Doctor Who: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Toymaker

8. He Was Married To Doctor Who's Polly

Doctor Who the Toymaker
Warner Bros. Pictures

The first Toymaker was played by Michael Gough, best known as Alfred Pennyworth in the '90s Batman movies. He was Batman's loyal butler opposite Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney – not a bad resume eh?

Even back in 1966, Gough was a well-known actor of film and television who would've been a big draw for viewers. Of course, he also returned to Doctor Who in 1983, in the far less memorable role of Time Lord Hedin in Arc of Infinity.

But The Celestial Toymaker and Arc of Infinity aren't the only connections between Gough and the Whoniverse. Between 1962 and 1979, he was married to Anneke Wills, who joined the show as companion Polly Wright a few months after The Celestial Toymaker aired.

The couple met on the set of the film Candidate for Murder, and remained together for 17 years. Gough adopted Wills' daughter, who – coincidentally – was also named Polly. Polly believed that Gough was her biological father until her tragic death in 1982.

 
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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.