Bernard Cribbins, Actor Known for ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘The Railway Children,’ Dead at 93

By Greta Bjornson @greatbjornson
Published July 28, 2022, 9:13 a.m. ET

Actor Bernard Cribbins, who was known for his roles in Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers, and more, has died. He was 93.

Cribbins’ death was announced by his agency, Gavin Barker Associates, on Thursday. No cause of death was immediately given.

In a statement posted to Instagram confirming Cribbins’ death, Gavin Barker Associates wrote, “His career spanned seven decades with such diverse work ranging from films like The Railway Children and the Carry On series, hit 60’s song ‘Right Said Fred,’ a notorious guest on Fawlty Towers and narrating The Wombles. He worked well into his 90s, recently appearing in Doctor Who and the CBeebies series Old Jack’s Boat,” his agency, Gavin Barker Associates, wrote.

The statement continued, “He lost his wife of 66 years, Gill, last year. Bernard’s contribution to British entertainment is without question. He was unique, typifying the best of his generation, and will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”

Cribbins began his career in the ’50s, booking his first role as the Prince’s guard in TV series The Black Tulip. He went on to appear in multiple films and shows across the span of his years-long career, including Frenzy, Carry on Columbus and The Adventures of Picasso.

Later in his career, Cribbins was recognized with multiple honors for his work. In 2009, the actor received a Special Award at the British Academy Children’s Awards. In 2011, he was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honors list, per Variety.

Cribbins continued acting throughout the last decade of his life, appearing in Old Jack’s Boat, New Tricks and Patrick the Pug. He also worked on multiple podcast series, including The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories and Dr. Who & The Daleks: The Official Story of the Films.