Richard Todd 1919–2009

The actor Richard Todd has died at the age of ninety.

Arguably one of the most respected actors to appear in the classic series, Richard Todd was a British film star well known for his heroic roles in such films as The Dambusters, D-Day the Sixth of June, and The Longest Day.

Born in Ireland, he was a war hero in his own right, being one of the first soldiers to parachute into occupied France on D-Day in 1944. He had a long and distinguished career in British stage and film. He was Oscar-nominated for the 1949 film The Hasty Heart, appearing alongside future American President Ronald Reagan. He won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for the same film. In 1957 he appeared in Yangtse Incident alongside William Hartnell.

He appeared in many Disney adventure movies such as The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue. In 2002 he was made a Disney Legend.

Todd appeared in the 1982 Doctor Who story Kinda. Appearing with Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, Todd played Sanders, the leader of the Earth colonisation survey expedition to the jungle planet Deva Loka.

Todd, who was made an OBE in 1993, was last seen on screen in a 2007 episode of ITV drama Heartbeat.

He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday at his home near Grantham in Lincolnshire.

BBC Obituary