no future in the theatre. Charles Laughton heartened him by saying that dismissal from
RADA and some early repertory jobs were the best ways of becoming an actor
He was a master of dialect and such a good mimic he could be cast in almost any comic role whether it be Scots, Welsh, Irish, Cockney spiv or just plain English country bumpkin.
He was married twice, the first time in 1955 to Upstairs Downstairs' Jean Marsh. The marriage did not last and he later married the daughter of a German government minister he met on holiday. They had two children and lived in Barnes, west London,
Caption: Jon Pertwee was probably one of the best known Dr Whos. He was also loved by children for his Worzel Gummidge role
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- APA 6th ed.: (1996-05-21). Dr Who star dies in sleep. News Letter p. 9.
- MLA 7th ed.: "Dr Who star dies in sleep." News Letter [add city] 1996-05-21, 9. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Dr Who star dies in sleep." News Letter, edition, sec., 1996-05-21
- Turabian: "Dr Who star dies in sleep." News Letter, 1996-05-21, section, 9 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr Who star dies in sleep | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_star_dies_in_sleep | work=News Letter | pages=9 | date=1996-05-21 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr Who star dies in sleep | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_star_dies_in_sleep | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 April 2025}}</ref>
