British actor Bernard Cribbins is dead. His agency confirmed this on Thursday, according to consistent media reports. The actor, who appeared in the cult series "Doctor Who" for several years, was 93 years old.
"Bernard's contribution to British entertainment is unquestionable," says a statement from the agency, which is available to US broadcaster CNN, among others. "He was one of a kind and represented the best of his generation and will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him."
Bernard Cribbins was born in North West England in 1928. His acting career spanned six decades. As a character actor, Cribbins was the epitome of childhood for several generations of Brits. He played stationmaster Albert Perks in the classic film The Railway Children and was the narrator in The Wombles, a 1970s puppet animation series.
But the Brit also appeared again and again in films for adults. For example, he was seen in "Frenzy" (1972), one of Alfred Hitchcock's last thrillers. Cribbins is best known for his role as Wilfred Mott in the hit British series Doctor Who. The role, which he played between 2007 and 2010, was his second appearance in the "Doctor Who" cosmos. In 1966 he appeared as the companion of the Doctor, then played by Peter Cushing, in a film adaptation.
Cribbins has appeared in numerous TV productions over the course of his career, and he was still active in old age. For example, in 2014 he played in the well-known series "Inspector Barnaby". Most recently, he was in front of the camera in 2018 for the British comedy "A Pug to Fall in Love with".
"Doctor Who" showrunner Russell T. Davies (59) paid tribute to Cribbins in a long post on Instagram on Thursday. "I'm so lucky to have known him. Thank you for everything my old soldier. A legend has left the world," wrote Davies.
Bernard Cribbins was married to Gillian McBarnet from 1955 until her death in 2021. The two had no children.
