Andrew Michael Wisher (19 May 1935 – 21 July 1995) was an English actor. He played various roles on Doctor Who and was the first actor to play the villain Davros.
Life and career Born 19 May 1935, in London, Wisher appeared in a number of television series before making his Doctor Who debut in The Seeds of Death, providing a radio voiceover. His first onscreen appearance was as John Wakefield in The Ambassadors of Death in 1970. The following year he played Rex Farrel in Terror of the Autons. In 1973, Wisher began voicing the Daleks with Frontier in Space, and in 1975 he originated the role of Dalek creator Davros in Genesis of the Daleks. He was unavailable to reprise the role in Destiny of the Daleks (1979), and Resurrection of the Daleks (1984), so was replaced by other actors. He also played Kalik in Carnival of Monsters (1973), and Morelli in Planet of Evil (1975).
Wisher also appeared in several spin-offs of Doctor Who. In 1987, Wartime, was released by Reeltime Pictures, starring John Levene in his television role as Sergeant Benton. Wisher played the ghost of Benton's father. He followed this by playing a villain with several faces in Summoned by Shadows, produced by BBV in 1991 and as a Minister in The Airzone Solution in 1993. That production included performances by four of the actors who had played the lead character in Doctor Who. Finally, he played a spaceship engineer in Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans in 1994.
Outside of Doctor Who, Wisher voiced many commercials. He narrated episodes the BBC's science series Horizon.
Wisher died of a heart attack on 21 July 1995, aged 60, in Dacorum.
Filmography
YearTitleRoleNotes 1963SuspenseRadio officer, S.S. Opal BayEpisode "The Uncertain Witness"Your WorldTony Miller4 episodes 1963–1974Z-CarsVarious1965R3Petty OfficerEpisode: "The Critical Moment"Mr. Holmes and the LovebankNarrator10 radio episodes of Woman's Hour1968The NewcomersMr. Drake2 episodes 1968–1975Doctor WhoRadio announcer, John Wakefield, Rex Farrel, Kalik, Daleks, Davros, Magrik, MorelliSerials: The Seeds of Death; The Ambassadors of Death; Terror of the Autons; Carnival of Monsters; Frontier in Space; Planet of the Daleks; Death to the Daleks; Genesis of the Daleks; Revenge of the Cybermen; Planet of Evil1968–1969Adventure WeeklyPC Cullis10 episodes 1972ColditzConsulate Official Episode: "Lord, Didn't It Rain"1973Moonbase 3Harry SandersEpisode: "Departure and Arrival"1975Dixon of Dock GreenPC Joe Birkett Episode: "On a Moody Complaint"1976The Prince and the PauperFarmerEpisode 3Wilkinson's WingleNarratorWriter for radio Morning Story1982AirlineKellett6 episodes 1985Cover Her FaceMr. WelchEpisode 21986Alice in WonderlandCheshire Cat2 episodes 1987Vanity FairMajor-domoEpisode: "A Vulgar Incident" 1988WartimeBenton's fatherDirect-to-video filmTales of the UnexpectedDexterEpisode: "The Dead Don't Steal"Blind JusticeMagistrates ChairmanEpisode: "White Man Listen"1989Rules of Engagement Surveillance AgentEpisode 3The BillCar Repair ManEpisode: "Chinese Whispers" 1991The Stranger: Summoned by ShadowsControllerDirect-to-video filmEastEndersMr. DowningEpisode 709 1993Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDISDalek voicesTV specialThe Airzone SolutionRichard Allenby Direct-to-video film1994Shakedown: Return of the SontaransRobar1995DalekmaniaCommissionaire
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