History Creator / JonPertwee

He was a ''huge'' fanboy of action movies and cool vehicles, which is why his tenure as the Doctor was essentially a serialised action movie. He eventually decided to leave the show after the departures of script editor Creator/TerranceDicks, producer Barry Letts, and Creator/KatyManning (Jo Grant), which happened around the same time as the death of Creator/RogerDelgado (The Master). He fulfilled the last year of his contract and developed a good working relationship with new companion Creator/ElisabethSladen (Sarah Jane), and left at the end of ''Doctor Who''[='=]s 11th season in 1974. At five seasons over 4½ years in the role (1970-1974), he is currently the Doctor with the second-longest continuous televised tenure after Creator/TomBaker.

He was a ''huge'' fanboy of action movies and cool vehicles, which is why his tenure as the Doctor was essentially a serialised action movie. He eventually decided to leave the show after the departures of script editor Creator/TerranceDicks, producer Barry Letts, and Creator/KatyManning (Jo Grant), which happened around the same time as the death of Creator/RogerDelgado (The Master). He fulfilled the last year of his contract and developed a good working relationship with new companion Creator/ElisabethSladen (Sarah Jane), and left at the end of ''Doctor Who''[='=]s 11th season in 1974. At 5 Seasons over 4½ years in the role (1970-1974), he is currently the Doctor with the second-longest continuous televised tenure after Creator/TomBaker.

--> ''[[TheStinger I cross the void beyond the mind, the empty space that circles time.]] [[BadassBoast I see where others stumble blind, to seek the truth they never find. Eternal wisdom is my kind.]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD_aLhoxc64 I am The Doctor!]]''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/whomobile_1_1605.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:348: [[Memes/{{Music}} Daleks see me rollin', they hatin']].]]

** He was one of many actors considered for the role of [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory Willy Wonka]], but was busy due to filming ''Doctor Who''.
** He was also considered for the role of the titular tall-tale-telling baron in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen''.

His son, Sean Pertwee, is also an actor and bears a [[http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article5908923.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/sean-pertwee-main.jpg strong resemblance]] to his father to the point that many fans would love to see him reprise the role of the Third Doctor in the current iteration of ''Doctor Who'', but Sean has gone on record saying that he views his father's portrayal of the Doctor as sacred and believes he shouldn't touch it. He did make a cameo in the 50th Anniversary parody ''Recap/TheFiveishDoctorsReboot'', where he and Creator/OliviaColman wonder why they haven't been invited to be in the show's actual anniversary special.

* WagTheDirector: Positive example. He was a big fan of action movies and cool vehicles, hence why most of his ''Doctor Who'' episodes are colored by his personal tastes. Neither the writers nor the fans had a problem with this, the former especially loving to indulge him. In fact, it can be argued that the almost completely gratuitous car/gyrocopter/Whomobile chase that took up nearly the entirety of the second episode of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS11E5PlanetOfTheSpiders his last serial]] was a "farewell present" to him from the writers, who knew of his love of fast vehicles and action-movie sequences. He was also surprisingly humble about his characterization as the Doctor, merely asking that the writers give him "a moment or two of charm".
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** He was one of many actors considered for the role of [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory Willy Wonka]], but was busy due to filming ''Doctor Who''.
** He was also considered for the role of the titular tall-tale-telling baron in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen''.

His son, Creator/SeanPertwee, is also an actor and bears a [[http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article5908923.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/sean-pertwee-main.jpg strong resemblance]] to his father to the point that many fans would love to see him reprise the role of the Third Doctor in the current iteration of ''Doctor Who'', but Sean has gone on record saying that he views his father's portrayal of the Doctor as sacred and believes he shouldn't touch it. He did make a cameo in the 50th Anniversary parody ''Recap/TheFiveishDoctorsReboot'', where he and Creator/OliviaColman wonder why they haven't been invited to be in the show's actual anniversary special.

John Devon Roland "Jon" Pertwee (7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996) was an English actor best known as the Third Doctor in ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[TheDanza Pertwee]] from ''Radio/TheNavyLark'', the title character in ''Literature/WorzelGummidge'' and Captain Thrice in the first series of ''WesternAnimation/LavenderCastle''. He was also ''[[http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/379986/Jon-Pertwee-From-secret-agent-in-WWII-to-Dr-Who an actual spy]]'', working undercover for UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill and alongside Creator/IanFleming, a fact he managed to keep hidden all his life and which finally came to light in 2013. Like [[Creator/PatrickTroughton his predecessor as the Doctor]], Pertwee died of a heart attack while visiting the United States. His last TV appearance was in a Vodafone commercial for the UK, as a LawyerFriendlyCameo of the Doctor.

