Nicholas Courtney

**Nicholas Courtney** (born **William Nicholas Stone Courtney**; 16 December 1929-22 February 2011) played first Colonel and then Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, beginning in *The Web of Fear* and finally in *Destiny*. He also reprised the role in audio dramas for the BBC.

## Profile

Courtney was born in Cairo, Egypt, the son of a British diplomat and educated in France, Kenya and Egypt. He served his National Service in the British Army. He left after eighteen months as a private, not wanting to pursue a military career. He next joined the Webber Douglas drama school, and after two years began doing repertory theatre in Northampton, and from there moved to London.

Courtney's first appearance in *Doctor Who* was in *The Daleks' Master Plan*, where he played Space Security Agent Bret Vyon opposite William Hartnell as the Doctor. The director, Douglas Camfield, liked Courtney's performance. When Camfield was assigned the 1968 serial *The Web of Fear*, he cast Courtney as Captain Knight.

However, David Langton, who was originally to play Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, gave up the role to accept another offer of work. Camfield recast Ralph Watson in the role of Captain Knight and gave the Colonel's part to Courtney.

Lethbridge-Stewart reappeared later that year in *The Invasion*, now promoted to Brigadier and in charge of the British contingent of UNIT, an organisation that protected the Earth from alien invasion. It was in that recurring role that he became famous, appearing semi-regularly from 1970 to 1975. Courtney returned to the series in 1983, 1989 and 1993.

Courtney wore a false moustache for the majority of his time as the Brigadier, including as Lethbridge-Stewart's 1977 counterpart in *Mawdryn Undead*, as he apparently felt at the time his own didn't look military enough. However, it would appear he changed his mind in later years — growing a genuine moustache for *The Five Doctors*, *Battlefield* and *Destination: Holocaust*.

He also hosted – partly in character as the Brigadier – the *More than 30 Years in the TARDIS* documentary.

Courtney continued to act extensively in theatre and television after he left *Doctor Who*, guest-starring in such popular television programmes as *Minder*, *The Bill*, *Only Fools and Horses* and *Yes, Prime Minister*. He also had a regular role in the comedy *French Fields* between 1989 and 1991.

He regularly made personal appearances at science-fiction conventions and was the Honorary President of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society. His theatrical agent was former *Doctor Who* actress Wendy Padbury.

Courtney was occasionally seen in other productions, such as the late 1980s comedy film *Bullseye!* in which he played a small role opposite Michael Caine and Roger Moore.

Courtney's autobiography, published in 1998, was titled *Five Rounds Rapid!*, (ISBN 1-85227-782-3), after a popular catchphrase of the Brigadier's heard in *The Dæmons*; the volume was edited by John Nathan-Turner. A second, updated autobiography, entitled *Still Getting Away With It*, was published in 2005, co-authored by Michael McManus. He lived in London with his second wife Karen until his death.

Courtney died on 22 February 2011, aged 81 in a North London hospital. His wife, Karen, was with him. A number of people paid tribute to him, including Tom Baker, Mark Gatiss and Jon Culshaw. Toby Hadoke supplied an obituary for the British newspaper, *The Guardian*. Steven Moffat also paid tribute. DWM 436 was in tribute to Courtney, with most of its features orientated around him. It was largely comprised of interviews with the cast and crew of *Doctor Who* and their memories of working with Courtney. It also included interviews with people who had worked with him in other productions, such as detective drama, *The Scarifyers*.

## Credits

### *Doctor Who*

* *The Daleks' Master Plan* as Bret Vyon
* *The Web of Fear*
* *The Invasion*
* *Spearhead from Space*
* *Doctor Who and the Silurians*
* *The Ambassadors of Death*
* *Inferno* (also as Brigade Leader Lethbridge-Stewart)
* *Terror of the Autons*
* *The Mind of Evil*
* *The Claws of Axos*
* *Colony in Space*
* *The Dæmons*
* *Day of the Daleks*
* *The Time Monster*
* *The Three Doctors*
* *The Green Death*
* *The Time Warrior*
* *Invasion of the Dinosaurs*
* *Planet of the Spiders*
* *Robot*
* *Terror of the Zygons*
* *Mawdryn Undead*
* *The Five Doctors*
* *Silver Nemesis* as a tourist
* *Battlefield*
* *Alixion* (brief cameo)
* *Destiny*
* *UNIT Recruiting Film* (voice only)

#### Direct-to-video

* *Wartime* (voice cameo)
* *Liberty Hall*

#### Audio Dramas

* *The Paradise of Death*
* *The Ghosts of N-Space*