Biography

After Michael Wisher and David Gooderson, he was the third actor to play Davros, the mad scientist and creator of the Daleks, in Doctor Who (1963). He is the only actor to have played Davros in more than one serial of Doctor Who (1963), having played the character in Resurrection of the Daleks: Part One (1984), Revelation of the Daleks: Part One (1985), and Remembrance of the Daleks: Part One (1988). He has also appeared in numerous audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions. He was succeeded in the role on screen by Julian Bleach in Doctor Who (2005).

He is the voice of "Mike Tucker" in the long running BBC radio series, "The Archers".

He studied Music and Drama in Liverpool in the mid-1960s. He played in a soul band for three years and appeared in the famous "Cavern Club" in Liverpool.

Before being cast as Russell in Attack of the Cybermen: Part One (1985), he was a possible for the roles of Griffths (played by Brian Glover) and Payne (played by James Beckett).

[on playing Davros, the mad scientist and creator of the Daleks] It was all due to Matthew Robinson, who was the director of Resurrection of the Daleks (Resurrection of the Daleks: Part One (1984)). Matthew rang and asked 'Do you know anything about Davros?' I said vaguely, as my time had been with Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell. He showed me this tape with Michael Wisher in and said 'Do you think you can re-create that?' I have to say, looking at it, this was a great challenge. I'd worked in radio a lot with The Archers and radio drama and looking at it I thought this is television, but it's like radio because you're having to create the character with your voice. The mask isn't doing a lot apart from initially scaring people. The character has got to come from inside that mask and come out. I thought it would be great fun to do and it went on from there.