David Bridges
British actor William Russell, beloved for his function in the early days of Medical doctor Who as companion Ian Chesterton, has died, the Guardian reports.
Russell’s profession in tv currently saw him rise to fame in the UK for his function in the 1950s drama series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, but it would be his subsequent key Television function that shot him into the hearts and minds of sci-fi fans across the nation: Medical doctor Who’s Ian Chesterton.
A science teacher at Coal Hill College, Ian discovers alongside his colleague Barbara that a single of their students, Susan, lives with her mysterious grandfather in a regional junkyard—and inadvertently finds himself, as properly as Barbara, pulled into an adventure across Time and Space as the Doctor’s newest travelling companions. Russell played Ian across the 1st two years of Medical doctor Who as it shot to British cultural superstardom, just before leaving the series in the 1965 serial “The Chase”, which saw Ian and Barbara return to their house time following an adventure with the Daleks.
Ian would be described many occasions in the generations given that Russell’s departure, establishing him as a crucial figure back at Coal Hill College. But Russell himself would make a record-breaking return in the 2022 episode “The Energy of the Medical doctor”, reprising his function on-screen as Ian as a member of a assistance group of former companions of the Medical doctor. It produced Russell the record breaker for the longest gap among Television appearances by an actor playing the identical character.
Russell is survived by his wife, and their son, actor Alfred Enoch, as properly as 3 kids from Russell’s 1st marriage.
Want far more io9 news? Verify out when to count on the most current Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and Television, and every little thing you will need to know about the future of Medical doctor Who.
Daniel Mercer
Ethan Carter
