Pat Gorman obit

Farewell to Pat Gorman

 

He was not on the list.

One of the unsung heroes of Doctor Who, Pat Gorman, has died the way he lived – quietly this past October, as confirmed by UK Equity this past week.

Gorman appeared in so many episodes of Who over the years that legend has it script editor Terrance Dicks joked it was in the BBC Charter that they couldn’t make an episode of the series without Gorman in it.

His name wasn’t always in the credits but his face was often in the crowd – he had 73 minor roles in the show during the ’60s. In fact, he often popped up in all sorts of BBC shows from the ’60s through to the late ’90s, sometime just in the background or other times chiming in with a “Yes sir”, a nod or perhaps even just to deliver the milk.

Born in England, he is best known for his work on The Elephant Man (1980) as a “Fairground Bobby”; the movie’s star, John Hurt, of course went on to become the War Doctor. His other notable performances came in the 1989 version of Batman, Z Cars, Fawlty Towers, I Claudius and Blake’s 7. His final credited performance was in the television series Soldier Soldier in 1994.

But it was his performances between 1964 and 1985 in Doctor Who that will be most remembered. He played a Silurian in The Silurians (1970), a Primitive in Colony in Space (1971), a Sea Devil in The Sea Devils (1972) and a pilot in The Armageddon Factor (1979) among his many many roles. He was often a soldier, guard or policeman – only six other actors have appeared in more Doctor Who serials than him.

Filmography

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1962      Time to Remember         Police Constable               Uncredited

1963      Siege of the Saxons         Rebel     Uncredited

1963      Girl in the Headlines        PC who is holding Man in Club    Uncredited

1963      The Fast Lady     Fireman                Uncredited

1963      The Victors          American Soldier              Uncredited

1963      Heavens Above!               Townsman          Uncredited

1964      Carry On Jack     Pirate    Uncredited

1964      Blind Corner       Studio Engineer                Uncredited

1964      The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb              London Reporter              Uncredited

1964      The Leather Boys              Man in Pub         Uncredited

1964      A Hard Day's Night           Pub Patron Playing Shove Ha'Penn           Uncredited

1967      The Mummy's Shroud    Reporter              Uncredited

1967      I'll Never Forget What's'isname Old Edgcumbian               Uncredited

1967      The Mummy's Shroud    Reporter              Uncredited

1970      Trog       Army Officer       Uncredited

1971      Assault Final scene pc    Uncredited

1977      Star Wars             Stormtrooper    Uncredited

1978      The Big Sleep     Pool Player in Pub            Uncredited

1978      The Playbirds     Expert 3              

1978      The Thirty Nine Steps     Cab Driver           Uncredited

1980      The Elephant Man            Fairground Bobby           

1981      Ragtime               Thug No. 2         

1981      Venom Policeman           Uncredited

1982      The Boys in Blue               Radio Room PC Uncredited

1985      Christmas Present           ITN Crewman     Uncredited

1986      Tai-Pan British Merchant #2       

1989      Batman                Cop at Axis Chemicals     Uncredited

TV

Year       Title       Episode                Role       Notes

1963      Maigret                The Log of the Cap Fagnet            Extra      Uncredited

1963      The Saint             The Benevolent Burglary               Gendarme          Uncredited

Doctor Who

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1964      The Dalek Invasion of Earth          Male Freedom Fighter   uncredited

1965      Mission to the Unknown               Planetarian         uncredited

1965      The Myth Makers             Greek Soldier     uncredited

1966      The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve   Guard    uncredited

1966      The War Machines           Worker

Soldier uncredited

uncredited

1966–67               The Highlanders                English Sailor      uncredited

1967      The Abominable Snowmen          Warrior Monk    uncredited

1967–68               The Enemy of the World               Guard on Fire Escape      uncredited

1968      The Invasion       Cyberman

1969      The Seeds of Death         Technician           uncredited

1969      The War Games                Military Policeman

1970      Doctor Who and the Silurians     Silurian

Silurian Scientist

1970      The Ambassadors of Death          Technician           uncredited

1970      Inferno Primord

1971      Terror of the Autons       Auton Leader

1971      Colony in Space                 Primitive

Long

Scientist

1971      The Dæmons     Coven Member uncredited

1972      Day of the Daleks             Guard

Film Cameraman              uncredited

uncredited

1972      The Sea Devils   Sea Devil

1972–73               The Three Doctors           UNIT Soldier       uncredited

1973      Frontier in Space              Presidential Guard

Sea Devil              uncredited

uncredited

1973      The Green Death              Security Guard

Wholeweal Man               uncredited

uncredited

1974      Invasion of the Dinosaurs              UNIT Corporal

1974      The Monster of Peladon                Guard    uncredited

1974      Planet of the Spiders       Soldier

Villager                

uncredited

1974–75               Robot    Think Tank Guard             uncredited

1975      Genesis of the Daleks     Thal Soldier

1975      Revenge of the Cybermen            Cyberman

Dead Crew Member        uncredited

uncredited

1976      The Seeds of Doom         Guard    uncredited

1976      The Masque of Mandragora        Soldier

Brethren Member          

uncredited

1976      The Deadly Assassin        Guard    uncredited

1977      The Invisible Enemy        Medic

1978      The Ribos Operation       Kro         uncredited

1979      The Armageddon Factor                Pilot

1979      City of Death      Thug      uncredited

1981      Warriors' Gate   Gundan                uncredited

1981      The Keeper of Traken     Foster   uncredited

1982      Time-Flight         Policeman           uncredited

1983      Enlightenment Grogan uncredited

1984      The Caves of Androzani Soldier uncredited

1985      Attack of the Cybermen                Worker

Cyberman

Rogue Cyberman              uncredited

uncredited

uncredited