British actor William Russell, beloved for his role in the early days of Doctor Who as companion Ian Chesterton, has died, the Guardian reports. Russell’s career in television already saw him rise to fame in the UK for his role in the 1950s drama series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, but it would be his next major TV role that shot him into the hearts and minds of sci-fi fans across the country: Doctor Who’s Ian Chesterton.
Russell played Ian across the first two years of Doctor Who as it shot to British cultural superstardom, before leaving the series in the 1965 serial “The Chase”, which saw Ian and Barbara return to their home time after an adventure with the Daleks. Ian would be mentioned multiple times in the generations since Russell’s departure, establishing him as a key figure back at Coal Hill School.