David Graham 1925-2024

The actor David Graham, one of the original voices of the Daleks, has died at the age of 99. Graham was also the voice of Parker in Thunderbirds and Grandpa Pig in the TV series Peppa Pig.

David Graham was one of two actors who provided the distinctive staccato tones of the Daleks in their first story screened in 1963. Along with Peter Hawkins, the sound of the metal monsters was a great part of their success, easily imitated by children in playgrounds across the nation. He told the Daily Mirror 

Graham later provided the Dalek voices in The Dalek Invasion of Earth in 1964 and The Chase and The Daleks' Master Plan in 1965.  In 2023 he recorded new Dalek voices for the 60th Anniversary special project The Daleks in Colour. 

Producer Benjamin Cook said

As well as providing his vocal talents to Doctor Who David Graham also appeared on screen in several roles. His most noteworthy appearance was as Kerensky the mad scientist working for  Count Scarlioni in 1979's City of Death.  Other roles included the bartender Charlie in The Gunfighters in 1966

David Graham was born in London on 11 July 1925. After service in the Royal Air Force as a radar mechanic he trained as an actor in New York City. 

His break into TV came in 1958 when he met writer and producer Gerry Anderson, who was planning his first puppet productions. His first voiceover role was as Grandpa Twink in Four Feather Falls. Many roles followed and in 1965, Graham became the voice of Gordon Tracy, Brains, Aloysius Parker and Kyrano in Thunderbirds. He reprised the role of Parker for an ITV remake of the show in 2015, called Thunderbirds Are Go! and was the only original cast member to return.

 Gerry Anderson wrote:

Graham appeared in Callan, Timeslip, So Haunt Me, Danger Man, The Saint, Howards' Way, Softly, Softly, Armchair Thriller, Ace of Wands, Justice, The Regiment, The Bill, The Fixer, The Sentimental Agent,Timeslip and The Avengers, in the 1963 episode Man in the Mirror. In the 1984 commercial introducing the Apple Macintosh, he played the role of Big Brother. 

In 2004, Graham became the voice of Grandpa Pig in Peppa Pig, introducing his voice talents to a new generation.