Christopher Benjamin, Doctor Who Actor Who Starred in Spinoff, Dead at 90

Actor Christopher Benjamin passed away on Friday, January 10th at the age of 90. The news broke on Thursday, January 16th via Benjamin’s friend actress Lisa Bowerman. Benjamin played three different roles in three different eras of Doctor Who, alongside stars Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee and David Tennant. He was also a prolific actor on TV and on stage for over half a century, and was clearly beloved by many colleagues who are posting tributes to him now on social media. He is survived by his wife, three children, three grandchildren and many admiring fans, judging by the commentary online.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father, Christopher Benjamin, at the age of 90, on the 10th of January,” read an announcement Benjamin’s family, posted by Bowerman. “One of the few remaining ‘old school’ actors, he had a huge and extensive career spanning seventy years, encompassing theatre, radio, TV and film. Beloved by all who knew him, one of his final stage appearances was as Falstaff in the Globe production of The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2010, where he led the company and created such a happy sense of Bonhomie for all that many who were there cite as the highlight of their career.”

Benjamin first appeared on Doctor Who in 1970, playing Sir Keith Gold in the serial “Inferno.” He returned to the production in 1977 as Henry Gordon Jago for the serial “The Talons of Weng-Chiang,” and finally in 2008 he played Colonel Hugh Curbishley in the episode “The Unicorn and the Wasp.” Benjamin also worked extensively in radio dramas, and he reprised the role of Jago for several of those. He even got his own audio spinoff series called Jago & Litefoot which aired from 2010 to 2021.

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Benjamin was born in England in 1934, and began getting regular TV credits in 1965. Before that, he made a name for himself in theater and radio. He would continue to perform in stage plays for the rest of his career even while his TV roles were plentiful. He only took a few roles on the big screen, including The Legend of Tarzan in 2016.

That year, Benjamin retired and settled in London with his wife, actress and writer Anna Fox. According to his family, they were married for 65 years. His children wrote that the two met at Warminster school. Their note was met with mournful comments from fans and fellow actors. Many had fond memories of Benjamin — whether on screen or in person.