Philip Bond
Actor and star of The Onedin Line Born: November 1 1934; Died: January 17, 2017 THE actor Philip Bond, who has died aged 82, enjoyed a distinguished career as a television actor. He largely played character parts but flourished when given the opportunity to enjoy a long-standing role, like that of wealthy businessman Albert Frazer in the first two series of the popular seafaring show The Onedin Line.
Tall and handsome, with strong features and a lustrous main of hair, he appeared in 24 episodes, playing a key part in the action due to Albert marrying Elizabeth, sister of the lead character James Onedin (played by Peter Gilmore).
Prior to his nautical exploits Bond had established his position as “one of those faces” when he played Fergus Ryder in the thriller Walk a Crooked Mile (1960), Tony Ashman in the shortlived soap 199 Park Lane (1965), and Peter Findon in The Main Chance (two series opposite John Stride, 1969/1970). Over the decades he transformed from likeable juvenile lead to distinguished character player with ease.
He was born in Burton-In-Trent in Staffordshire to Matthew and Blodwen, Philip’s Welsh heritage remaining a strong part of his make-up (indeed he spent his last years living in a remote village in South Wales). He had enjoyed his first taste of acting whilst at Burton Boys’ Grammar School and so enlisted at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
Early theatre roles included Jean to the Miss Julie of Sonia Dresdel (YMCA Theatre, Edinburgh, 1956) Peter Tranchell in the musical Zuleika (Saville Theatre, 1957) and George in Suddenly Last Summer (Arts Theatre, 1958).
He kept busy on the stage in between television commitments playing such parts as Rudbeck in Mister Johnson (Lyric, 1960) Richard Brinsley in The Rivals (Sadler’s Wells, 1972), Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank (Basingstoke, 1995), and Alec Mant in After October (Chichester Festival Theatre, 1997).
Inevitably, because of his solid dependability – which found him appearing in most popular series – it is as a familiar face on television for which he will be best remembered.
He was appearing at the Citizen’s Theatre when he was asked to guest in Doctor Who as the dashing young hero of the second ever story – a landmark adventure due to it being the first to feature the Daleks – in 1964. The star of the series at the time was William Hartnell.
Bond was also a memorable Stapleton in Peter Cushing’s The Hound of the Baskervilles (1968), played Ratcliffe in Children of the New Forest (1977) and starred opposite Diana Rigg in Hedda Gabler (1980).
One-off appearances were legion, in such popular fare as The Saint (1963), No Hiding Place (1965), The Avengers (1969), Z-Cars (1969,1975), Crown Court (1977), Shoestring (1980), Only Fools and Horses (1985) and Lovejoy (1993).
During his 50-year career he worked solidly in every medium with later credits including Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1994), the film Fever Pitch (1997), a TV version of Nicholas Nickleby (2001) and ratings favourite Midsomer Murders (1997).
He was planning to contribute to a CD of memories of his Doctor Who episodes on his return from a holiday to Madeira last month but he died there unexpectedly, surrounded by his family.
His partner Elizabeth, his children – the TV journalist Matthew Bond and the actresses Samantha and Abigail Bond (all from his marriage to producer Pat Sandys) – and five grandchildren survive him.