Died at 82
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Roger Rees (May 5, 1944 – July 10, 2015) was a Welsh-American actor and director. Born in Aberystwyth, Wales, he grew up in south London where his father worked as a police officer. He attended Camberwell College of Arts and the Slade School of Fine Art, initially training as a painter before transitioning to theater work. He painted scenery at the Wimbledon Theater in south London before becoming an actor there in 1965. Rees became widely recognized for his stage work, particularly his starring role in the Royal Shakespeare Company's adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Nicholas Nickleby," which brought him both an Olivier Award and a Tony Award. He also received Obie Awards for his role in The End of the Day and as co-director of Peter and the Starcatcher. On television, he joined the hit TV comedy "Cheers" for the 1989-90 season as Kirstie Alley's suitor, the single-minded international financier and corporate raider Robin Colcord, and appeared in various other productions including the sci-fi series "M.A.N.T.I.S." He became an American citizen in 1989 and was married to theatre collaborator Rick Elice since 2011. Roger was subsequently diagnosed with cancer and while performing on Broadway in the musical "The Visit" starring Chita Rivera, he was forced to quit the show in late May 2015. The 71-year-old actor died on July 10, 2015, leaving behind a distinguished legacy.
Roger Rees
The Tenth Doctor (1998-02)
for The Tenth Doctor (1998-02) in Doctor Who (1979-
Suggested by zacharyoxford
At the end of Season 17, both Graham Williams and Douglas Adams announced their intentions to step down from Doctor Who. Whilst Adams was replaced fairly quickly by Christopher H. Bidmead, who had been suggested for the position by former writer Robert Banks Stewart, Williams' replacement was less certain. Initially, production unit manager George Gallaccio had been asked, but he declined. However, with nobody else wanting to take up the role, Gallaccio relented on his former decision. Gallaccio's intentions were to combine the wit of the Williams era with the darkness of the Hinchcliffe era to try and strike a perfect balance. This was combined with Bidmead's intentions to try and bring the show back to basics and make it more scientifically minded, with the two striking a somewhat uneasy agreement to allow some more fantasy-esque stories to balance out the scientific ones. This season was the last Tom Baker as the Doctor, Lalla Ward as Romana II and David Brierley as K-9, this was also the first season for Lesley Dunlop as Andria, a stranded pilot from the far future, who would be introduced in the first episode.
