Doctor Who / Star Wars Actor Connections

I’ve been on a thing lately of looking up where actors from Doctor Who have shown up in other science fiction franchises that I enjoy. This started out by noticing how often we’d see crossover appearances with shows like Blake’s 7 or The Avengers, but I’ve started looking further afield. Of course, if we’re looking for other popular franchises, than we can scarcely look further than Star Wars.

(Daily Doctor Who #222)

Fastidious person that I am I have scoured through the IMDb pages of all the Star Wars movies and TV shows (I didn’t go so far as to look at audio adaptations or video games) to find actors who also made appearances somewhere in the Doctor Who universe. And while it’s possible that I missed some, I’ve come up with a pretty extensive list.

There are some surprises in here, for me, anyway. While I was aware of people like Tom Baker and David Tennant lending their vocal talents to Star Wars animated fare, there are others herein that I had no idea about. Did you know that there is both a full-time companion and a major recurring character who spent some time a long time ago, in a galaxy far away? It was news to me.

Read on to find out more! Actors are listed by which Star Wars franchise entry they appeared in first.

Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope)

• Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) – Played Dr. Who in the two theatrical Daleks films–Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 (1966).

• David Prowse (the body of Darth Vader) – Played a Minotaur in the Third Doctor story The Time Monster.

• Don Henderson (General Taggi) – Appeared in Delta and the Bannerman with the Seventh Doctor.

• Leslie Schofield (Commander #1, and via a deleted scene from that movie, in The Star Wars Holiday Special) – Appeared in The War Games with the Second Doctor and The Face of Evil with the Fourth Doctor.

• Garrick Hagon (Biggs Darklighter) – Appeared in A Town Called Mercy with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Graham Ashley (Gold Five) – Was in The Underwater Menace with the Second Doctor.

The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V)

• Jeremy Bulloch (Body of Boba Fett in this, and Return of the Jedi) – Appeared in both The Space Museum with the First Doctor, and The Time Warrior with the Third Doctor.

• John Hollis (Lobot) – Appeared in The Mutants with the Third Doctor.

• Julian Glover (General Veers) – Was a major guest star in both The Crusade with the First Doctor and City of Death with the Fourth Doctor.

• Michael Sheard (Admiral Ozzel) – Showed up a bunch of times in Doctor Who–in The Ark with the First Doctor, The Mind of Evil with the Third Doctor, Pyramids of Mars with the Fourth Doctor, The Invisible Enemy with the Fourth Doctor, Castrovalva in the Fifth Doctor and Remembrance of the Daleks with the Seventh Doctor.

• Milton Johns (Imperial Officer) – Also made a bunch of Doctor Who appearances: The Enemy of the World with the Second Doctor, The Android Invasion with the Fourth Doctor, and The Invasion of Time, also with the Fourth Doctor.

• Mark Jones (Imperial Officer) – Was in The Seeds of Doom with the Fourth Doctor.

• Oliver Maguire (Imperial Officer) – Was in The Ribos Operation with the Fourth Doctor.

• Ian Liston (Janson) – Was in The Armageddon Factor with the Fourth Doctor.

• Burnell Tucker (Rebel Officer) – Was in The Angels Take Manhattan with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Deep Roy (uncredited appearances in both this movie and Return of the Jedi) – He showed up in The Talons of Weng-Chiang with the Fourth Doctor, and uncredited in The Trial of a Time Lord with the Sixth Doctor.

• Stuart Fell (uncredited Stormtrooper and stunt worker) – Has appeared a bunch of times in Doctor Who, credited and uncredited, as an actor and/or stunt performer and/or fight arranger. Serials include Terror of the Autons, The Claws of Axos, The Curse of Peladon, The Sea Devils, Carnival of Monsters, The Monster of Peladon, and Planet of the Spiders (all with the Third Doctor), and The Ark in Space, The Sontaran Experiment, The Android Invasion, The Brain of Morbius, The Masque of Mandragora, The Face of Evil, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Sun Makers, The Invasion of Time, and State of Decay (with the Fourth Doctor).

