Doctor(s): 1st Doctor (William Hartnell); cameo with the 13th Doctor
Traveled: November 1963 – June 1965 (16 stories, 77 episodes)
Actor: William Russell (19 November 1924 – 3 June 2024)
Episodes & Stories
An Unearthly Child through The Chase, including The Aztecs, The Romans, The Web Planet, and The Crusade. Returned in the 2022 special “The Power of the Doctor.”
Personality
A science teacher at Coal Hill School, Ian is brave, level-headed, resourceful and protective — often acting as the group’s man of action alongside the more cerebral Doctor.
Interesting Facts
- Ian and Barbara Wright were the first “ordinary human” companions.
- Russell was 39 when cast and returned to play Ian again 59 years later in 2022.
- William Russell continued acting into his late 90s, one of the oldest working actors in British television.
What Happened to the Character
Ian and Barbara find a way home in The Chase (1965), returning to 1965 London. Later material establishes he and Barbara married.
The Actor Today
William Russell worked steadily in British TV and theatre, including a long run in Coronation Street. He passed away on 3 June 2024 at age 99.