Nicholas was born in Egypt. He grew up and was educated in France, Kenya and Egypt where he spent most of the war, his father being in the Diplomatic Service, subsequent to a military career. He spent his National Service as a private, having no ambition to be a serious soldier.
He trained for the stage at the Webber Douglas Academy and his wide repertory experience includes Colchester, Birmingham, Northampton, Worthing and Liverpool. He appeared in the West End productions of The Rehearsal, Doctors Dilemma, and Dame of Sark, in which he also played at the Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, with Dame Anna Neagle.
Other theatre credits range from a summer season at Bournemouth in There Goes the Bride to Where the Rainbow Ends at Brighton, also as Major Metcalfe in The Mousetrap in the West End. He also toured in Busybody for Derek Nimmo's company as well as playing Toulon in M. Butterfly and The President in The Nineteenth Hole National Tour. His film appearances include Take a Girl Like You, Endless Night, Bullseye and Soft Beds, and Hard Battles. Nicholas is most well known for his portrayal of The Brigadier in Doctor Who. In fact, he has appeared with six of the seven Doctors over a period of 25 years. Other television credits include Softly, Softly, The Main Chance, Man in Room 17, Victoria Regina, Sword of Honour, The Information, The Avengers, All Creatures Great and Small, Shelley, Barriers, and Court Martial for TVS. He also played De Oliveries in To Catch a King with Robert Wagner, Minder for Euston Films, Jenny's War for HTV, and Juliet Bravo, Yes, Prime Minister, Born Kicking, and the Christmas Special of Only Fools and Horses for the BBC. Nicholas worked with BBC Radio Drama Company, and on Doctor Who for radio as well as episodes of French Fields for Thames playing The Marquis.Visions '94 biography of Nicholas Courtney, copyright 1995 by Her Majesty's Entertainment, Hoffman Estates, IL, USA. Used with permission.
If any one performer is Doctor Who, it would have to be Nick Courtney. He's been associated with the programme longer than any actor except perhaps John Scott-Martin (whom we never see, anyway).
He is quite the gentleman and very much enjoys conventions and getting together with the fans, who often make a special effort to return the favour. On both sides of the Atlantic I have tagged along with con organizers who went out looking for a bottle of Nick's favourite wine - it seems to be something of a tradition.
May his association with Doctor Who continue for a very long time.
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