* OneOfUs: Always took a chance to show up in public as The Doctor for the fans, and loved the role as much as the audiences did. He was also a major fanboy of action movies and cool vehicles, and, interestingly enough, animation. In fact, shortly before he died, he engaged in [[SeriousBusiness arguments]] with friend and fellow actor Creator/SpikeMilligan over which one of them was the biggest fan of the Creator/{{Disney}} animated film ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}''. His last acting job, ''ever'', was as The Doctor -- he had agreed to perform in a fan-film, ''Devious'', which is soon, finally, to be released. And as perhaps the greatest testament of his dedication, the last tape that exists ''of his entire life''- a home video featuring an interview with him by a fan who paid him a visit- was filmed just '''seventeen days''' before he passed away. The sad thing was that, had he lived a little longer, he would have gotten to witness the return of the show in movie format, departing this world shortly before it premiered on television.

* LargeHam: Not so much as the Doctor or Worzel Gummidge, but his guest role on ''Series/TheGoodies'' shows he could munch scenery with the best of them. Chief Petty Officer Pertwee, on the other hand, was, like everyone else on ''Radio/TheNavyLark'', a gourmet diner of scenery.

He was a ''huge'' fanboy of action movies and cool vehicles, which is why his tenure as the Doctor was essentially a serialised action movie. He eventually decided to leave the show after the departures of script editor Creator/TerranceDicks, producer Barry Letts, and Creator/KatyManning (Jo Grant), which happened around the same time as the death of Roger Delgado (The Master). He fulfilled the last year of his contract and developed a good working relationship with new companion Creator/ElisabethSladen (Sarah Jane), and left at the end of ''Doctor Who''[='=]s 11th season in 1974. At 5 Seasons over 4½ years in the role (1970-1974), he is currently the Doctor with the second-longest continuous televised tenure after Creator/TomBaker.

His son, Creator/SeanPertwee is also an actor and bears a [[http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article5908923.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/sean-pertwee-main.jpg strong resemblance]] to his father to the point that many fans would love to see him reprise the role of the Third Doctor in the current iteration of ''Doctor Who'', but Sean has gone on record saying that he views his father's portrayal of the Doctor as sacred and believes he shouldn't touch it. He did make a cameo in the 50th Anniversary parody ''Recap/TheFiveishDoctorsReboot'', where he and Creator/OliviaColman wonder why they haven't been invited to be in the show's actual anniversary special.

----

* CoolCar: The Whomobile. Unlike Bessie, the Whomobile was his (as in, Jon Pertwee, the actor) personally customized wheels.

[[caption-width-right:348: [[{{Memes/Music}} Daleks see me rollin', they hatin']].]]

!!Tropes associated with this actor include:

* BornLucky: Early in the war, Pertwee was assigned as a crewman on HMS ''Hood''. He was transferred to officer training right before the ship left for her fatal encounter with the German battleship ''Bismarck'', in which only three crewmen survived.
* CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys: Like many British military men of the time, Pertwee was at best apathetic toward the French. He once met with a French official for an interview toward the end of the War; thinking it was going to be a liaison position with de Gaulle's Free French (whom he actively disliked) he did everything possible to screw up the process. When it turned out that he didn't get the job, Pertwee confessed to Ian Fleming (his superior) that he'd deliberately bollocksed the interview. Fleming, in Pertwee's words, then called him "a blithering idiot", and told him the interview had actually been about a job in Tahiti.

* ParentalSubstitute: John Levene had grown up in an abusive household, but when he began co-starring with Pertwee in ''Series/DoctorWho'' as Sgt. Benton, the older actor became quite fond of Levene and took him under his wing. Shortly before Pertwee's death, [[TearJerker Levene told him he'd been more of a father to Levene than Levene's own father had ever been.]]

John Devon Roland "Jon" Pertwee (1919-1996) was an English actor best known as the Third Doctor in ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[TheDanza Pertwee]] from ''Radio/TheNavyLark'', the title character in ''Literature/WorzelGummidge'' and Captain Thrice in the first series of ''WesternAnimation/LavenderCastle''. He was also ''[[http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/379986/Jon-Pertwee-From-secret-agent-in-WWII-to-Dr-Who an actual spy]]'', working undercover for UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill and alongside Creator/IanFleming, a fact he managed to keep hidden all his life and which finally came to light in 2013. Like [[Creator/PatrickTroughton his predecessor as the Doctor]], Pertwee died of a heart attack while visiting the United States. His last TV appearance was in a Vodafone commercial for the UK, as a LawyerFriendlyCameo of the Doctor.

His son, Creator/SeanPertwee is also an actor and bears a [[http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article5908923.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/sean-pertwee-main.jpg strong resemblance]] to his father to the point that many fans would love to see him reprise the role of the Third Doctor in the current iteration of ''Doctor Who'', but Sean has gone on record saying that he views his father's portrayal of the Doctor as sacred and believes he shouldn't touch it.

