Editing Roger Delgado

{{Short description|British actor (1918–1973)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2010}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Roger Delgado
| image = Roger Delgado in The Mind of Evil.jpg
| imagesize = 
| caption = Delgado as [[The Master (Doctor Who)|the Master]] in ''[[The Mind of Evil]]'' (1971)
| birth_name = Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|03|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Whitechapel]], London, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1973|06|18|1918|03|01|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Nevşehir]], Turkey
| resting_place = [[Mortlake Crematorium]], London, England
| yearsactive = 1939–1973
| occupation = [[Actor]]
| known_for = First actor to play [[The Master (Doctor Who)|The Master]]<br />in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (1971–1973)
| spouse = Olga Anthonisz (divorced)<br />{{marriage|Kismet Shahani|1957}}
}}

'''Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto''' (1 March 1918&nbsp;– 18 June 1973) was an English actor. He played many roles on television, radio and in films, and had "a long history of playing minor villains"<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/master-evil-roger-delgado-twisted-history-doctor-greatest-foe/ | title= The Master of evil: Roger Delgado and the twisted history of Doctor Who's greatest foe | first=Tristram |last=Fane Saunders | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | date=2 January 2020 | access-date=4 July 2020}}</ref> before becoming best known as the first actor to play [[The Master (Doctor Who)|the Master]] in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (1971–73).

== Early life ==
Delgado was born in [[Whitechapel]], in the [[East End of London]], to a Belgian mother and a Spanish father; he often remarked to ''[[Doctor Who]]'' co-star and close friend [[Jon Pertwee]] that this made him a true [[Cockney]],<ref>''The Making of Doctor Who'', 1972, p. 31</ref> as he was born within the sound of [[St Mary-le-Bow|Bow Bells]]. He did not live in the East End, but was brought up in [[Bedford Park, London|Bedford Park]] in west London.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Roger Delgado: I am usually referred to as the Master|last=Harmes|first=Marcus|publisher=Fantom Publishing|year=2017|isbn=978-1-78196-300-5|pages=10}}</ref> 

He attended [[Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School]], a Roman Catholic secondary school in [[Holland Park]], and the [[London School of Economics]] for a brief period, but did not complete his degree.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Roger Delgado: I am usually referred to as the Master|last=Harmes|first=Marcus|publisher=Fantom Publishing|year=2017|isbn=978-1-78196-300-5|pages=22}}</ref> He served in the [[World War II|Second World War]] with both the [[Royal Leicestershire Regiment|Leicestershire Regiment]] and the [[Royal Corps of Signals]], attaining the rank of major.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/person/roger-delgado?filter-options=tv |title=Roger Delgado |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=30 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |title=[[Day of the Daleks]] |chapter=The UNIT Family: Part Two |year=2011 |publisher=BBC |asin=B004VRO89C |asin-tld=uk |medium=DVD special feature}}</ref>

== Career ==
Delgado worked extensively on the British stage, and on television, film and radio. His theatre debut was in 1939 and his first television appearance was 1948.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Roger Delgado: I am usually referred to as the Master|last=Harmes|first=Marcus|publisher=Fantom Publishing|year=2017|isbn=978-1-78196-300-5|pages=27, 47}}</ref> He appeared in the [[BBC One|BBC Television]] serial ''[[Quatermass II]]'' (1955), the [[Powell and Pressburger]] wartime drama ''[[The Battle of the River Plate (film)|Battle of the River Plate]]'' (1956), and came to wide popular attention in Britain when he played the duplicitous Spanish envoy Mendoza in the [[ITC Entertainment]] series, ''[[Sir Francis Drake (TV series)|Sir Francis Drake]],'' from 1961 to 1962, after which he was in much demand. An in-joke in the 1971 ''Doctor Who'' story ''[[Colony in Space]]'' refers to that role, when the Brigadier tells the Doctor not to worry as the suspected sighting of the Master "was only the Spanish Ambassador". Delgado was frequently cast as a villain, appearing in many British action-adventure TV series by ITC, including ''[[Danger Man]]'' (1961), ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'' (1962 and 1966), ''[[The Champions]]'' (1969), and ''[[Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)]]'' (1969).

