David Graham
Acting
- Born:
- 1925-07-11
- Died:
- 2024-09-20
- Place of birth:
- Hackney, London, England, UK
Biography
David Michael Graham (born July 11, 1925) 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. From 2015 to 2020, he reprised his role as Parker in Thunderbirds Are Go, a reboot of the original series.
Known For
Filmography
Thunderbirds 4K Double Bill - Atlantic Inferno / Attack of the Alligators!
Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Double Bill - Trapped in the Sky / Terror in New York City
Century 21 Revisited
Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour
Presented in Supercolorisation
Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted
Thunderbirds: The Anniversary Episodes
Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience
HD21 The Worlds of Gerry Anderson in High Definition
Thunderbirds 1965: Introducing Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds 1965: The Abominable Snowman
Thunderbirds 1965: The Stately Homes Robberies
Thunderbirds Are Go!
Reggie & Thunderbirds: No Strings Attached
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots
This Is Supermarionation
Filmed in Supermarionation
Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band: The Official BBC Children in Need Medley
Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom
The Ties That Bind Us
All About 'Thunderbirds'
Stingray: The Reunion Party
Stand by for Action
Prescription for Disaster
Creation of the Daleks
Peppa Pig
The Story of Doctor Who
Future Memories: Making 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth'
Talking Daleks
Hotel!
Wildflowers
Ivanhoe
Space Precinct
Shoot the Revolution
Shadow of the Noose
Make and Break
ScreenPlay
Howards' Way
King David
Supergirl
Aliens
Countdown to Disaster
Strike: The Birth of Solidarity
Thunderbirds in Outer Space
Invaders from the Deep
Thunderbirds to the Rescue
The Incredible Voyage of Stingray
Doctor Who: City of Death
Armchair Thriller
Callan
Point Counter Point
Holly
Justice
Play for Today
Ace of Wands
Freelance
Softly Softly: Task Force
Thunderbird 6
Late Night Horror
The Brahmin Widow
Half Hour Story
The Prophet
Thunderbirds: Give or Take a Million
Thunderbirds Are GO
Thunderbirds: Ricochet
Thunderbirds: Lord Parker's 'Oliday
Thunderbirds: Alias Mr. Hackenbacker
Thunderbirds: Path of Destruction
Thunderbirds: Atlantic Inferno
Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.
Till Death Us Do Part
Doctor Who: The Gunfighters
Thunderbirds: Security Hazard
Thunderbirds: The Cham-Cham
Thunderbirds: Martian Invasion
Thunderbirds: Attack of the Alligators!
Lee Oswald: Assassin
Thunderbirds: Brink of Disaster
Thunderbirds: The Duchess Assignment
Thunderbirds: Move - And You're Dead
Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean Deep
Thunderbirds: Cry Wolf
Thunderbirds: The Man from MI.5
Thunderbirds: The Imposters
Thunderbirds: City of Fire
Thunderbirds: The Mighty Atom
Thunderbirds: Vault of Death
Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-Dive
Thunderbirds: Sun Probe
Thunderbirds: The Uninvited
Thunderbirds: End of The Road
Thunderbirds: Desperate Intruder
Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan
Thunderbirds: 30 Minutes After Noon
Thunderbirds: Day of Disaster
Thunderbirds: Edge of Impact
Thunderbirds: Terror In New York City
BBC Play of the Month
Thunderbirds: The Perils of Penelope
Doctor Who: Mission to the Unknown
Thunderbirds: Pit of Peril
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Thunderbirds: Trapped in the Sky
Thunderbirds
Dr. Who and the Daleks
Stingray: Aquanaut of the Year
Doctor Who: The Chase
Stingray: Marineville Traitor
Stingray: Hostages of the Deep
The Man in Room 17
Stingray: The Golden Sea
Stingray: The Master Plan
Stingray: Plant of Doom
Stingray: Sea of Oil
Stingray: Count Down
The Pleasure Girls
Stingray: The Invaders
Stingray: Secret of the Giant Oyster
Stingray: The Disappearing Ships
Stingray: Pink Ice
Stingray: Stand By For Action
Stingray: Treasure Down Below
Stingray: Tom Thumb Tempest
Stingray: Invisible Enemy
Stingray: Star of the East
Stingray: Deep Heat
Stingray: Rescue from the Skies
Stingray: The Ghost of the Sea
Stingray: Tune of Danger
Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
Stingray: In Search of the Tajmanon
Stingray: Titan Goes Pop
Stingray: Raptures of the Deep
Stingray: An Echo of Danger
Stingray: The Man From The Navy
Stingray: Set Sail for Adventure
Stingray: Loch Ness Monster
Stingray: Subterranean Sea
Stingray: The Ghost Ship
Stingray: Emergency Marineville
Stingray
The Protectors
The Villains
Doctor Who: The Daleks
Doctor Who
The Sentimental Agent
Crane
World in Action
Fireball XL5
The Saint
Suspense
The Skin Game
Supercar
Jango
The Avengers
Coronation Street
Crossroads to Crime
Sunday-Night Play
Danger Man
Four Feather Falls
International Detective
The Four Just Men
Danger Within
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Armchair Theatre
Sunday Night Theatre
Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom: The North Pole
Albert Einstein oder Die Formel des Todes