10 Doctor Who Background Actors Who Got Themselves Noticed

Right at the start of An Unearthly Child, a young boy interrupts his two chattering classmates with a Kenneth Williams-style "Ooooh yes", much to their chagrin.

It's a moment that always guarantees a chuckle from Doctor Who fans, despite how many times they've seen An Unearthly Child. So much so, that the wonderfully funny and forensic Toby Hadoke set out to identify this minor actor and relate their life story on his Too Much Information podcast.

Played by actor Richard Willson, this TV schoolboy would later get a small speaking role alongside the legendary Sidney Poitier in the movie To Sir With Love. To differentiate himself from his Empty Child and One Foot in the Grave namesake Richard Wilson, he changed his name to Richard Alexander, but later quit professional acting for a career in hospitality.

In the Coal Hill school-set spinoff Class, a young boy called Kevin was memorialized as K. Williams on the extensive list of dead pupils and teachers, including D. Pink and C. Oswald. A coincidence, but a pleasing one nonetheless.

More interesting still, future Second Doctor companion Frazer Hines was under consideration for a background role in the Coal Hill scenes during Doctor Who's pilot episode!

Again. Small universe.