William Russell (1924-2024), born William Russell Enoch and sometimes billed as Russell Enoch, was an English actor whose career spanned more than seven decades. He first came to prominence as the lead in ITV’s The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-57) and appeared in films including The Man Who Never Was, The Great Escape and Superman (1978). In 1963 he became one of the four original cast members of Doctor Who, playing the science teacher Ian Chesterton, the First Doctor’s first male companion. He returned to the character for audio dramas, DVD commentaries and, in 2022, a cameo in “The Power of the Doctor”, which earned a Guinness World Record for the longest gap between television appearances by an actor playing the same character. He also held a senior post in the actors’ union Equity, and his son Alfred Enoch is also an actor. He died on 3 June 2024, aged 99.