Return of the Jedi (Episode VI)

• Warwick Davis (Wicket in this and The Ewok Adventure, and also appeared as a variety of other characters in The Phantom Menace, The Force Awakens, Rogue One, The Last Jedi, Solo, The Rise of Skywalker, and Rebels) – Appeared in Nightmare in Silver, with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Michael Carter (Bib Fortuna) – Appears uncredited in The Mind of Evil as both a prisoner and a UNIT soldier.

• Claire Davenport (Fat Dancer) – Appeared in the first season of Doctor Who, in the serial Marco Polo with the First Doctor.

• Peter Burroughs (an Ewok) – Appeared in The King’s Demons with the Fifth Doctor.

• Kiran Shah (Ewok and EG-6, a powerdroid in Return of the Jedi, but then later Teedo in The Force Awakens, Oolin Musters in Rogue One, Neepers Panpick in The Last Jedi, Karjj in Solo, and Nambi Ghima in The Rise of Skywalker) – Appeared in Doctor Who twice, in the episodes Listen and Smile, both with the Twelfth Doctor.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

• Brian Blessed (voice of Boss Nass) – Married the companion Peri in Trial of a Time Lord with the Sixth Doctor.

• Hugh Quarshie (Captain Panaka) – Was a major guest star in Daleks of Manhattan and Evolution of the Daleks with the Tenth Doctor.

• Steve Speirs (Captain Tarpals) – Was in Aliens of London and World War III with the Ninth Doctor.

• Silas Carson (Nute Gunray and other characters in Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith) – Voiced Ood Sigma and other Ood and aliens in a number of stories, such as The End of the World (with the Ninth Doctor), and The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit, Planet of the Ood, and The End of Time parts 1 & 2 (with the Tenth Doctor). He also appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

• Alan Ruscoe (a variety of aliens in Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones) – Played a Slitheen and a bunch of other aliens in Rose, The End of the World, Aliens of London, World War III, Boom Town, Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways (with the Ninth Doctor), and a guy in The Waters of Mars (with the Tenth Doctor).

• Celia Imrie (Fighter Pilot Bravo 5) – Was in The Bells of St. John with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Lindsay Duncan (voice of TC-14, a protocol droid akin to C-3PO) – Was the major co-star of The Waters of Mars with the Tenth Doctor.

• Peter Serafinowicz (the voice of Darth Maul and others) – Also voice the Fisher King in Before the Flood, with the Twelfth Doctor.

• Toby Longworth (voiced Lott Dodd and Gragra) – Appeared in the animated story The Infinite Quest, and in an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

• Ayesha Dharker (Queen Jamillia) – Appeared in Planet of the Ood with the Tenth Doctor.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

• David Tennant (Huyang) – Of course, he played the Tenth Doctor in a total of 47 episodes, plus the 50th anniversary special and a teaser-appearance at the end of the Ninth Doctor’s last story.

• Julian Holloway (Prime Minister Almec) – Appeared in the Seventh Doctor story, Survival, the last of the classic era.

• James Marsters (Captain Argyus) – Appeared in a few episodes of season two of Torchwood.

Star Wars: Rebels

• Tom Baker (The Bendu) – Like the above, Tom Baker was also the Doctor–the Fourth, specifically, who starred in 42 serials (including on unfinished), and made an appearance in the 50th anniversary special as well.

• Tobias Menzies (Tiber Saxon) – Appeared in Cold War with the Eleventh Doctor.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

• Simon Pegg (Unkar Plutt, plus Dengar from Clone Wars, plus C-3PO in the Star Wars-themed Phineas and Ferb epsode) – Appeared as the main villain in The Long Game, with the Ninth Doctor.

• Pip Torrens (Colonel Kaplan) – Appeared in Human Nature and The Family of Blood featuring the Tenth Doctor.

• Brian Vernel (Bala-Tik) – Appeared in The Eaters of Light with the Twelfth Doctor.

• Sebastian Armesto (Lt. Mitaka) – Appeared in Bad Wolf with the Ninth Doctor.

• Harriet Walter (Dr. Kalonia) – Appeared as the Prime Minister in the recent Revolution of the Daleks with the Thirteenth Doctor.

• Tosin Cole (Lt. Bastian) – Actually starred in Doctor Who as Ryan Sinclair, for all of Series 11 and Series 12, as well as the New Year’s specials of 2019 and 2021, all with the Thirteenth Doctor.

