David Graham

Acting

David Graham

Born 1925-07-11 · Hackney, London, England, UK

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.

Acting credits

Supergirl poster
5.4

After losing a powerful orb, Kara, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch.

Supergirl

1984

Dr. Who and the Daleks poster
5.7

Scientist Doctor Who accidentally activates his new invention, the Tardis, a time machine disguised as a police telephone box. Who, his two granddaughters Barbara and Susan, and Barbara's boyfriend Ian are transported through time and space to the planet Skaro, where a peaceful race of Thals are under threat of nuclear attack from the planet's other inhabitants: the robotic mutant Daleks.

Dr. Who and the Daleks

1965

Thunderbird 6 poster
5.9

The International Rescue team is faced with one of its toughest challenges yet, as the revolutionary lighter-than-air craft Skyship One is hijacked while on her maiden voyage around the world. Against backdrops including the Statue of Liberty and the Sphinx, Lady Penelope, Parker, Alan and Tin-Tin fight the hijackers from on-board, while the rest of the team tries to stop the airship crashing.

Thunderbird 6

1968

King David poster
5.7

This is a movie about the life of Israel's king David.

King David

1985

Thunderbirds: Ricochet poster
8.0

When a pirate radio station in orbit malfunctions and plummets towards Earth, International Rescue must save the DJ on board and prevent the craft from crashing into a populated area.

Thunderbirds: Ricochet

1966

Thunderbirds Are GO poster
6.4

When the launch of a mission to Mars goes awry due to sabotage, International Rescue is requested to assist in the mission's second attempt.

Thunderbirds Are GO

1966

Callan poster
6.9

David Callan, secret agent, is called back to the service after his retirement, to handle the assassination of a german businessman, but Callan refuses to co-operate until he finds out why this man is marked for death.

Callan

1974

The Prophet poster
NR

Robot QT-1, aboard an orbiting space station, controls the massive energy beam which transmits the sun's power to receivers on Earth. But QT-1 (Cutie) has some strange bees in his positronic bonnet. How could weak creatures of protoplasm create a nearly invincible, totally logical entity like himself? It is up to his human supervisors, Powell and Donovan, to convince Cutie of his niche in creation before his new robot theology becomes a threat to all life on Earth.

The Prophet

1967

The Incredible Voyage of Stingray poster
6.0

Adventures of the super-sub Stingray and the World Aquanaut Security Patrol and their battles against Titan, leader of the underwater city of Titanica.

The Incredible Voyage of Stingray

1980

Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. poster
6.1

Doctor Who and his companions are hurled into the future and make a horrifying discovery: the Daleks have conquered Earth! The metal fiends have devastated entire continents and turned the survivors into Robomen.

Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.

1966

The Pleasure Girls poster
5.6

When Sally moves to London to pursue a modelling career, she moves in with Angela and Dee and discovers the world of the carefree bachelor girl in Swinging London. Over one weekend - filled with parties, blossoming friendships, and romantic encounters with Keith and Nikko (Klaus Kinski) - the vivacious girls learn about life's pleasures and pains.

The Pleasure Girls

1965

Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-Dive poster
NR

After a series of Fireflash airliners start inexplicably crashing into the sea, International Rescue volunteers to assist in the investigation.

Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-Dive

1965

Doctor Who: Mission to the Unknown poster
7.5

On the planet Kembel, Space Security Service agent Marc Cory is investigating a recent sighting of a Dalek spaceship. His suspicion that the creatures may have established a base proves well-founded. He learns of a plot by the Daleks to invade and destroy the Solar System.

Doctor Who: Mission to the Unknown

1965

No artwork available
NR

A British soldier returns to India to find the woman he fell in love wit

The Brahmin Widow

1968

Freelance poster
4.3

A street-smart witness to a gangland slaying tries to beat the hit man at his own game.

Freelance

1970

Stingray: The Reunion Party poster
NR

While waiting for Atlanta and Marina, Commander Sam Shore shows Admiral Denver films depicting the previous missions that Troy Tempest and Phones had with the submarine Stingray.

Stingray: The Reunion Party

2008

Lee Oswald: Assassin poster
NR

The life of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who shot President John F. Kennedy, as reported to the Warren Commission enquiry into the circumstances of the assassination.

Lee Oswald: Assassin

1966

Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean Deep poster
NR

International Rescue must save the crew of a new super tanker when it sails into a patch of sea harbouring a fungus that reacts explosively with the vessel's cargo of liquid fuel.

Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean Deep

1966

Danger Within poster
6.3

Drama set in an Italian prisoner of war camp during World War 2, where a group of British soldiers find their plans for escape thwarted by a mysterious traitor in their midst.

Danger Within

1959

Thunderbirds: Brink of Disaster poster
6.0

Jeff, Brains and Tin-Tin find themselves trapped onboard a crooked entrepreneur's automated cross-country monorail that is hurtling towards a collapsed bridge without means of stopping.

Thunderbirds: Brink of Disaster

1966

Thunderbirds: Alias Mr. Hackenbacker poster
6.0

Brains' new airliner Skythrust hosts a fashion show aboard its maiden flight, but the plane is hijacked by crooks intent on stealing a revolutionary fabric to be modelled by Lady Penelope.

Thunderbirds: Alias Mr. Hackenbacker

1966

Thunderbirds: Edge of Impact poster
7.0

Hired by General Bron to sabotage Britain's new Red Arrow fighter jet, the Hood endangers two technicians when he causes the plane's second prototype to crash into a TV relay tower.

Thunderbirds: Edge of Impact

1965

Thunderbirds: The Imposters poster
NR

When International Rescue is framed for theft, the organisation's intelligence network must clear their name before the Tracys are arrested, responding to a distress call they cannot ignore.

Thunderbirds: The Imposters

1966

Doctor Who: The Chase poster
6.5

The Doctor and his companions are pursued through time and space by the Daleks on the desert planet Aridius and beyond.

Doctor Who: The Chase

1965

Behind the camera