William Hartnell

According to the BBC, William Hartnell suggested that Patrick Troughton replace him as the Doctor.

Both William (1st Doctor) and Jon Pertwee (3rd Doctor) described playing the Doctor as like being the Pied Piper.

William was in the Royal Armoured Corps during World War Two, but was discharged after he had a nervous breakdown.

William played the role of the first Doctor Who between 1963 and 1966, clocking up more than 30 stories on the show, and more than 100 episodes.

His granddaughter is Judith (stage name Jessica) Carney.

William Hart played Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead.

After his death, the role of the First Doctor was played by Richard Hurndall in the special anniversary episode The Five Doctors although William did appear in a small excerpt from The Dalek's Invasion of Earth - Part Five at the beginning of the episode.

Hartnell reprised the role in the 10th Anniversary story The Three Doctors (1973) with the help of cue cards but appeared only in pre-filmed inserts.

According to some he worked with on Doctor Who, he could be a tough person to be on set with.

He appeared first on television in The Army Game from 1957–1961

William appeared in the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant as Sergeant Grimshaw.

Hartnell usually played comic characters.

The first of more than sixty film appearances was Say It With Music.

William entered the theatre in 1924.

William was educated at home.

Hartnell married the actress Heather McIntyre.

He was invalided out of the Royal Armoured Corps of the British Army during the Second World War, after suffering a nervous breakdown.

At one time he shared the same agent as Nicholas Courtney, who later became a regular in "Doctor Who" (1963) as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

He always claimed he was born in Seaton, Devon, England but he was actually born in St. Pancras, London, England.

He was the first in the long line of actors to play Doctor Who.