Time Lords pay tribute to Pertwee
- Publication: Evening Echo
- Date: 1996-05-21
- Author: Michael Verma
- Page: 16
- Language: English
Fellow actors and friends 'devastated' by news of veteran showman's death at 76
FORMER Dr Whos today paid tribute to actor Jon Pertwee, who died yesterday aged 76 from a heart attack while on holiday with his wife and friends. The actor played the cult Time Lord for four years during the 1970s and went on to appear as children's character Worzel Gummidge for nearly a decade.
Dr Who number four, Tom Baker, said: "I am very sorry to hear the news. I was a great admirer of such a stylish actor."
Another, Colin Baker, said he was "devastated".
"He was a man of such presence and stature. I can't believe he has gone it is a great shock," he said.
Straight
"Of all of the interpretations of the Doctor his was the most straight in terms of avoiding comedy.
"He felt his Doctor should be an action man, he loved gadgets and cars."
Sylvester McCoy, the seventh to appear in the role, said: "I will miss him dearly. When I was a child Jon Pertwee on radio entertained and delighted me, and made me laugh.
"As a young man he amazed and excited me with his performance as Dr Who. When I took the role I met him for the first time and he became my great mate."
Pertwee, whose acting career spanned 60 years, was found dead in bed by his German-born second wife Ingeborg yesterday morning.
He had no history of health problems and had worked right up until the end of his life. He was using the holiday in Connecticut to take a break from his popular one man tour of Britain which he was due to resume on Thursday.
Ironically, the news comes as the cult science fiction series is about to take off again with a feature-film length special on Bank Holiday Monday, with Paul McGann as the latest Doctor.
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 Dr Who conventions and spoke to fans.
Recently he said: "Actors don't retire. they fade away, like old generals. I just want to peter out. not rust out! I get desperately bored. when I'm not working."
In a recent interview, Pertwee admitted that he would love to play Dr Who again, but said he was too old to manage any stunts.
"Of course, I'd love to reprise my role. But only as a guest character, as they did in The Five Doctors," he said.
Karate
"At 76, I'm too old for all the stunts and the Venusian karate - I might find kicking somebody under the chin difficult nowadays," Pertwee told this week's Radio Times. Others also paid tribute to the actor.
Una Stubbs, who starred alongside him in Worzel Gummidge, said: "I am absolutely shocked and saddened and my thoughts are now with his wife and children."
David
Broadcaster Jacobs said: "It is too terrible for words. Jon was one of the funniest men that Britain has ever produced, one of the greatest character actors. he was marginally eccentric, he lived his life to the full."
Comedian Ronnie Barker worked with Pertwee in the radio series The Navy Lark for nine years.
"I thoroughly enjoyed working with him", he added.
Caption: TIME LORD: Pertwee in the Dr Who role he played in the 1970s, emerging from working with him", he the time-travelling Tardis to face his deadliest of enemies, a Dalek.
Caption: SCARECROW: Jon Pertwee in his much-loved children's television role as bumbling Worzel Gummidge.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Verma, Michael (1996-05-21). Time Lords pay tribute to Pertwee. Evening Echo p. 16.
- MLA 7th ed.: Verma, Michael. "Time Lords pay tribute to Pertwee." Evening Echo [add city] 1996-05-21, 16. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Verma, Michael. "Time Lords pay tribute to Pertwee." Evening Echo, edition, sec., 1996-05-21
- Turabian: Verma, Michael. "Time Lords pay tribute to Pertwee." Evening Echo, 1996-05-21, section, 16 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Time Lords pay tribute to Pertwee | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Time_Lords_pay_tribute_to_Pertwee | work=Evening Echo | pages=16 | date=1996-05-21 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=14 June 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Time Lords pay tribute to Pertwee | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Time_Lords_pay_tribute_to_Pertwee | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=14 June 2025}}</ref>
