Roger Delgado

Actor · born 1 March 1918 · London, England, UK

Roger Delgado (1 March 1918 - 18 June 1973), full name Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto, was a British actor, who will forever be known for being the first actor to play The Master in Doctor Who. Born in Whitechapel, within the sound of Bow Bells, to a Belgian mother and a Spanish father, Delgado was brought up in Bedford Park and attended the LSE before WWII was declared. His war service saw him rise to the rank of a major, serving with both the Leicestershire Regiment and the Royal Signals, despite his dislike of guns. He made his TV debut in 1948 and starred in several TV and film productions before his untimely death at the age of 55 in a car accident whilst filming the Franco/German TV production La Cloche tibétaine in Turkey. He had married twice, firstly to Olga Anthonisz and then, following his divorce. to Kismet Shahani who survived him.

Where to start: Horror Express (1972).