Portrait of Roger Delgado

Roger Delgado

Acting

Biography

Roger Delgado (1 March 1918 - 18 June 1973), full name Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto, was a British actor, who will forever be known for being the first actor to play The Master in Doctor Who. Born in Whitechapel, within the sound of Bow Bells, to a Belgian mother and a Spanish father, Delgado was brought up in Bedford Park and attended the LSE before WWII was declared. His war service saw him rise to the rank of a major, serving with both the Leicestershire Regiment and the Royal Signals, despite his dislike of guns. He made his TV debut in 1948 and starred in several TV and film productions before his untimely death at the age of 55 in a car accident whilst filming the Franco/German TV production La Cloche tibétaine in Turkey. He had married twice, firstly to Olga Anthonisz and then, following his divorce. to Kismet Shahani who survived him.

Born: March 1, 1918

Place of Birth: London, England, UK

Filmography

2025
Doctor Who: The Sea Devils

as The Master (archive footage)

2009
Roger Delgado: The Master

as (archive footage)

2008
The Ties That Bind Us

as The Master (archive footage)

1997
1994
The World of Hammer

as Self (archive footage)

1993
Police 5: The Master

as The Master (archive footage)

1983
Doctor Who: Mawdryn Undead

as The Master (archive footage) (Special Edition)

1977
1973
The Adventures Of Don Quixote

as Officer of the Holy Brotherhood

1972
Horror Express

as Inspector Mirov (voice)

1972
1971
The Persuaders!

as Estoban

1971
1970
Underground

as Xavier

1970
You Can't Win 'Em All

as Capt. Enver (uncredited) (voice)

1969
The Assassination Bureau

as Bureau Member (uncredited)

1968
The Champions

as Yussef

1968
1967
1966
The Sandwich Man

as Abdul - Carpet Seller

1966
Khartoum

as Sheikh Abdul Rahim

1965
BBC Play of the Month

as Officer of the Holy Brotherhood

1964
1963
Doctor Who

as Master

1963
Doctor Who

as The Master

1963
The Running Man

as Spanish Doctor

1963
1963
The Mind Benders

as Dr. Jean Bonvoulois (uncredited)

1962
In Search of the Castaways

as Patagonian prisoner

1962
The Saint

as Capt. Rodriguez

1962
The Saint

as Hotel Manager

1962
1961
1961
Sir Francis Drake

as The Governor

1961
Sir Francis Drake

as Spanish Ambassador

1961
The Avengers

as Kreer

1961
The Avengers

as Vasco

1961
The Singer Not the Song

as Pedro de Cortinez

1960
Maigret

as Pepito

1960
The Odd Man

as Bernard Berridge

1960
1959
The Stranglers of Bombay

as Bundar (uncredited)

1959
First Man into Space

as Mexican Consul - Ramon de Guerrera

1958
1958
Sea Fury

as Salgado

1957
Man in the Shadow

as Alberto (uncredited)

1957
Manuela

as Stranger

1956
The Battle of the River Plate

as Captain Varela, Uruguayan Navy

1956
The Buccaneers

as Capt. Mendoza

1956
The Buccaneers

as Don Ferdinand Esteban

1956
Bhowani Junction

as Train Driver

1955
Storm Over the Nile

as Native Spy

1955
Quatermass II

as Hugh Conrad

1954
Third Party Risk

as Detective Gonzales

1954
Beautiful Stranger

as Police Officer

1953
Blood Orange

as Marlowe

1953
The Captain's Paradise

as Kalikan Policeman

1953
The Broken Horseshoe

as Felix Galegos

1950
Sunday Night Theatre

as Mark Smeaton

1950
Sunday Night Theatre

as Father Francisco