Which actor portrayed the First Doctor?

William Hartnell portrayed the First Doctor in Doctor Who. Hartnell played the original incarnation from the programme’s debut in 1963 through 1966, establishing the character as an eccentric, mysterious and sometimes irritable traveller from another world.

The First Doctor initially appeared as an elderly man travelling with his granddaughter Susan Foreman and her schoolteachers, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. His early stories moved between historical adventures and science-fiction settings, reflecting the programme’s original educational ambitions.

Hartnell’s tenure also introduced one of Doctor Who’s defining ideas: regeneration. When the actor’s health declined, the story allowed the Doctor to transform into a new physical form, with Patrick Troughton becoming the Second Doctor. This device eventually made it possible for the series to continue across many decades.

Hartnell later returned through archive and special appearances, while Richard Hurndall and David Bradley portrayed the First Doctor in later productions. Nevertheless, William Hartnell remains the original and canonical actor most directly associated with the role.