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Anthony Ainley was a notable British actor and a member of a distinguished British acting family. His brother was Richard Ainley (1910-1967) and his father Henry Ainley (1879-1945). He worked in the theatre for many years and eventually found work in various historical film dramas in the 1970s. However, his claim to fame is in the casting in the role of the Master in the long running science fiction series, "Doctor Who" (1963). He joined the team in 1980, appearing in at least one of every six episodes per year until 1986 - when his contract expired. However, he did reprise the role for the final Doctor Who episode entitled 'Survival' - where the Master was supposedly killed off. He retired from acting professionally in the late nineties and played cricket up until the time of his death in May 2004.
He played the Master in 'Doctor Who' for nine years - the longest serving actor to appear as a regular character in the TV series' history.He was a keen cricketer for many years.He despised cheeses of all kinds.Succeeded in the role of the Master by Eric Roberts , who portrayed the villain in Doctor Who (1996) (TV).He was on the shortlist for Prof Watson (played by Glyn Houston) in Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear.By the mid-eighties, he had come into some money that allowed him to live a comfortable life without acting.Just as his Doctor Who character "The Master" would use anagrams to conceal his identity, Ainley would be credited with an anagram of his own name to hide the fact that a character he was playing in certain episodes was The Master in Disguise. Most notably, this led to his credit in "Castrovalva" episode 3 being "Neil Toynay" (Tony Ainley).After Roger Delgado , Peter Pratt and Geoffrey Beevers , he was the fourth actor to play the Master, the Doctor's greatest enemy, in "Doctor Who" (1963). He played the role from the 1981 serial "The Keeper of Traken" to the 1989 serial "Survival". He is the longest running Master. He was succeeded in the role by Gordon Tipple , Eric Roberts , Sir Derek Jacobi and John Simm .Before his acting career took off, he was well known as a leading rugby player in London, playing under the name of A.A. Holmes. For several seasons in the sixties he played regularly for Richmond and Middlesex, either at full back or centre three quarter. Articles confirming this can be found in the archives of the London Evening Standard, written by the then rugby correspondent Richard Evans. Photographs accompanying the articles clearly confirm that Holmes and Ainley are one and the same.Was a keen club cricketer - even abruptly citing Sophie Aldred (who played Ace on Doctor Who) as his friend once he learned that she played cricket.Was so fond of the role of The Master that, according to Doctor Who script editor Eric Saward , Ainley would introduce himself on the phone by saying "This is the Master," and then do his trademark villainous laugh.
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Anthony Ainley
Date of Birth: |
20 August 1932
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Date of Death: |
3 May 2004
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Biography: |
Anthony Ainley was a notable British actor and a member of a distinguished British acting ...more
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He played the Master in 'Doctor Who' for nine years - the longest serving actor to appear ...more
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During the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union lose one spacecraft each after they are both seemingly swallowed whole by a second unidentified spacecraft. The two superpowers are quick to blame one another for the disappearances, causing tensions to skyrocket. The United Kingdom has an alternate theory regarding the disappearances however, a theory involving Japan, and sends their number one spy, James Bond, to investigate there. With the help of the Japanese Secret...
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