10 Big Stars You Forgot Appeared In The World Of Doctor Who

8. Burt Kwouk

Ricky Gervais Extras Doctor Who parody
United Artists

Burt Kwouk was a British screen legend, born in Lancashire in 1930 and raised in Shanghai. After the Communist revolution, Kwouk returned to the UK where he embarked upon a prolific career in film and television which included a small role in Goldfinger. He's best known for his role as Cato, Inspector Clouseau's hands-on manservant in The Pink Panther series. In later years, he delivered an acclaimed performance as Major Yamaguchi in Japanese POW drama Tenko.

It was around the same time as Tenko that Kwouk would appear in Peter Davison's first serial as the Doctor, Four to Doomsday. Kwouk plays Lin Futu, who was kidnapped by the froglike Monarch, and converted into an android. When the Doctor reveals that he's been deceived by the Monarch, Lin Futu and his fellow androids assist the Doctor and his companions in foiling the Monarch's plan.

Davison and Kwouk would meet again years later on the set of The Harry Hill Show, where they took the helm of the Enterprise in a Star Trek-inflected version of Pulp's Disco 2000. In many ways, it's less weird than anything in Four to Doomsday.

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Contributor

Citizen of the Universe, Film Programmer, Writer, Podcaster, Doctor Who fan and a gentleman to boot. As passionate about Chinese social-realist epics as I am about dumb popcorn movies.