Biography
Though he regularly worked on screen, stage, and television, veteran British actor Jon Pertwee may best be remembered for playing the third Dr. Who in the long-running British sci-fi television series of the same name from 1970 to 1974. The son of actor
Roland Pertwee, he started out on-stage and then made his feature film debut in
A Yank at Oxford (1937). A string of popular films followed, but Pertwee temporarily abandoned movies to serve with the British Navy during WWII. Upon his return, he reestablished his film career and subsequently proved himself a gifted and multi-talented artist; while appearing in a series of
Carry On films, he was compared to
Danny Kaye. After leaving the Dr. Who series, Pertwee appeared in several London West End musicals and also returned to feature films such as
One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing and
The House That Dripped Blood (1971). In 1978, Pertwee became the homeless but lovable bum Worzel Gummedge on the children's show Worzel Gummedge. Up until the time of his death on May 20, 1996, Pertwee enjoyed making guest appearances at Dr. Who conventions. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide