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Veteran British actor, Bernard Cribbins of ‘Doctor Who’ fame is dead.
He died at the age of 93.
The cause of his death has not been disclosed publicly—as at the time that this report was filed.
He made his franchise debut as Tom Campbell, companion to Peter Cushing’s Doctor, in the 1966 film Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. However, he is more usually associated with his recurring role as Wilfred “Wilf” Mott, grandfather of Catherine Tate’s Donna, appearing in a total of 10 episodes during David Tennant’s stint as the Doctor.
Russell T. Davies, Doctor Who showrunner has paid tribute to him via a post on Instagram.
“I love this man. I love him. He loved being in Doctor Who. Children are calling me grandad in the street!’ His first day was on location with Kylie Minogue, but all eyes, even Kylie’s, were on Bernard. He’d turned up with a suitcase full of props, just in case, including a rubber chicken. And what an actor. Oh, really though, what a wonderful actor,” he wrote.
“We once took him to the TV Choice Awards and sent him up on his own to collect the award, and the entire room stood up and cheered him. That’s a lovely memory,” Davies added. “He’d phone up and say, ‘I’ve got an idea! What if I attack a Dalek with a paintball gun?!’ Okay, Bernard, in it went! He loved [his late wife] Gill with all his heart; he mentioned her in every conversation we ever had. A love story for the ages. I’m so lucky to have known him. Thanks for everything, my old soldier. A legend has left the world.”
Reacting to the sad news, the official Doctor Who Twitter account shared a statement: “We are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Bernard Cribbins Known best to Doctor Who fans as the Doctor’s friend and Donna’s grandad Wilfred Mott, Bernard leaves behind a long legacy in film and TV.”