His son, Creator/SeanPertwee is also an actor and bears a [[http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article5908923.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/sean-pertwee-main.jpg strong resemblance]] to his father to the point that many fans would love to see him reprise the role of the Third Doctor in the current iteration of ''Doctor Who''

John Devon Roland "Jon" Pertwee (1919-1996) was an English actor best known as the Third Doctor in ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[TheDanza Pertwee]] from ''Radio/TheNavyLark'', the title character in ''Literature/WorzelGummidge'' and Captain Thrice in the first series of ''WesternAnimation/LavenderCastle''. He was also ''[[http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/379986/Jon-Pertwee-From-secret-agent-in-WWII-to-Dr-Who an actual spy]]'', working undercover for WinstonChurchill and alongside Creator/IanFleming, a fact he managed to keep hidden all his life and which finally came to light in 2013. Like [[Creator/PatrickTroughton his predecessor as the Doctor]], Pertwee died of a heart attack while visiting the United States. His last TV appearance was in a Vodafone commercial for the UK, as a LawyerFriendlyCameo of the Doctor.

* CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys: Like many British military men of the time, Pertwee was at best apathetic toward the French. He once met with a French official for an interview toward the end of the War; thinking it was going to be a liaison position with de Gaulle's Free French(whom he actively disliked) he did everything possible to screw up the process. When it turned out that he didn't get the job, Pertwee confessed to Ian Fleming (his superior) that he'd deliberately bollocksed the interview. Fleming, in Pertwee's words, then called him "a blithering idiot", and told him the interview had actually been about a job in Tahiti.

'''John Devon Roland "Jon" Pertwee''' (1919-1996) was an English actor best known as the Third Doctor in ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[TheDanza Pertwee]] from ''Radio/TheNavyLark'', the title character in ''Literature/WorzelGummidge'' and Captain Thrice in the first series of ''WesternAnimation/LavenderCastle''. He was also ''[[http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/379986/Jon-Pertwee-From-secret-agent-in-WWII-to-Dr-Who an actual spy]]'', working undercover for WinstonChurchill and alongside Creator/IanFleming, a fact he managed to keep hidden all his life and which finally came to light in 2013. Like [[Creator/PatrickTroughton his predecessor as the Doctor]], Pertwee died of a heart attack while visiting the United States. His last TV appearance was in a Vodafone commercial for the UK, as a LawyerFriendlyCameo of the Doctor.

->''I did all sorts. Teaching commandos how to use escapology equipment, compasses in brass buttons, secret maps in white cotton handkerchiefs, pipes you could smoke that also fired a .22 bullet. All sorts of incredible things. It suited me perfectly as I have always loved gadgets.''

'''John Devon Roland "Jon" Pertwee''' (1919-1996) was an English actor best known as the Third Doctor in ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[TheDanza Pertwee]] from ''Radio/TheNavyLark'' and as the title character in ''Literature/WorzelGummidge''. He was also ''[[http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/379986/Jon-Pertwee-From-secret-agent-in-WWII-to-Dr-Who an actual spy]]'', working undercover for WinstonChurchill and alongside Creator/IanFleming, a fact he managed to keep hidden all his life and which finally came to light in 2013. Like [[Creator/PatrickTroughton his predecessor as the Doctor]], Pertwee died of a heart attack while visiting the United States. His last TV appearance was in a Vodafone commercial for the UK, as a LawyerFriendlyCameo of the Doctor.

* OneOfUs: Always took a chance to show up in public as The Doctor for the fans, and loved the role as much as the audiences did. He was also a major fanboy of action movies and cool vehicles, and, interestingly enough, animation. In fact, shortly before he died, he engaged in [[SeriousBusiness arguments]] with friend and fellow actor Creator/SpikeMilligan over which one of them was the biggest fan of the Creator/{{Disney}} animated film ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}''. His last acting job, ''ever'', was as The Doctor -- he had agreed to perform in a fan-film, ''Devious'', which is soon, finally, to be released.

* WagTheDirector: Positive example. He was a big fan of action movies and cool vehicles, hence why most of his ''Doctor Who'' episodes are colored by his personal tastes. Neither the writers nor the fans had a problem with this, the former especially loving to indulge him. In fact, it can be argued that the almost completely gratuitous car/gyrocopter/Whomobile chase that took up nearly the entirety of the second episode of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS11E5PlanetOfTheSpiders his last serial]] was a "farewell present" to him from the writers, who knew of his love of fast vehicles and action-movie sequences. He was also surprisingly humble about his characterization as the Doctor, merely asking that the writers give him "a moment or two of charm".

* ParentalSubstitute: John Levene had grown up in an abusive household, but when he began co-starring with Pertwee in ''Series/DoctorWho'' as Sgt. Benton, the older actor became quite fond of Levene and took him under his wing. When Pertwee was on his deathbed, [[TearJerker Levene told him he'd been more of a father to Levene than Levene's own father had ever been.]]

* RetroactiveRecognition: Pertwee appeared in the ''Film/CarryOn'' film series as minor roles in background scenes before appearing as The Doctor in the '70s. His appearances are rather glaring today.