Mr. Pertwee is best known for his portrayal of The Doctor, on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He portrayed The Doctor from 1970 to 1974. His 60-year entertainment career included work in radio, films, and cabaret. This was despite the inauspicious beginning of having been thrown out of drama school as a young man and told he had no future as an actor. The BBC announced his death.


He was the younger brother of Michael Pertwee. He was the son of Roland Pertwee. He was the father of actress Dariel Pertwee and actor Sean Pertwee. He changed his name from "John" to "Jon" as a young actor. Knew Laurence Olivier personally when he was a young man. The 60 year old actor added pop star to his repertoire in 1980 when 'Worzel's Song' reached the top 33 in the UK and stayed in the chart for seven weeks. Jon was considered for the role of Captain Mainwaring in the BBC series "Dad's Army" (1968), which eventually went to Arthur Lowe. He claimed that he refused the part as he was working on Broadway at the time, and didn't know what he was being offered back home. He worked hard to bring the character of Worzel Gummidge ("Worzel Gummidge" (1979)) to the television screen and counted it as his favourite role. He had been offered the part in the mid-70s for a film version which was never made, and persuaded the writers Willis Hall and Keith Waterhouse to pen a TV pilot instead. During WW2 he served in the RNVR as an officer. He was appointed to HMS Hood from which he was extremely fortunate to be returned to shore shortly before that vessel was sunk by the Bismarck. Following the instructions in his will, Jon Pertwee was cremated with an effigy of the bumbling scarecrow Worzel Gummidge ("Worzel Gummidge" (1979), his favourite role), attached to his casket. As the casket slid between the curtains, the effigy fell off and landed on the floor, leading one mourner to call out "That's Jon for you. Always playing it for laughs". The mourners all broke into laughter. Died in his sleep of a heart attack while he and his wife were on holiday in the USA, staying with actor Richard Neilson and his wife at their house in Timber Lake, Connecticut. Was originally meant to star in The Baby and the Battleship (1956) with George Cole, but was replaced when Cole walked out. Was a life long fan of cartoons. He was the oldest living Doctor from the death of William Hartnell on April 23, 1975 and the earliest living Doctor from the death of Patrick Troughton on March 28, 1987 until his own death on May 20, 1996. With his death, Tom Baker came both the oldest and earliest living Doctor. He was a very good friend of Spike Milligan. But later on in his life the two would have arguments over who was the bigger Aladdin fan. He also considered Milligan's Goon colleague, Peter Sellers, a friend. Had a reputation as a great raconteur, comedian and impressionist, making him a popular guest on talk shows, game shows and at "Doctor Who" (1963) conventions. Of the 24 "Doctor Who" (1963) stories he starred in, he named "Doctor Who: The Dæmons: Part 1 (#8.21)" (1971) as his favorite. Was delighted when his wife passed him the message that he had been invited to appear in "the new Columbus film", and that the script was being sent over. He would wryly recall that his hopes of working with Gérard Depardieu in 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) were quickly dashed when he received the script of Carry on Columbus (1992).