Delgado made a total of 16 guest appearances in ITC shows, the most of any actor, with his last completed role being ITC's ''[[The Zoo Gang]]'' (1974). He also appeared in ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'' (1961 and 1969), ''[[The Power Game]]'' (1966), and an ''[[ITV Play of the Week]]'' (''The Crossfire'', 1967). His films included ''[[The Terror of the Tongs]]'', ''[[The Road to Hong Kong]]'', ''[[The Mummy's Shroud]]'' and ''[[Antony and Cleopatra (1972 film)|Antony and Cleopatra]]''.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Roger_Delgado_obituary_(The_Times) | title=Roger Delgado obituary (The Times) - the Doctor Who Cuttings Archive}}</ref> He began work as [[The Master (Doctor Who)|The Master]] on ''[[Doctor Who]]'' in late 1970, his first broadcast appearance being in the January 1971 adventure ''[[Terror of the Autons]]''. He subsequently reprised the role of the Master in the [[Third Doctor]] serials ''[[The Mind of Evil]]'', ''[[The Claws of Axos]]'', ''[[Colony in Space]]'', ''[[The Dæmons]]'', ''[[The Sea Devils]]'', ''[[The Time Monster]]'' and ''[[Frontier in Space]]''.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2010-01-27/frontier-in-space/ | title=Frontier in Space ★★★★}}</ref> The Master's story arc was to have ended in ''The Final Game'', which was planned as the final story to feature Pertwee's Third Doctor, but the story was scrapped following Delgado's sudden death and replaced with ''[[Planet of the Spiders]]''.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/planetofspiders/detail.shtml | title=BBC - Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - Planet of the Spiders - Details}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Delgado's first marriage was to Olga Anthonisz, which ended in divorce.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Roger Delgado: I am usually referred to as the Master|last=Harmes|first=Marcus|publisher=Fantom Publishing|year=2017|isbn=978-1-78196-300-5|pages=68}}</ref> He married Kismet Shahani in 1957 and they remained together until his death in 1973. Kismet died in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Roger_Delgado_(letter) | title=Roger Delgado (letter)&nbsp;— the Doctor Who Cuttings Archive}}</ref>

== Death ==
{{quote box
| quote = "To say that Roger Delgado was merely a friend of mine would be an insult. Roger was one of my greatest friends ever - a modest, lovable man with a ready wit and a fine sense of humour. As Actors, we discovered we shared an uncanny telephatic<!--sic--> communication with each other, as he played 'Moriarty' to my 'Holmes'. It was a 'phone <!--sic, apostrophe indicates it as an abbreviation of "telephone"-->call from Kismet, Roger's wife, that gave me the news of his tragic death. I was stunned with disbelief, then, and even now, have to force myself to accept the fact that Roger is no longer with us. As my adversary "The Master" he was evil personnified.<!--sic--> As a friend, he was the opposite, warm, feeling and understanding. I shall forever miss him."
| source = —Jon Pertwee talking about Roger Delgado in a September 1985 letter to a fan.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}|float right
| width = 30em
}}
Delgado died on location on 18 June 1973 in [[Nevşehir]], [[Turkey]], whilst shooting ''La Cloche tibétaine'' (Tibetan Bell), a Franco/German television mini-series about the [[Yellow Expedition]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5848461-obituary-roger-delgado |title=Funeral Directors and services&nbsp;— Roger Delgado |website=Family Announcements}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kasterborous.com/2015/05/roger-delgados-last-appearance-found/|title=Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews / Roger Delgado's Last Appearance: Found!|work=Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525025916/http://www.kasterborous.com/2015/05/roger-delgados-last-appearance-found/|archive-date=25 May 2015}}</ref> During this expedition, [[Citroën]] [[tracked vehicle]]s traversed Asia in 1931–32 from [[Beijing|Peking]] and [[Beirut]]. Delgado appeared in one episode of this production. He was killed, along with two Turkish film technicians, when the car in which he was travelling went off the road into a ravine. He was 55 years old.

