Before Who

Born in 1920, Patrick Troughton knew he wanted to be a performer from a young age and joined a drama school as a teenager. He excelled so well that he was awarded an acting scholarship all the way over in New York. However, his time there was cut short by the outbreak of World War Two, and Troughton almost died while sailing back to Britain - his ship sank after hitting a mine but he luckily escaped by lifeboat).

After serving in the Navy during the war, Troughton resumed his acting career and made a name for himself in theatre. His big break came in 1953, when he became the first actor ever to portray Robin Hood on the small screen. This was followed by a wide variety of parts in everything from Dickens adaptations to the classic fantasy movie Jason and the Argonauts.

His Who

It was First Doctor William Hartnell himself who said "There's only one man in England who can take over, and that's Patrick Troughton!" But for a while it wasn't certain just how Troughton should portray the Second Doctor. He initially wanted to play him as a "tough sea captain", but (rather fortunately) a producer suggested he be a "cosmic hobo" instead.

And that's exactly what Troughton's Doctor was: a whimsical, impish figure with ruffled clothes and a Beatles-like mop top. Much friendlier than the First Doctor, he seemed almost bumbling at times – but this only served to conceal his quick intelligence and fierce dedication to seeing justice done. The success of his era, which stretched from 1966 to 1969, also proved that regeneration wasn't a turn-off for the fans – securing the long-term future of the series.

After Who

Troughton had an incredibly varied career after leaving the TARDIS behind, turning up in TV shows from The Sweeney to Inspector Morse, as well as the much-loved 1984 children's drama The Box of Delights (whose haunting theme tune was almost as memorable as Doctor Who's). And we shouldn't forget his small but scene-stealing performance as a crazed priest in the 1976 horror classic The Omen.

And then there was Doctor Who, to which he returned in The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors and The Two Doctors. Although he originally left the series for fear of being typecast, he loved reprising the role and was often to be found at science fiction conventions. Indeed, he was attending one in the States when he passed away in 1987.

Who knew?

Patrick isn't the only well-known Troughton. His sons David and Michael are both actors, as is his grandson Sam Troughton (who starred as one of the Merry Men in the new BBC version of Robin Hood – rather fitting given that his grandfather was in the Beeb's original 50s take on the legend).

Oh, and his other grandson Henry Melling is the boy who plays Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films!

Who says...

"Doctor Who gave me a chance to indulge my passion for dressing up and basically clowning about," he once admitted. "But when I'm asked if I have any anecdotes of those years, I'm afraid to say that there are none that could be printed." Quite a tease, that Mr Troughton…