About William Hartnell
William Henry Hartnell (; 8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor, who is best known for portraying the first incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1963 to 1966; he reprised the role in the serial The Three Doctors (1972–1973). In film, Hartnell notably appeared in Brighton Rock (1949), The Mouse That Roared (1959) and This Sporting Life (1963). He was associated with military roles, playing Company Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in the ITV sitcom The Army Game (1957, 1961) and Sergeant Grimshaw, the title character in the first Carry On film Carry On Sergeant (1958). His first of more than 60 film appearances was in Say It With Music (1932). Hartnell never discovered the identity of his father, whose particulars were left blank on his birth certificate, despite his efforts to trace him. He was associated with military roles, playing Company Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in the ITV sitcom The Army Game and Sergeant Grimshaw, the title character in the first Carry On film Carry On Sergeant (1958).
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