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David Banks(I)

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
David Banks in Doctor Who (1963)
Actor, author, playwright and director David Banks has played leading roles for the London West End, national and regional theatre companies, along with a prolific career as a TV actor with long-running portrayals in Brookside (1982), Canary Wharf (1996) and Doctor Who (1963), among other appearances. He was Karl in the UK theatre tour of 'Doctor Who: The Ultimate Adventure' and took over as the Doctor when Jon Pertwee fell ill.

David Banks' books include the much praised 'Doctor Who - Cybermen' and the best-selling novel 'Iceberg'. His play 'Severance' tells the story of the medieval lovers Heloise and Abelard. 'Five Marys Waiting' depicts five strong women in search of a meaning. His latest is a supposedly found play by Aphra Behn called 'A New Way to Play an Old Game'. He has recently directed 'Between the Lines'', a play exploring the Great War and its poets, and T.S. Eliot's 'Four Quartets'.

He has delivered his talk 'Life as an emotionless killing machine: Cybermen in a Strange State' at universities in the UK and Australia. His hypothesised history 'The Archive Tapes: Cybermen', first released on cassette in 1989, was re-released as a four CD box set in 2013 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who - an excellent demonstration of why resistance is useless. An audiobook of 'Iceberg' is in production.
BornSeptember 24, 1951
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BornSeptember 24, 1951
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Photos1

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    Known for

    Paul McGann, Colin Baker, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, William Hartnell, Sylvester McCoy, Jon Pertwee, and Patrick Troughton in Doctor Who (1963)
    Doctor Who
    8.4
    TV Series
    • Cyber Leader
    EastEnders (1985)
    EastEnders
    4.8
    TV Series
    • Gavin
    The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow (1988)
    The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow
    7.0
    TV Series
    • Cyber Leader
    Some Kind of Hero (1982)
    Some Kind of Hero
    5.8
    • Disc Jockey
    • 1982

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Doctor Who: Audio Annuals
      • Narrator (voice)
      • Released
      • Podcast Series
      • 2026



    • Doctor Who: Target Novelisation Audiobooks (2005)
      Doctor Who: Target Novelisation Audiobooks
      Podcast Series
      • Narrator (voice)
      • 2023–2025
    • Doctor Who: The Sixth Doctor Adventures (2002)
      Doctor Who: The Sixth Doctor Adventures
      8.3
      Podcast Series
      • The Cyber-Leader (voice)
      • 2024
    • Doctor Who: New Series Adventures (2005)
      Doctor Who: New Series Adventures
      7.0
      Podcast Series
      • Narrator (voice)
      • 2024
    • Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures (1999)
      Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures
      7.9
      Podcast Series
      • The Cyber-Leader (voice)
      • 2018–2019
    • Michael Berryman and Frederick Koehler in The Evil Within (2017)
      The Evil Within
      5.6
      • Talent
      • 2017
    • Doctor Who: The Stageplays (2008)
      Doctor Who: The Stageplays
      Podcast Series
      • Karl (voice)
      • 2008
    • Doctors (2000)
      Doctors
      4.6
      TV Series
      • Inspector Headley
      • 2006
    • Desert Son
      7.5
      • Older Guy
      • 1999
    • Canary Wharf (1996)
      Canary Wharf
      TV Series
      • Max Armstrong
      • 1996
    • Crimewatch File
      7.9
      TV Series
      • Dennis Smalley
      • 1995
    • Rough Justice (1982)
      Rough Justice
      8.6
      TV Series
      • Derek Wakley
      • 1995
    • EastEnders (1985)
      EastEnders
      4.8
      TV Series
      • Gavin
      • 1994
    • Brookside (1982)
      Brookside
      6.6
      TV Series
      • Graeme Curtis
      • 1991–1992
    • A Time to Dance (1992)
      A Time to Dance
      6.9
      TV Mini Series
      • Ray
      • 1992
    • Colin Blumenau, Nula Conwell, Peter Ellis, Trudie Goodwin, Jon Iles, Gary Olsen, Eric Richard, John Salthouse, Tony Scannell, Jeff Stewart, and Mark Wingett in The Bill (1984)
      The Bill
      6.7
      TV Series
      • D.I. Graveny
      • 1991

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Height
      • 6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
    • Born
      • September 24, 1951
      • Hull, England, UK
    • Other works
      Novel: "Iceberg" (part of the New Adventures range of Doctor Who books). Virgin Books. ISBN 0426203925

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      He is most famous for playing the Cyber Leader in the BBC series Doctor Who (1963) during the 1980s. He was cast because he was tall and had a good speaking voice.

    FAQ

    Powered by Alexa
    • How old is David Banks?
      73 years old
    • When was David Banks born?
      September 24, 1951
    • Where was David Banks born?
      Hull, England, UK
    • How tall is David Banks?
      6 feet 3 inches, or 1.91 meters
    • What is David Banks known for?
      Doctor Who, Some Kind of Hero, EastEnders, and The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow

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