12 Doctor Who Actors Who Died In 2023

3. Murray Melvin

Doctor Who Torchwood Murray Melvin as Bilis Manger
BBC Studios

Murray Melvin played the morally ambiguous Bilis Manger in the Torchwood episodes Captain Jack Harkness and End Of Days, a role to which he would return in the Big Finish audio dramas. Morally ambiguous may, however, be a kind description, as he worked to free the god Abaddon from the temporal rift. We all do silly things for the ones we care about.

Melvin was a lifelong actor, having joined a drama club that his parents had co-founded in his youth. His well-managed style was, in his opinion, part of his trick for getting through difficult situations. He would appear in several films of Ken Russell and Stanley Kubrick, though it was with the former that he cultivated a long-term friendship.

His theatre credits are enormous, with work both on stage and backstage as well. In December 2022, he suffered a fall, which would ultimately contribute to his death. He died in April 2023 at age 90.

 
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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"