FunUncategorized

UFO – The Cast Who Came Back

Ed Bishop as Ed Straker (left) and Captain Blue (right)

Many actors who worked with Gerry Anderson described him as being very loyal to them. Throughout Gerry’s career he would frequently re-use the same artists over and over again. He knew they were professionals who could be relied upon to give a good performance, particularly on new projects which continued to push technically boundaries. With Gerry & Sylvia Anderson’s first live action television series, UFO, a great deal of the cast had worked for Century 21 and AP Films before. UFO also introduced Gerry to some actors he hadn’t worked with before, but who would go on to make appearances in his later work. It’s time to take a look at the cast who came back to work for Gerry Anderson on UFO, or became part of his repertory following the series.

Ed Bishop as Ed Straker (left) and Captain Blue (right)
Ed Bishop as Ed Straker (left) and Captain Blue (right)

Edward Bishop (Commander Ed Straker)

Captain Blue – Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
David Poulson – Doppelganger
Col. John Hunter – The Protectors ‘The First Circle’
Narrator – The Day After Tomorrow – Into Infinity

George Sewell (Col. Alec Freeman)

Mark Neuman – Doppelganger

Keith Alexander as Lt. Keith Ford (left) and Sam Loover (right)
Keith Alexander as Lt. Keith Ford (left) and Sam Loover (right)

Keith Alexander (Lt. Keith Ford)

John Tracy – Thunderbird 6
Sam Loover – Joe 90
Flight Director – Doppelganger
Agent Blake – The Secret Service

Jeremy Wilkin (Lt. Gordon Maxwell)

Virgil Tracy – Thunderbirds
Captain Ochre – Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Various Voices – Joe 90
Control Technician – Doppelganger
The Bishop – The Secret Service
Inspector Lars Bergen – The Protectors ‘Route 27’

Norma Roland (Miss Ealand)

Pam Kirby – Doppelganger

Vladek Sheybal (Dr Doug Jackson)

Dr Beauville – Doppelganger
Sandor Karoleon – The Protectors ‘Brother Hood’

Shane Rimmer (Lt. Bill Johnson)

Scott Tracy – Thunderbirds
Various Voices – Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Joe 90 and The Secret Service
Zeke Daley – The Protectors ‘Zeke’s Blues’
John – The Investigator
Kelly – Space: 1999 ‘Space Brain’
Lt. Chuck Brogan – Space Police
Dick Spanner – Dick Spanner P.I.

Shane Rimmer as Scott Tracy (left), Lt. Bill Johnson (centre) and Dick Spanner (right)
Shane Rimmer as Scott Tracy (left), Lt. Bill Johnson (centre) and Dick Spanner (right)

 

Matt Zimmerman (Co-Pilot Jim – ‘Exposed’) Matt Zimmerman was dubbed by Jeremy Wilkin

Alan Tracy – Thunderbirds

Lois Maxwell (Miss Holland)

Lt. Atlanta Shore – Stingray

Charles Tingwell (Beaver James – ‘Mindbender’)

Charles Tingwell as Beaver James (left) and Doctor Fawn (right)
Charles Tingwell as Beaver James (left) and Doctor Fawn (right)

Various Voices – Thunderbirds
Doctor Fawn – Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

Nancy Nevinson (Housekeeper – ‘The Man Who Came Back’)

Various Voices – The Adventures of Twizzle

Paul Maxwell (Lt. Jim Lewis – ‘Sub-Smash’)

Col. Steve Zodiac – Fireball XL5
Various Voices – Thunderbirds
Captain Grey – Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

Anthony Chinn (Lt. Chin – ‘Sub-Smash’)

Ulan-Bator Air/Sea Rescue – Doppelganger
Chino – The Protectors

Neil McCallum (Carl Mason – ‘Court Martial)

Dr. Ray Pierce – Thunderbirds Are Go!
Various Voices – Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Alexi Kosneff – The Protectors ‘One and One Makes One’

Gary Files (Phil Wade – ‘Identified’)

Black Phantom – Thunderbird 6
Captain Magenta – Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Various Voices – Joe 90
Matthew Harding – The Secret Service

Gary Files as (left to right) Black Phantom, Captain Magenta, Matthew Harding and Phil Wade
Gary Files as (left to right) Black Phantom, Captain Magenta, Matthew Harding and Phil Wade

Of course, this list is far from complete. We’d love to hear which actors from UFO you’ve spotted in other Gerry Anderson productions. Were there any on this list that surprised you? Comment below with your thoughts.

Written by
Jack Knoll

I've been a Gerry Anderson fan from birth, growing up on the repeats of Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlet in the early 2000's. I'm also a fan of Doctor Who and other cult TV series including The Prisoner and Danger Man. I enjoy writing on a range of topics from across the Gerry Anderson back-catalogue from behind the scenes insights to fun and entertaining reviews. In my spare time I'm also a writer and film-maker.

3 Comments

Prepare for life on Moonbase Alpha

UFO: The Complete Comic Collection

Related Articles

ArticleNewsThunderbirdsUncategorized

Thunderbirds Thursday: The Roots of Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds is rightly celebrated for its unique combination of spectacular special effects,...

ArticleFunThunderbirds

Thunderbirds Thursday: 5 of the Thunderbird Craft’s Best Moments

As signalled by the series’ iconic countdown which begins each episode, Thunderbirds...

ArticleMerch NewsNewsUncategorized

This week in Gerry Anderson news!

Radar trackers reporting ETT of news roundup – somewhere on a screen...

FunThunderbirds

Thunderbirds: Famous First Words!

In preparation for Thunderbirds Day 2023, Brains has been hard at work...