Anecdotes

After he left Doctor Who, he was replaced by Peter Purves in the "male companion" role.

Of the four original cast members of Docteur Who (1963), he was the only one who did not make a reappearance in the original series prior to its cancellation in 1989. Writer Peter Grimwade originally envisaged Russell as returning to star opposite Peter Davison as the teacher in Mawdryn Undead: Part One (1983), but he proved unavailable due to theatre commitments. The story was then changed to bring back Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Russell eventually returned to the series in the BBC's centenary special The Power of the Doctor (2022).

He was portrayed in An Adventure in Space and Time (2013) by Jamie Glover. Jamie's father, Julian Glover, is also a Docteur Who (1963) veteran, having played Richard the Lionheart in The Lion (1965) and Count Scarlioni/Scaroth in City of Death: Part One (1979). The elder Glover also appeared in Harry Potter et la Chambre des secrets (2002) with Russell's son, Alfred Enoch.

He is listed in the Guinness Book Of Records for the longest gap between TV appearances, playing the character of Ian Chesterton on Doctor Who. His last regular appearance was on 26th June 1965 before his cameo in The Power of the Doctor (2022), a gap of 57 years and 120 days.

He was going to be the star of the 1956 TV series of The Buccaneers (1956) but the part went to Robert Shaw.

He was involved in organising entertainment during his national service in the Royal Air Force and then, after university, went into repertory theatre.

His career on stage and screen spanned over seven decades and he first achieved prominence in the title role of the television series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-1957).

He was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School and Oxford University and became interested in acting at an early age.

Last surviving cast member of The Great Escape.

He performed as both Russell Enoch and William Russell.