Richard Franklin, a familiar figure in the Doctor Who franchise, has died.
The announcement came from Franklin’s close friend Líam Rudden via the actor’s official account.
Although the exact cause is unspecified, it was mentioned that Franklin passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 87.
Source:PlanetFranklin(X)
The family of Richard Franklin has requested me to announce his demise, which occurred early this morning. He died peacefully in his sleep. The funeral details will be posted here when they are available. Rest in peace, Richard.”
Franklin was mainly a stage actor, performing in various shows in the UK. He was also internationally famous for his role in Doctor Who. He portrayed Captain Mike Yates of UNIT, first appearing in 1971 with Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. Franklin continued to play the role until 1974 and returned for the 20th and 30th-anniversary specials, The Five Doctors and Dimensions in Time.
It is with great sadness, that the family of Richard Franklin have asked me to share news of his passing, early this morning. Richard passed away peacefully in his sleep. Details of funeral arrangements will be shared here when announced. Sleep well Richard. #RIP
– Líam Rudden pic.twitter.com/TgsSADbQYt— Richard Franklin (In Memoriam) (@PlanetFranklin) December 25, 2023
He also lent his voice to Mike Yates in several Doctor Who audio dramas. He wrote a novel based on one of them, The Killing Stone and made his last appearance as himself in a recorded segment for the live show 50 Years of Doctor Who: Preachers Podcast Live earlier this year.
In the late 1980s, he starred in the British soap opera Emmerdale. He had also been in Crossroads in the 1960s. His other TV roles include The Doctors, Little Women, Harry, and The Gambling Man. He was in the Star Wars film Rogue One as an engineer in 2016. Furthermore, he acted in two films by Julian Doyle, Chemical Wedding and Twilight of the Gods, as well as The Fiction Makers, Feedback, and The First Days of Spring.
He was an activist as well, founding the Silent Majority Party. However, he ran for the party in the 2005 UK general election in Hove. He had also spoken at the Liberal Democrat Conference in 1993, which was televised by Sky TV, and had been a candidate for the Liberal Democrats, the Referendum Party, and the UK Independence Party in other elections.