For years, there was mystery surrounding the fate of Delgado's remains. It was revealed in 2017 that his body had been returned to the United Kingdom and cremated at Mortlake before the ashes were scattered on 27 June 1973, in area RB3 (Plot 43) of the Garden of Remembrance at [[Mortlake Cemetery]] in Southwest London.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Roger Delgado: I am usually referred to as the Master|last=Harmes|first=Marcus|publisher=Fantom Publishing|year=2017|isbn=978-1-78196-300-5|pages=213}}</ref>

The serial he was filming in Turkey continued production and was completed after his death. The series was broadcast on French and German television in 1974–1975; Delgado can be seen in episode 4 as the minor character Paco.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oc_SWX_VYc |title= La Cloche Tibetaine |website= La Cloche Tibetaine}}</ref>

[[Jon Pertwee]] often remarked that Delgado's death was one of the reasons he decided to leave ''Doctor Who'' the following year.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/kJ-pYIeygvg Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140705160125/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ-pYIeygvg Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ-pYIeygvg |title=Exclusive First Look: The Final Curtain Part 1 – Doctor Who – Planet of the Spiders |date=4 March 2011 |website=YouTube |publisher=BBCClassicDoctorWho}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1952
| ''[[Murder at Scotland Yard]]''
| George Grayson
| 
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1953
| ''[[The Broken Horseshoe (film)|The Broken Horseshoe]]''
| Felix Galegos
| 
|-
| ''[[The Captain's Paradise]]''
| Kalikan Policeman
| 
|-
| ''[[Blood Orange (1953 film)|Blood Orange]]''
| Marlowe
|
|-
| [[Scotland Yard (film series)|''Scotland Yard: The Missing Man'']]
| Paris Police Inspector
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1954
| ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]''
| Sultan's Aide
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Third Party Risk]]''
| Detective Gonzales
|
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Storm Over the Nile]]''
| Native Spy
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"|1956
| ''[[The Battle of the River Plate (film)|The Battle of the River Plate]]''
| Captain Varela, Uruguayan Navy
| 
|-
| ''[[Scotland Yard (film series)|Scotland Yard: Destination Death]]''
| [[Lisbon]] Police Officer
| 
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1957
| ''[[Manuela (1957 film)|Manuela]]''
| Stranger
|

|-
| ''[[Man in the Shadow (1957 British film)|Man in the Shadow]]''
| Alberto
| Uncredited

|-
| ''[[Scotland Yard (film series)|Scotland Yard: The Case of The Smiling Widow]]''
| Commissario
| 

