David Graham

Known for Acting · 96 credits

Born: 1925-07-11
Died: 2024-09-20
Place of birth: Hackney, London, England, UK

Biography

David Michael Graham (11 July 1925 – 20 September 2024) was an English actor. He voiced the Daleks in Doctor Who, Gordon Tracy, Brains, Aloysius Parker and Kyrano in Thunderbirds, and Grandpa Pig in Peppa Pig. Born in London on 11 July 1925. His sister had married a G.I. and had moved to the United States, and his uncle had run away there, so he became an actor after leaving his Orthodox Jewish household. He trained in New York City at the Neighbourhood Playhouse School of the Theatre with Sanford Meisner, following service in the Royal Air Force as a radar mechanic.

Graham's first breakout role before returning to England was Givola in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, alongside Leonard Rossiter. While playing characters in the TV series Private Investigator in 1958, Graham met writer and producer Gerry Anderson, who was planning his first puppet productions. Graham mentioned to him that he could pull off accents well. His second voiceover role in Four Feather Falls was Grandpa Twink, whom he based on Walter Brennan. He subsequently voiced Dr. Beaker, Zarin and Mitch the Monkey in Supercar, Mat Matic and Lieutenant Ninety in Fireball XL5 and various guest characters in Stingray. Graham also played Johnny in Crossroads to Crime, a live-action film Anderson directed.

In 1963, he became the voice of the Daleks in Doctor Who, he voiced the Daleks in all four of their major First Doctor era appearances, as well as two 1960s feature films: Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. Graham also voiced the Mechonoids and played the onscreen role of Charlie in The Gunfighters. He returned to his role as the voice of the Daleks in 2023, when he recorded new lines for that year's official colourised recut of the 1963 serial The Daleks for the show's 60th anniversary.

In 1965, Graham became the voice of Gordon Tracy, Brains, Aloysius Parker and Kyrano in Thunderbirds, as well as its film sequels: Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6. He did not believe Brains had a stutter, claiming that he was instead excitedly trying to find the words to explain his latest ideas. He based the voice of Parker on a waiter at the King's Arms pub in Cookham, and he and Ray Barrett shared roles as many of the guest villains. Although he was not highly paid for production, the many repeats earned him a lot more. Parker became Anderson's favourite voice.

Between 1975 and 1977, Graham was part of the Radio Drama Company. In 1979, he played Professor Kerensky in the Doctor Who story City of Death.

Known For

Coronation Street

1960

as Mr. Brown

Doctor Who

1963

as Kerensky / Dalek (voice) / Charlie / Dalek Voices (voice) / Daleks (voice) / Dalek (Voice)

Peppa Pig

2004

as Grandpa Pig (voice)

The Avengers

1961

as Producer

Play for Today

1970

as Bruno

The Saint

1962

as Ahmed / Juan Gamma

TV Shows (44)

Coronation Street

1960

as Mr. Brown

Doctor Who

1963

as Kerensky / Dalek (voice) / Charlie / Dalek Voices (voice) / Daleks (voice) / Dalek (Voice)

Peppa Pig

2004

as Grandpa Pig (voice)

The Avengers

1961

as Producer

Play for Today

1970

as Bruno

The Saint

1962

as Ahmed / Juan Gamma

BBC Play of the Month

1965

as Shoe Store Manager

Danger Man

1960

as Detective

Sunday Night Theatre

1950

as TV Director

Thunderbirds

1965

as Parker / Wilbur EDandridge III / Captain Hanson (voice) / Gordon Tracy / Brains (voice)

Howards' Way

1985

as Mr. Ambrose

World in Action

1963

Justice

1971

as Farber

Thunderbirds Are Go!

2015

as Parker / Vic (voice)

Sunday-Night Play

1960

as Prosecuting Counsel / Peters, advertising executive

International Detective

1959

as Laboratory Man

ScreenPlay

1986

as Postel Nicu

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom

2009

as Wise Old Elf

Softly Softly: Task Force

1969

as Jack Davis

Till Death Us Do Part

1966

as Telephone Operator (voice)

Thirty-Minute Theatre

1965

as Slade

Space Precinct

1994

as Dr. Long

Suspense

1962

as Mr. Mehta

Stingray

1964

as Nucella / Marineville Tracking Station / Jet Squadron Spearhead Leader (voice) / WSP Commander / Idotee (voice) / Andrews (voice) / Oink / Admiral Jack Denver (voice) / Captain Jacques Jordan / Aquaphibian 1 / Aquaphibian 2 (voice) / Tow Vessel (voice) / Frank (voice) / Sandy Gibson / Right Enterance Officer / 2nd WSP Commander (voice) / Professor Graham / Hassan El-Hamrah / Supply Lieutenant / Africa 28 (voice) / Alien / Shore's Drinking Buddy (voice) / Lieutenant Lawrence Gray / Gate Sergeant / Marineville Tracking Station (voice) / Cronson (voice) / Simulator Sergeant / Gate Sergeant / Truck Driver Joe / Security Guard (voice) / Frank Lincoln / Admiral Frendor / Cromer / Lorif (voice) / Old Caveman / Caveman 1 / Caveman 2 (voice) / Turata / Marineville Tracking Station (voice) / El Hudat (voice) / Thompson / Doc / WSP Commander / Marineville Tracking Station (voice) / Newsreader / Aquaphibian (voice) / Ali Khali / El Hudat / Aquaphibians (voice) / Trell / Search Vessel 2 (voice) / Marty (voice) / 1st WSP Commander / Marinville Tracking Station (voice) / Parasitica (voice) / Mike Bromley (voice) / Carter / Epayus (voice) / Professor Burgoyne / Noctus / Marineville Tracking Station (voice) / Professor Alexander Cordo / Noctus / Weather Station 7 (voice) / Check Point 1 Officer (voice) / Oink / Engineer Preston / Gerit / 1st Rigger (voice) / Doc / Marineville Tracking Station (voice) / Oink (voice) / Admiral Henry Carson / Marin / Toy Fish (voice) / Lieutenant Misen / Zero Red / Radio Voice (voice) / T.V Presenter / Nucella (voice)

Ace of Wands

1970

as Landlord (uncredited)

The Man in Room 17

1965

as Third Elder

Crane

1963

as Sharif Mohammed

Supercar

1961

The Four Just Men

1959

as Pantin

Fireball XL5

1962

as Lieutenant Ninety (voice)

Ivanhoe

1997

as Nathan Ben Israel

Shadow of the Noose

1989

as Mr Justice Grantham

Armchair Thriller

1978

as Vicar

The Sentimental Agent

1963

as Bank Attendant

Armchair Theatre

1956

as Derek Stedman / Lieutenant / Willie Bliss

Presented in Supercolorisation

2022

as Grandpa Ebenezer Twink / Hank (voice) / Dr. Horatio Beaker / Mitch the Monkey / Morse Operator (voice) / Dr. Horatio Beaker / Mitch the Monkey / Herman Gredenski (voice) / Professor Matthew Matic / Lieutenant Ninety / Zoonie the Lazoon / Zodan / Warrior Countdown (voice) / Professor Mattew 'Matt' Matic / Lieutenant Ninety / Zoonie the Lazoon / Doctor Baker (voice) / Professor Matthew Matic / Lieutenant Ninety / Freighter A14 (voice)