It has been announced that the actor David Collings has passed away at the age of 79.
He appeared in Doctor Who on three occasions - in a wide range of roles, all of them aliens of one sort or another.
His first appearance was in Revenge of the Cybermen, when he appeared under a full head mask as the Vogan militia leader Vorus, the villain of the piece. The part demanded a good voice actor, and he was an experienced radio performer. You'll spot his distinctive tones in a number of BBC Radio 4 dramas.
A couple of seasons later he was back starring opposite Tom Baker, this time without the hindrance of a mask, as Poul in The Robots of Death. A much meatier role for him, he played the undercover government agent investigating a potential robot revolt - who just happens to suffer from Robophobia.
He returned to the programme for the final time during the 20th Anniversary season, this time opposite Peter Davison, in Mawdryn Undead - playing the titular character. This involved more make-up, as he appeared horribly burnt initially, before being seen with bulging brains on top of his head.
For Big Finish he featured as an alternative Doctor in the audio "Full Fathom Five", as well as featuring in other of their productions, including a reprise of Poul.
Outside of Doctor Who, he is remembered for his performance as 'Silver' in Sapphire & Steel - stealing the show from its stars whenever he featured. Another genre piece was a role in the final episode of Blake's 7.
A notable radio performance was as Legolas in the BBC's famous adaptation of Lord of the Rings.
His work tended to be concentrated on stage, TV and radio, but one memorable movie outing was as Bob Cratchitt in the film of the musical Scrooge, opposite Albert Finney.
RIP.
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