|-
| rowspan="2" | 1958
| ''[[Sea Fury (1958 film)|Sea Fury]]''
| Salgado
| 
|-
| ''[[Mark of the Phoenix]]''
| Devron
| 
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1959
| ''[[First Man into Space]]''
| Consul Ramon de Guerrera
|
|-
| ''[[The Stranglers of Bombay]]''
| Bundar
| rowspan="2" | Uncredited
|-
|''[[Third Man on the Mountain]]''
|Italian Climber
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Sands of the Desert]]''
| Abu Nial
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1961
| ''[[The Singer Not the Song]]''
| Pedro de Cortinez
| 
|-
| ''[[The Terror of the Tongs]]''
| Tang Hao
| 
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1962
| ''[[Village of Daughters]]''
| Francisco Predati
| 
|-
| ''[[The Road to Hong Kong]]''
| Jhinnah
| 
|-
| ''[[Guns of Darkness]]''
| Hernandez (voice)
| Dubbed [[Derek Godfrey]]
|-
| ''[[In Search of the Castaways (film)|In Search of the Castaways]]''
| Patagonian Prisoner
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1963
| ''[[The Mind Benders (1963 film)|The Mind Benders]]''
| Dr. Jean Bonvoulois
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[The Running Man (1963 film)|The Running Man]]''
| Spanish Doctor
| 
|-
| 1964
| ''[[Hot Enough for June]]''
| Josef
| 
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Masquerade (1965 film)|Masquerade]]''
| Ahmed Ben Faïd
| rowspan="2" | Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1966
| ''[[Khartoum (film)|Khartoum]]''
| Sheikh Abdul Rahim
|-
| ''[[The Sandwich Man (1966 film)|The Sandwich Man]]''
| Abdul
| 
|-
| 1967
| ''[[The Mummy's Shroud]]''
| Hasmid
| 
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Star! (film)|Star!]]''
| French Ambassador
| rowspan="2" | Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1969
| ''[[The Assassination Bureau]]''
| Bureau Member
|-
| ''[[You Can't Win 'Em All]]''
| Capt. Enver (voice)
| Dubbed [[Salih Güney]]
|-
| 1970
| ''[[Underground (1970 film)|Underground]]''
| Xavier
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" |1972
|''[[Horror Express]]''
|Inspector Mirov (voice)
|Dubbed [[Julio Peña]]
|-
| ''[[Antony and Cleopatra (1972 film)|Antony and Cleopatra]]''
| Soothsayer
|
|-
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1948
|''Distinguished Gathering''
|Eliot Richard Vines
|television film
|-
| 1954
| ''[[The Three Musketeers#Television|The Three Musketeers]]''
| [[Athos (character)|Athos]]
| 6 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1955
| ''[[St. Ives (TV series)|St. Ives]]''
| Gautier
| 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[Quatermass II]]''
| Hugh Conrad
| Episode 4: "The Coming"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel]]''
| Andre
| Episode 17: "The Farmer's Boy"
|-
| rowspan="7" | 1957
| ''[[Assignment Foreign Legion]]''
| Lt. Lachaise
| Episode 23: "The Coward"
|-
| ''[[The Buccaneers (1956 TV series)|The Buccaneers]]''
| Capt. Mendoza/Don Ferdinand Esteban
| 3 episodes
|-
| ''[[Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (TV series)|Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School]]''
| Monsieur Charpentier
| Episode: "Bunter the Ventriloquist"
|-
| ''[[O.S.S. (TV series)|O.S.S.]]''
| Luigi
| Episode: "Operation Big House"
|-
| ''[[The Silver Sword#Adaptations|The Silver Sword]]''
| The Nazi
| Episode 6: "Escape from Bavaria"
|-
| ''[[Sword of Freedom]]''
| Virelli
| Episode: "Angelica's Past"
|-
| ''[[White Hunter (TV series)|White Hunter]]''
| Gomez
| Episode: "Killer Leopard"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1958
| ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]''
| Ambassador
| Episode: "The Minstrel"
|-
| ''Queen's Champion''
| Don Jose
| 8 episodes
|-
| 1959-65
| ''[[The Third Man (TV series)|The Third Man]]''
| Luis Mendoza / Henri Banear
| 4 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1959
| ''[[The Adventures of William Tell|William Tell]]''
| Luigi
| Episode: "The Black Brothers"
|-
| ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]''
| Night Club Manager
| Episode: "Spanish Interlude" (uncredited)
|-
| 1959-60
| ''[[The Four Just Men (TV series)|The Four Just Men]]''
| Inspector Rossi
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1960
| ''The Splendid Spur''
| Sir Basil Grenville
| Episode: "Joan of the Tor"
|-
| ''[[Biggles (TV series)|Biggles]]''
| Dr. Ahmed Zakar
| 3 episodes: "Biggles on the Nile"
|-
| ''[[The Odd Man]]''
