[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wh3.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:The original Doctor in his usual grounds.]]

->''"The moment this brilliant young producer Miss Creator/VerityLambert started telling me about ''Doctor Who'', I was hooked. I remember telling her, This is going to run for five years. And look what's happened!"''

William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was a British actor, remembered primarily as [[TheNthDoctor the First Doctor]] from ''Series/DoctorWho'' -- although when he took the role, nobody knew there would be a [[Creator/PatrickTroughton Second Doctor]], let alone a [[Creator/PeterCapaldi Twelfth]], or even [[Creator/JodieWhittaker a female Doctor]].

Prior to becoming a national icon, he had primarily played military types (such as the eponymous Sergeant in ''Film/CarryOnSergeant'') and sinister hoods -- he turned in a memorably creepy performance in ''Literature/BrightonRock'', where he was overshadowed by Creator/RichardAttenborough's turn as VillainProtagonist Pinky. Hartnell also appeared with Creator/JonPertwee in the 1953 film ''Will Any Gentleman...?'' as a police inspector, and with Creator/PeterSellers in the 1959 film ''Literature/TheMouseThatRoared'', again as a sergeant. It was supposedly his frustration with [[TypeCasting constantly having been offered nothing but "tough guy" roles]] that drove him to accept [[PlayingAgainstType his fateful role as the Doctor]].

The First Doctor's crotchety old man persona was partly influenced by Hartnell's own nature, particularly because his memory was beginning to fail him; his blustering diatribes at his companions often went off-script, which, in an era when Television was essentially live theatre performed for a camera, resulted in more than a few occasions where the other actors are visibly struggling not to {{corps|ing}}e and improvising like crazy to get the scene back on track.

His sadly increasing infirmity led to the creative team finding a new way to continue the show; since the Doctor was an [[HumanAlien alien]], who was to say what he might or might not be able to do? He might even [[TheNthDoctor turn into]] a completely different person... and thus was born Regeneration, by means of which [[LongRunners a television series that started in 1963 is still airing today]]. He reprised the role of the Doctor once more, in the serial [[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E1TheThreeDoctors "The Three Doctors"]], filmed in 1972; with his health in serious decline, he had to appear only in pre-recorded inserts, and read all his dialogue from cue cards, but still managed to deliver a spiky putdown of Creator/PatrickTroughton (who he had personally suggested as a worthy successor) and prior ''Will Any Gentleman...?'' co-star Pertwee; "So, you're my replacements, hmm? A dandy and a clown!" His spot in the serial would mark not only his final appearance in the role of the First Doctor, but his final acting appearance period.

On 23 April 1975, after a long illness, he died in his sleep; his death was reported on Creator/{{the BBC}} National news, illustrated -- naturally enough -- with a clip from his time as the Doctor.

His granddaughter, Jessica Carney, wrote [[http://www.amazon.com/Whos-There-William-Hartnell-Hardcover/dp/1852275146 a biography]] that covers much of his early career.

Was played by Creator/DavidBradley in the 2013 BasedOnATrueStory BBC Drama ''Film/AnAdventureInSpaceAndTime'', who would later portray the First Doctor onscreen in [[Recap/DoctorWho2017CSTwiceUponATime 2017]] and [[Recap/DoctorWho2022CENThePowerOfTheDoctor 2022]], as well as in ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho''. Beforehand, Richard Hurndall (1910 -- 1984) filled in for the late Hartnell in 1983's [[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors "The Five Doctors"]].
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