David Graham obit

 

Peppa Pig and Thunderbirds actor David Graham dies

He was not on the list.

David Graham, the actor who provided the voice for characters in TV series including Peppa Pig, Thunderbirds and Doctor Who, has died aged 99.

As the voice behind the evil Daleks in Doctor Who, Graham terrified successive generations of children between the 1960s and late 70s.

He was also well known as the voice of Aloysius Parker, the butler and chauffeur in 1960s TV series Thunderbirds and its film sequels.

But to today's generation of children, he will be most familiar as the voice of Grandpa Pig in the TV series Peppa Pig.

The character, married to Granny Pig and the father of Mummy Pig and Aunt Dottie, was referred to as "Papa Ig" by his young grandson George.

On-screen, Graham appeared in two episodes of the first series of Doctor Who as an actor, but became much better known as the unemotional, harsh voice of the Daleks.

In an interview with the Mirror in 2015 about voicing the Daleks, Graham recalled: “I created it with Peter Hawkins, another voice actor.

“We adopted this staccato style then they fed it through a synthesiser to make it more sinister.”

As well as voicing Parker for the futuristic children's puppet series Thunderbirds, he also played the show's pilot Gordon Tracy, and Brains the engineer, betwen 1965 and 1966.

He reprised the role of Parker for an ITV remake of the show in 2015, called Thunderbirds Are Go! and was the only original cast member to return.

Parker, famous for saying "Yes m'lady", worked for Lady Penelope, who was played in the more recent version by Saltburn star and ex-Bond actress Rosamund Pike.

Graham said at the time: "I am triple chuffed to be on board the new series... and reprising my role of dear old Parker with such a distinguished cast.

"My driving skills are in good nick and I am delighted to be behind the wheel again with m'lady."

He told The Mirror that the show's creator, Gerry Anderson, had helped with the inspiration for Parker's voice back in the 1960s.

“Gerry took me to lunch because he wanted me to hear the voice of somebody, a wine waiter,” the actor said.

“He had been a butler to the former Prince of Wales.

“He said, ‘Would you like to see the wine list sir?’ and that was the birth of Parker.

"I just made him a bit more villainous. I’m not sure the guy ever knew – he might have demanded a royalty!”

The actor, who was born in London, told The Mirror he knew early on which career he wanted to pursue.

“At school I always wanted to say the poem or read the story. I always wanted to act,” he told the newspaper.

He had to postpone his acting interests when World War Two happened, however, and worked as a radar mechanic.

But afterwards, having not enjoyed his post-war work as an office clerk, he joined his sister and her American GI husband in New York, where he attended a theatre school.

After returning home, he worked in repertory theatre before getting work the first Doctor Who series.

Graham was also a member of Lawrence Olivier’s company at the National Theatre.

His long career also included providing the voice for Wise Old Elf and Mr Gnome for Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, shown in the UK on Channel 5.

He also had brief appearances in ITV's Coronation Street, The Bill and London's Burning and BBC dramas Doctors and Casualty.

Filmography

Film

Year        Title        Role       Notes

1960     Crossroads to Crime        Johnny

1962     K.I.L. 1   Alvero Beda       

1965     The Pleasure Girls             First Gambler    

Dr. Who and the Daleks Dalek voices      

1966     Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

Thunderbirds Are Go       Gordon Tracy, Brains, Aloysius Parker      

1968     Thunderbird 6  

1971     Freelance             General

1985     King David           Ephraimite Elder              

1988     Stowaways on the Ark    Brown Bear        

2008     Back in Ten          Janis     

2009     The End                Ernest Samson 

2015     Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots       Grandpa Pig, Mr. Zebra 

Television

Year        Title        Role       Notes

1957     O.S.S.    Pilot       Episode 14 “Operation Yo-Yo”

1958–59              Private Investigator         Luis d’Crux, Shakespeare               3 episodes

1959     Dial 999               Meaker, Vince, Radio Operator   3 episodes

1960     Four Feather Falls             Grandpa Twink, Fernando            39 episodes

1961–62              Supercar              Dr. Beaker, Zarin, Mitch the Monkey

1962–63              Fireball XL5         Mat Matic, Lieutenant Ninety

1963     The Avengers     Producer              Episode: "Man in the Mirror"

1963–79, 2023 Doctor Who        Dalek voices, Mechonoid voices, Charlie, Professor Kerensky         36 episodes[a]

1964     The Saint              Ahmed, Juan Gamma      2 episodes

1964–65              Stingray Various 39 episodes

1965     Danger Man       Detective             Episode 17: "The Affair at Castelevara"

1965–66              Thunderbirds     Gordon Tracy, Brains, Parker, Kyrano        32 episodes

1969     The Secret Service            King of Muldovia, Air Traffic Controller, Lord Edward Hazelwell      2 episodes, uncredited

1970–71              Timeslip                2957     7 episodes

1972     Ace of Wands    Landlord              Episode: "The Meddlers: Part 1", uncredited

1976–81              When the Boat Comes In              Kaganovich, Morty Black               3 episodes

1989     Screen One         Malcolm Druce  Episode 3: "The Accountant"

1990–91              Moomin               Snork    English version, 77 episodes

1992–94              So Haunt Me      Mr. Bloom           13 episodes

2004–2024         Peppa Pig             Grandpa Pig, Mr. Zebra, Father Christmas              65 episodes

2005     Horizon Albert Einstein   Episode: "Einstein's Unfinished Symphony"

2009–12              Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom    Wise Old Elf, Mr. Gnome                47 episodes

2015–20              Thunderbirds Are Go       Parker, Vic, Malloy           40 episodes