EARLY DOCTOR WHO GUEST STAR DIES.
The actor Philip Bond has died suddenly whilst on holiday on the island of Madeira. He was 82.
He will be known to Doctor Who fans for his important guest role in the second ever story, The Daleks (1963/4). He played Ganatus, who accompanies Ian and Barbara on their deadly mission through the perilous environs of Skaro in order to defeat the Daleks. During the mission he witnesses the death of his brother Antodus (Marcus Hammond) and develops a soft spot for Barbara. Bond, who was cast late in the day after original choice Dinsdale Landen became unavailable, gives a great performance. Whilst some of the members of his tribe have an element of mannered, misty eyed 60s-ness about them, Bond capers about gamely and is clearly the “one to watch”. He has an energy and vitality which make his very naturalistic performance work 50 years later and his character is certainly the perkiest and most likeable of those encountered by the TARDIS crew during this groundbreaking 7 part story. More recently he lent his vocal talents to the Torchwood audio adventure Forgotten Lives (2015) meaning that he hold the record for the longest amount of time between performances in the series and/or its spin offs.
He told me in 2012 that he had accepted the part (whilst appearing at the Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre) without looking at the script and that he “enjoyed many a pint with William Hartnell during lock-ins at The Black Prince after recording”. As for Jacqueline Hill – “loved her” which might explain their chemistry on screen and they, along with William Russell (whom he had known since 1955) and Verity Lambert socialised together a lot. “We knew we were at the start of something after the Daleks first appeared,” he remembered. We discussed his doing a Who’s Round recently but geography – he spent his latter years based in a remote village in Wales – was making it tricky. He had, however, agreed to come and do a Who Talk commentary over some of his episodes when he returned from holiday later this month and indeed only recently did a signing for Fantom Films (who produce them).
Born in Burton-on-Trent to Welsh parents, he attended Burton Boys’ grammar school which he where he got his first taste of the stage. He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama and one of his early theatre roles was playing Jean to the Miss Julie of Sonia Dresdel in Edinburgh in 1956.
He never returned to Doctor Who on but carved himself an impressive television career including regular roles in 199 Park Lane (1965), The Onedin Line ((1972, as Albert Frazer), The Main Chance (1970 as Peter Findon). He also cropped up in everything from Peter Cushing’s TV Hound of the Baskervilles (1968, as Stapleton) to Midsomer Murders (2007), taking in such varied fare as The Avengers (1969), Doomwatch (as Inspector Drew in The Human Time Bomb, 1971), The Children of the New Forest (1977), Diana Rigg’s Hedda Gabler (as Lovborg, 1981), Only Fools and Horses (1985), Shakespeare : The Animated Tales (1994), Fever Pitch (1997) and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001) along the way.
The BBC cameraman Roger Bunce worked with Bond often and remembers him as “a really nice, humorous guy – and a classic actor. A likeable hero in the The Onedin Line, a dastardly villain in The Hound of the Baskervilles. I think I first worked with him on a TV play called The Pistol Shot in which he played a callous cad – so different from the real person. A great character range.”
Philip Bond died surrounded by his children Matthew, Samantha (known in the Doctor Who universe as Miss Wormwood in The Sarah Jane Adventures) and Abigail and his long standing partner Elizabeth. They survive him, as do his grandchildren Molly, Tom, Nancy, Bill and Ivan.
Philip George William Bond, born 1st November 1934 – died 17th January 2017
There’s a more detailed article about Mr Bond on the superb Avengers Forever website here. Thanks to Gavin Gaughan.
Thanks To Roger Bunce.
You can see my tribute video to those from Doctor Who who died in 2016 here.