• Tom Edden (First Order Officer) – Had a small part in Gridlock, with the Tenth Doctor.

• Thomas Brodie-Sangster (First Order Officer) – Was a major guest star in Human Nature and The Family of Blood with the Tenth Doctor. He was also, incidentally, the voice of Ferb for much of Phineas and Ferb.

• Dave Chapman (Performer of BB-8 in this and later Star Wars projects, as well as other characters in Rogue One) – Voiced the Daleks in the Comic Relief special Doctor Who – The Curse of Fatal Death.

• Kate Fleetwood (First Order Officer) – Appeared in a season 3 episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

• Felicty Jones (Jyn Erso) – Appeared in The Unicorn and the Wasp with the Tenth Doctor.

• Paul Kasey (Admiral Raddus, plus C’ai Threnalli in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker) – Has appeared in tons of episodes of Doctor Who, as well as The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood. In Torchwood he was the Weevil, while in the other shows he played a variety of roles and creatures. In Doctor Who, he appeared in Rose, The End of the World, Aliens of London, World War III, and Bad Wolf (with the Ninth Doctor); The Girl in the Fireplace, Rise of the Cybermen, The Age of Steel, The Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit, Love and Monsters, Army of Ghosts, Doomsday, The Runaway Bride, Smith and Jones, Daleks in Manhattan, Evolution of the Daleks, Voyage of the Damned, Planet of the Ood, The Doctor’s Daughter, The Stolen Earth, The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, The Waters of Mars, and The End of Time parts 1 & 2 (with the Tenth Doctor); The Pandorica Opens, The Doctor’s Wife, Closing Time, The Doctor the Widow and the Wardrobe, Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The Name of the Doctor, and The Day of the Doctor (with the Eleventh Doctor); Deep Breath (with the Twelfth Doctor); Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror, Fugitive of the Judoon, and The Timeless Children (with the Thirteenth Doctor).

• Ian McElhinney (General Dodonna) – Appeared in Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeless Children, with the Thirteenth Doctor).

• Sharon Duncan Brewster (Senator Pamlo) – Appeared in The Waters of Mars with the Tenth Doctor.

• Spencer Wilding (Darth Vader!) – Appeared as a few different creatures in The God Complex, The Doctor the Widow and the Wardrobe and Cold War (with the Eleventh Doctor) and Orphan 55 (with the Thirteenth Doctor). Also, an episode of Class.

• Aidan Cook (Two Tubes, plus Boolio in Rise of Skywalker) – Appeared in seven different Doctor Who episodes as a variety of monsters, including The Rings of Akhaten, Hide, Nightmare in Silver, The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor (all with the Eleventh Doctor), and The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion (with the Twelfth Doctor).

• Daniel Mays (Tivik) – Appeared in Night Terrors with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Martin Gordon (Vaneé) – Appeared in The Mind of Evil with the Third Doctor, the first time we’ve had someone showing up from the classic series in a main Star Wars movie since Episode I.

• Ariyon Bakare (Blue Four) – Appeared in The Woman Who Lived with the Thirteenth Doctor.

• Michael Smiley (Dr. Evazan) – Appeared in Into the Dalek with the Twelfth Doctor.

• Nick Hobbs (Engineer) – Appeared in both classic and revived Doctor Who. In the original series he appeared, both credited and uncredited, The Ambassadors of Death, Inferno, Terror of the Autons, The Mind of Evil, The Claws of Axos, Day of the Daleks, The Curse of Peladon, The Time Monster, and The Monster of Peladon (with the Third Doctor) and The Ark in Space (with the Fourth). In the modern series, he showed up in Amy’s Choice (with the Eleventh Doctor).

• Richard Franklin (Engineer) – Was a recurring character during the Third Doctor’s era as Mike Yates, a UNIT Captain. He appeared in eight serials all together: Terror of the Autons, The Mind of Evil, The Claws of Axos, The Daemons, Day of the Daleks, The Time Monster, The Green Death and Planet of the Spiders, plus a cameo in the 20th anniversary special, The Five Doctors.

