He's best known to Space 1999 fans as Commissioner Gerald Simmonds, who featured in the first episode, Breakaway, when he found himself, along with the rest of the crew of Moonbase Alpha marooned on the Moon as it was blown away from Earth's orbit.
He returned in the episode Earth Bound , where in a mixture of frustration and desperation, attempts to get a ride back to Earth with the benevolent alien, Captain Zantor, and his Kaldorian crew. Sadly, it doesn't end well for Commissioner Simmonds...
Roy was the subject of a This is Your Life show, when he was surprised by host Eamonn Andrews on the set of Space: 1999.
Roy Dotrice 1923 -2017 : Our sincere condolences to his family.
Sad news - his two S1999 episodes were terrific and his portrayal of Simmonds the archetypal ambitious politician was scheming malevolence personified - RIP Sir
ReplyDeleteFenton
Absolutely Fenton, it was Roy's flawless acting that gave his Simmonds' character depth. A sad loss :(
DeleteEarthbound is one of my favourite 1999 episodes. Roy and Christopher Lee as Zantor, perfect, and what a tragic and shocking ending!
Absolutely ! The ending of Earthbound is entertainingly horrific and wouldn't have been out of place in an Amicus portmanteau such as Tales from the Crypt (which of course he also appeared in)
ReplyDeleteFenton
Yes indeed, very much a sting in the tail :)
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