For most Americans, Bernard Cribbins, including myself, is a British actor and singer with over 70 years of experience on stage and screen. Died at the age of 93 this week — Best remembered as Wilfred Mott.As Wilfred, Cribbins was a regular supporting player for the fourth season, which was restarted at the time. Doctor Who (Just after 13 seasons in 2021), at the very moment long-term British imports finally built a full-fledged foothold on this side of the pond.
This was pretty noticeable in itself — even a reboot Doctor Who It was a bit strange and tasty for American radio waves in the mid-2000s, and it worked with different sensitivities and rhythms than American science fiction novels. But characters like Wilfred Mott quickly argued why there wasn’t exactly the same thing, and quickly clarified why the show lasted for nearly 60 years.
For beginners Doctor Who At a time travel show, a humanoid alien called a doctor travels through time adventuring with a companion called a companion with the help of a time machine in the shape of a police callbox in the 1950s. The central idea of the show is that the doctor does not die, but instead “regenerates” into a new form. Therefore, a new actor can take on that role. (The thirteenth and latest doctor is Jodie Whittaker, the first woman in the role, followed by Ncuti Gatwa, the first black actor in the role.)
Photo: Ben Black All / BBC America / BBC Studio
In Season 4, the doctor was played by fan-favorite actor David Tennant. David Tennant ended his term as Tenth Doctor in a series of special episodes shortly after the season. This season, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) was accompanied by Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). Donna Noble is Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). Cribbins played her grandfather, Wilfred Mott. Wilfred Mott was a kind and eccentric old man who was slowly wrapped in the adventures of a slightly crazy man with a strange time machine and his daughter.
Eventually, Wilfred accompanied Tenth Doctor on his final trip to the special two-part “The End of Time.”” Fans knew in advance that the tenant era was over and Matt Smith (now Morbius When House of the Dragon) As the 11th Doctor. And sadly, Wilfred is the cause of the death of the tenth doctor — trapped in a machine that purges the radiation he can only get out if someone replaces him, the doctor is his biggest The ironic end after the two-part epic that defeated the enemy.
Like Wilfred, Cribbins was seemingly sweet and clumsy, and was always able to quickly plumb a surprisingly deep character. Several times, Wilfred’s inside story as a World War II veteran made him stand up with a spine that no one thought he had. As one of the show’s old cast members, Cribins was in contrast to the character often played as a very ancient man in the body of a young man. The doctor was always at risk of becoming sour because of his age, but Wilfred saw a lot and was still resolute in his kindness.
The last moment of Tenth Doctor depends on this to be memorable. “Look at you, not far away,” said the doctor, denying what he had to do to save Wilfred’s life, and as an immortal time traveler he “can.” So many. “Including surviving the radiation that kills Wilfred — he will no longer be the same person. He will be someone else, and he does not want to go.
It’s a wonderful garden moment in Gethsemane, which is usually a fairly light show, and a tragic exchange between two terribly sympathetic actors inspires their hearts. Cribbins makes himself smaller, realizes his meaninglessness in space, and believes that the aliens in front of him are more important. But then the doctor’s speech changes: after being furious with the cruelty of fate and his own selfishness, he finds himself again and tells Wilfred that he will gladly replace him, “That’s my honor.”
Doctor Who It is famous as a show that hates violence. It’s a show about people walking to the edge of violent conflict and finding some way to save everyone with wit, intelligence, and love.Compassion for these moments — and more importantly, the fact that it is not always Easy What to do — that’s one thing Doctor Who Often, they’re doing better than many other shows with a budget that’s many times their budget. Through the talent of actors like Bernard Cribbins, he paid attention to valuing characters like Wilfred Mott. And sometimes that’s all that actors have to do to be great: to remind people that they are still important.
