Ian Marter
| Ian Marter | |
|---|---|
Marter in 1983
|
|
| Born |
Ian Don Marter 28 October 1944 Coventry, England |
| Died | 28 October 1986 (aged 42) London, England |
| Cause of death | heart attack following complications from Type 1 diabetes |
| Residence | London, England |
| Other names | Ian Don (pen name) |
| Education | University of Oxford |
| Alma mater | Bristol Old Vic Theatre School |
| Occupation | Actor and writer |
| Years active | 1969–86 |
| Known for | Appearing in, and writing novels based on, Doctor Who |
| Parent(s) | Donald Marter and Helen Donaldson |
Ian Don Marter (28 October 1944 – 28 October 1986) was an English actor and writer, known for his role as Harry Sullivan in the BBC science-fiction television series Doctor Who from December 1974 to September 1975, with a non-regular, one-serial return in November and December 1975. He sometimes used the pseudonym Ian Don. Marter died suddenly of a diabetic heart attack on his 42nd birthday in 1986.
Born in Warwickshire, the son of Donald Marter and his wife Helen Donaldson, Marter graduated from the University of Oxford in 1969 and started work at the Bristol Old Vic theatre, where he served as a stage manager in addition to acting in minor stage roles.
In 1971, Marter auditioned for the regular role of Captain Mike Yates in the eighth season of Doctor Who. He was offered the part, but was unable to accept due to a prior commitment. The production team were sufficiently impressed that they kept him in mind and cast him in a supporting role in the 1973 story Carnival of Monsters, broadcast as part of the tenth season of the programme.
The following year, Marter was cast in the role of Harry Sullivan, a character developed by the production team on the basis that the incoming Fourth Doctor could be portrayed by an older actor who would not be able to handle the more physical action scenes. After 40-year-old Tom Baker was cast, such concerns were allayed and Harry was written out after only one season.
TV appearances
Marter remained involved with Doctor Who after his departure from the regular cast. He co-wrote the script for a feature film version, provisionally titled Doctor Who Meets Scratchman (also known as Doctor Who and the Big Game), in collaboration with Baker and director James Hill; due to a lack of funding, the project was ultimately abandoned. Marter's plot concerned Baker's Doctor coming face to face with Scratchman (an ancient term for the Devil); the finale was to have been acted out on a colossal pinball table, with the holes in the table being portals to other dimensions.
...
Wikipedia