| Bernard Berridge
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1960-61
| ''Knight Errant Limited''
| Branco/Oscar Lederer
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1961
| ''[[Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond|One Step Beyond]]''
| Capt. Santoro
| Episode: "The Face"
|-
|''[[Plateau of Fear]]''
| General Perera
|1 episode
|-
|''[[Triton (1961 TV series)|Triton]]''
|The Man with the Patch
| 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[Danger Man]]''
| Von Golling
| Episode: "Under the Lake"
|-
| 1961-64
| ''[[Ghost Squad (TV series)|Ghost Squad]]''
| Holgar/Major Sayid/Ben Ali/De Souza
| 4 episodes
|-
| 1961-62
| ''[[Sir Francis Drake (TV series)|Sir Francis Drake]]''
| [[Bernardino de Mendoza|Count Bernardino de Mendoza]] / The Governor
| 7 episodes
|-
| 1962-66
| ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]''
| Hotel Manager/Captain Rodriguez
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1962
| ''[[Saki (1962 TV series)|Saki]]''
| Laposhka
| Episode 5
|-
| ''[[Richard the Lionheart (TV series)|Richard the Lionheart]]''
| Laki
| Episode: "The Norman King"
|-
| ''[[Z-Cars]]''
| Gregori Katsybalis
| Episode: "Business Trip"
|-
| 1962-63
| ''[[Maigret (1960 TV series)|Maigret]]''
| Pepito/Fouché
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1963
| ''[[The Human Jungle (TV series)|The Human Jungle]]''
| Wirral
| Episode: "The Two Edged Sword"
|-
| ''[[Espionage (TV series)|Espionage]]''
| Gebal
| Episode: "A Camel to Ride"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1964
| ''[[Crane (TV series)|Crane]]''
| Barman
| Episode: "Murder Is Waiting"
|-
| ''The Protectors''
| Slankin
| Episode: "Freedom!"
|-
| ''[[Sergeant Cork]]''
| Inspector Puichard
| Episode: "The Case of the Great Pearl Robbery"
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Sherlock Holmes (1965 TV series)|Sherlock Holmes]]''
| Moser
| Episode: "[[The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax]]"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1966
| ''[[Orlando (TV series)|Orlando]]''
| King Halara
| 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[Court Martial (TV series)|Court Martial]]''
| Salvatore Fratuzzi
| Episode: "The Liberators"
|-
| ''[[The_Saint_(TV_series)|The Saint]]''
| Captain Rodriguez
| Episode: "Locate and Destroy"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1968
| ''[[Man in a Suitcase]]''
| Ambassador
| Episode: "Burder of Proof"
|-
| ''[[Harry Worth (actor, born 1917)|Harry Worth]]''
| Ambassador
| Episode: "James Bond Where Are You?"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1969
| ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]''
| Kreer 
| Episode: "Stay Tuned"
|-
| ''[[Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)]]''
| Tapiro
| Episode: "The Ghost who Saved the Bank at Monte Carlo"
|-
| 1971
| ''[[The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (TV series)|The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes]]''
| Silva
| Episode: "Madame Sara"
|-
| 1971–73
| ''[[Doctor Who]]''
| [[The Master (Doctor Who)|The Master]]
| 37 episodes, in 8 serials
* [[Terror of the Autons]]
* [[The Mind of Evil]]
* [[The Claws of Axos]]
* [[Colony in Space]]
* [[The Dæmons]]
* [[The Sea Devils]]
* [[The Time Monster]]
* [[Frontier in Space]]
|-
| 1972
| ''[[The Persuaders!]]''
| Estoban
| Episode: "To The Death, Baby"
|-
| 1973
| ''[[Play of the Month]]''
| Officer of the Holy Brotherhood
| Episode: "The Adventures of [[Don Quixote]]"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1974
| ''[[The Zoo Gang]]''
| Pedro Ortega
| Episode: "The Lion Hunt"
|-
| ''La Cloche tibétaine'' (Tibetan Bell) [[:fr:La Cloche tibétaine|(fr)]]
| Paco
| Episode 4. (Final appearance. Died during filming.)
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|id=0217069|name=Roger Delgado}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delgado, Roger}}
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:1973 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English people of Belgian descent]]
[[Category:English people of Spanish descent]]
[[Category:Male actors from London]]
[[Category:People from Whitechapel]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Turkey]]
[[Category:Royal Corps of Signals officers]]
[[Category:Royal Leicestershire Regiment officers]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]