Jon Pertwee (1919 – 1996)
Most famous for playing the third incarnation of the eccentric Dr Who on television, actor Jon Pertwee was descended from an aristocratic French family.
The original Huguenot family name, Perthuis de Laillevault was changed to Pertwee. Jon was born in London to Avice and Roland Pertwee, a respected actor and writer.
After making 24 stories as Dr Who, Jon Pertwee found great fame and acclaim as the grumpy scarecrow Worzel Gummidge in a televised series for children, adapted from Barbara Todd’s books. It is said that actress Joan Collins asked him to visit and speak in his Worzel Gummidge voice to her daughter as she lay in a coma.
Jon Pertwee died in 1996 leaving a son Sean and daughter Dariel, both of whom are actors.
Source www.independent.co.uk /news/people/obituary-jon-pertwee http://doctorwho.org.nz