Anthony Ainley
He cloaked the Doctor's nemesis in a silky, sinister charm, making the Master a figure of deliciously theatrical evil for a 1980s audience.
1932–2004 (age 72)·British actor·Birthday: August 20·The Silent Generation
Biography
Anthony Ainley inherited one of British television's great villainous roles and made it his own with a distinctive, reptilian flair. The son of actor Henry Ainley, he initially resisted the profession but found his niche in character parts. When he was cast as the latest regeneration of the Master in 1981's 'Doctor Who', he faced the shadow of Roger Delgado's beloved original. Ainley's solution was not imitation but amplification. He played the Time Lord renegade with a camp, gleeful malevolence, often disguised in elaborate costumes and wigs, his eyes glittering with manic delight. For a decade, he was Tom Baker and Peter Davison's primary antagonist, his Master a master of disguise and chaotic schemes. While later portrayals would delve into darker complexity, Ainley's version remains the quintessential pantomime villain of the classic series, a devil in a crisp suit who clearly relished every moment.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Anthony was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Died at 72
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the Master, the Doctor's arch-nemesis, throughout the 1980s in the classic 'Doctor Who' series.
- Appeared as the Master opposite four different Doctors: Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy.
- Played the role in the 20th-anniversary special 'The Five Doctors', a landmark event in the series' history.
- Had a long career in British television prior to 'Doctor Who', including roles in 'The Avengers' and 'Upstairs, Downstairs'.
Did You Know?
He was the son of the famed Shakespearean stage actor Henry Ainley.
He initially worked as an insurance clerk before pursuing acting.
He often performed his own stunts as the Master.
His final television appearance as the Master was in the 1989 serial 'Survival', the last story of the classic series.
“Chaos, dear Doctor, is simply order waiting to be rearranged.”