• Matt RIppy (Coporal Rostock) – Appeared in a season 1 episode of Torchwood

• Angus Wright (Hammerhead Captain) – Was in a story in season 4 of The Sarah Jane Adventures

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

• Togo Igawa (Resistance Bridge Officer) – Appeared in Pyramid at the End of the World with the Twelfth Doctor, as well as a season 1 episode of Torchwood

• Amanda Lawrence (Commander D’Acy in this and The Rise of Skywalker) – Appeared in The Shakespeare Code (with the Tenth Doctor).

• Jimmy Vee (R2-D2) – Appeared in a few episodes of Doctor Who: The End of the World and Aliens of London (with the Ninth Doctor), Voyage of the Damned (with the Tenth Doctor), and The Caretaker (with the Twelfth), as well as episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

• Dan Euston (Resistance Bombadier) – Was a stunt performer in The Crimson Horror with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Navin Chowdhry (Resistance Cargo Pilot) – Appeared in Aliens of London and World War III (with the Ninth Doctor).

• Aki Omoshaybi (Resistance Bridge Officer) – Appeared in Rosa with the Thirteenth Doctor.

• Darren Morfitt (Transport Deck Officer) – Appeared in The Time of Angels / Flesh and Stone with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Patrick O’Kane (Hux’s First Order Officer) – Played the so-called Lone Cyberman in The Haunting of Villa Diodati, Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeles Children, all with the Thirteenth Doctor.

• Paul Bazely (Hux’s First Order Officer) – Appeared in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Lily Cole (Party Girl Lovey) – Appeared in The Curse of the Black Spot with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Mark Lewis Jones (Captain Canady) – Was in a season 1 episode of Torchwood.

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

• Richard E. Grant (General Pryde) – Played the Great Intelligence in a handful of Eleventh Doctor stories: The Snowmen, The Bells of St. John, and The Name of the Doctor. He also played a version of the Ninth Doctor in original animated story The Scream of the Shalka, and one of the briefly-lived incarnations of the Doctor in the Comic Relief special The Curse of Fatal Death.

• Naomi Ackie (Jannah) – Appeared in Face the Raven with the Twelfth Doctor.

• Shirley Henderson (voice of Babu Frik) – Featured in the lamentably bad Love and Monsters with the Tenth Doctor.

• Robin Guiver (D-O) – Appeared in Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror with the Thirteenth Doctor.

• Mandeep Dhillon (Lt. Garan) – Appeared in Knock Knock with the Twelfth Doctor.

• Simon Paisley Day (General Quinn) – Appeared in both The End of the World (with the Ninth Doctor) and Face the Raven (with the Twelfth).

• Geff Francis (Admiral Griss) – Played in The Bells of St. John with the Eleventh Doctor.

• Andrew Havill (First Order Officer) – Appeared in Voyage of the Damned with the Tenth Doctor.

• Aaron Neil (Resistance Officer) – Was in The Magician’s Apprentice with the Twelfth Doctor, and also in a whole bunch of episodes of Class.

• Mimi Ndiweni (Resistance Officer) – Was in Oxygen with the Twelfth Doctor.

• Tom Wilton (Colonel Aftab Ackbar) – Was in The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion and Sleep No More with the Twelfth Doctor.

• Vinette Robinson (Pilot Tyce) – Was in 42 with the Tenth Doctor, and played Rosa Parks in the episode Rosa with the Thirteenth Doctor.

• Cyril Nri (First Order Officer) – Appeared in a couple of later episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures

If I’ve counted right, that means that actors from Star Wars have appeared in 168 out of 294 stories, or in 57% of televised Doctor Who stories, including the entirety (so far) of the eras of the Fourth, Tenth, and Thirteenth Doctors. Plus, a bunch of episodes of Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and Class, plus the Dr. Who / Daleks movies from the 1960’s, The Curse of Fatal Death and Scream of the Shalka.

Incidentally, in case you are wondering, I also searched various Star Wars shows not mentioned here, at least to some degree, like the original Clone Wars, the Ewok movies, the Ewok cartoon, the Droids cartoon, and even the Holiday Special, I couldn’t find anyone there.

The biggest surprises to me were that both Richard Franklin (Yates) and Tosin Cole (Ryan) showed up on the list! I had no idea.

Advertisement