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Richard Gibbon Hurndall, a gaunt and intense character actor with a striking presence, was educated at Scarborough College and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Beginning his professional career in 1930, he first performed in repertory theatre and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he played roles such as Orlando in "As You Like It," Bassanio in "The Merchant of Venice," and Laertes in "Hamlet." His powerful voice and clear diction made him well-suited for radio work. From 1949 to 1952, he was part of the BBC radio drama repertory company. In October 1958, he became the host of Radio Luxemburg’s British edition of Edward R. Murrow’s "This I Believe." The following year, he was cast as Sherlock Holmes in a BBC radio adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s "The Sign of Four," which aired over five weekly episodes.
Hurndall made occasional television appearances starting in 1946 but fully embraced the medium in the mid-1960s. His sharp persona and natural skill with various accents and dialects led to roles as doctors, magistrates, aristocrats, and other authoritative figures from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Conversely, he was equally convincing as Henry Mackleson, a charming underworld figure, in the 1968 series Spindoe. On the comedic side, he portrayed a camp, effete antiques dealer in a 1962 episode of Steptoe and Son titled "Any Old Iron?" and alternated between sinister and amusing as Carne, a German general orchestrating an unusual invasion of a Cornish fishing village at the start of World War I, in the 1976 Ripping Yarns episode "Whinfrey's Last Case."
His most famous role, and one of his last, came after his appearance in a 1978 episode of Blake’s 7. Hurndall was cast as the First Doctor—originally played by the late William Hartnell—in the 1983 Doctor Who reunion special, The Five Doctors. The series’ continuity adviser, Ian Levine, noticed a resemblance between Hurndall and Hartnell, a view apparently shared by Hartnell’s widow. Hurndall himself admitted to approaching the project with some uncertainty, having had limited familiarity with science fiction or Doctor Who. Ultimately, he flawlessly captured Hartnell’s unique mannerisms and speech, delivering a performance that honored the original portrayal. Tragically, Hurndall passed away a few months after The Five Doctors was broadcast.
