Roger Delgado: I am usually referred to as the Master

by Marcus K. Harmes

Roger Delgado is instantly recognisable as the Master in Doctor Who but his most famous role was also one of his last. He died aged only 55 but his career was long and productive including roles in much loved television programs such as The Saint, The Avengers, Quatermass II and films including the Hammer horrors. His brilliant versatility made him an indispensable character actor, who was able to switch accent and nationality. This biography brings to light Delgado’s life from his childhood and early work in banking, his repertory theatre, early television, film roles, and finally his fame as the Doctor’s nemesis, when colleagues found a master criminal was played by the kindest man they had ever met. It also shows a private life more complex than previously thought. The biography commemorates the centenary of Delgado’s birth in 1918 and looks beyond commonly told anecdotes to tell the story of Delgado’s life and career based on painstaking archival research. It features never before seen photographs from the collection of Roger’s widow Kismet Delgado and all new interviews with both some of Delgado’s most famous co-stars as well as with rarely-interviewed co-stars and directors.

Genres: Doctor Who, Nonfiction, Biography

297 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jon Mackley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful book - Harmes has undertaken a lot of research and interviews for this book. In doing so, he creates comprehensive biography of Roger Delgado. Given that many readers (me included) read this because of Delgado's role in Doctor Who, Harmes weaves in little nuggets of information about the other writers, actors, directors and producers and how they worked in Doctor Who. Sometimes these vignettes aren't directly relevant to the subjects under discussion. But this is not a book ABOUT Doctor Who and the first two thirds of the book are about Delgado's other work. Fans of the series might be tempted to start reading at p. 148, but to do so would be to miss an insight into the work of this diverse and hard-working actor. There's a fair amount about the man behind all the parts as well including details about his serving in the army, the acrimonious divorce and anecdotes from those who knew him. In addition, Harmes sifts facts from fabrication to present as comprehensive a biography as possible, especially since it's now 45 years since Delgado died.

My only issue with this is that, when you sit down and read this cover to cover, a considerable number of the observations are repeated throughout, most particularly about his professionalism, his meticulously-kept house (which demonstrated his self-control), his fear of water (especially with reference to the Sea Devils) and the need to re-assert that Pik-Sen Lim has been cast as "the Chinese communist soldier and diplomat Captain Chin Lee", for example. There are also a couple of places where the author's voice, opinions and conjecture come through, and this is distracting.

But, this should not distract from the enormous amount of work that has gone into this - meticulously referenced at the end, with a comprehensive bibliography. This book is an important contribution to understanding something of the Man behind the Master.

[Gareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This thoughtfully written, handsomely presented biography covers the career of Roger Delgado in great detail leading up to his most well known role as the Master in Doctor Who.

He was a prolific TV and film actor and his credits seem endless; however, patterns emerge as he seems mostly to play villains and foreigners (despite being famously kind and born and bred British). Author Marcus K. Harmes offers some interesting context around (among other things) typecasting, in that some actors seemed happy to embrace it to pay the bills. Delgado however suffered with it when his Doctor Who appearances became less regular, and casting agents assumed he was tied up in it anyway. Hence the Master’s grand finale which would have put a stop to this but, for tragic reasons, didn’t happen.

Delgado it seems gave almost no interviews so we only have the word of co-workers to go on. And the word is universally good: he was professional, thoughtful, keen to rehearse, punctual, fastidious, kind. These facets crop up again and again which, though after a while repetitive, underline what an impression he made. Still, Roger Delgado the person is rarely evident beyond the positive impression he left in his work, and Harmes’ narrative - occasionally hopping back and forth in time, offering rhetorical questions to cover mysteries - really only has the work to talk about. The point it makes is that Delgado was a great presence in acting regardless of the Master, but the closer we get to 1971, the Master seems to dominate the story regardless. Had his career continued, no doubt it would have swung the other way.

Though at times a little dry (what with accomplished, but similar parts coming along thick and fast), the pride in Delgado’s work is obvious, and it’s a solid tribute to the man. If nothing else, it’s worth it for the candid photos of Delgado at home and with his second wife Kismet, clowning a little and beaming with joy in a way you never saw in Doctor Who.

Actual rating: 3.5

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delgado was both a very private individual, and from all accounts a lovely person. so this is a biography that is free from sensation and scandal, even the mildly sensational information of an unhappy first marriage is recounted sensitively and with respect for all parties involved. Delgado was a prolific British character actor and much of the book consists of a litany of Delgado's roles over his working life, making the book as much about the cultural history of the period, particularly mid twentieth century British television production. It was, of course towards the end of his career that Delgado took on the role for which he is most remembered, and for which he provided the defining and definitive performance, that of the Master in Doctor Who. . This is definitely a book for the serious Doctor Who fan, but it also contains interest for anyone with an interest in mid twentieth century pop culture, especially early British television production.
(Using this as my biography for the summer read, although it could also be my Australian author for the summer read.)

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delgado was a character actor who appears on TPTV occasionally. It would appear that his main claim to fame is his appearance in Dr Who.This book will be of most interest to fans of that programme.The author has done a reasonable job.However there is a major howler on page 171.He refers to silent star Lon Chaney And as The Man of a thousand voices.Sadly Chaney died after just one sound film and thus his real nickname was man of a thousand faces.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. It does suffer the problem that similar books of its type do, which is that it becomes less about Delgado the person and more about Delgado the actor. There are not many interviews with Delgado and most of the quotes from interviews and conversations with other people in his life seem to revolve around his career. Hardly anyone, with the possible exception of Victor Pemberton.

What do we know about Delgado by the end of this book? That he was professional, tidy and kind. But we don't really know what made him tick. Why did he give up a career in banking to become an actor for example? Who knows. There is a paucity of information, which Harmes does a good job of contextualizing - by comparing Delgado's career with other actors for example. Actually, there was a similar issue with Karen Louise Hollis's biography of Anthony Ainley. You get hints of what they were like but they both are hard to pin down.

Also, Harmes does a superb job of clearing some of the myths that have grown up around his life and career. He also manages to show the breadth and development of Delgado's career. It does make you wonder how his career would have gone had he lived. Would he have come back to Doctor Who?

It's a good solid career biography of a fine actor and - by all accounts - a kind man.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book. I always thought that Roger Delgado and Jon Pertwee were lifelong friends. Turns out they met on the set of Doctor Who

[Chuck McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful biography of the first actor to take on the role (which was written with Delgado very much in mind) of The Master on TV's Doctor Who. While not revealing very much about Delgado's personality, there's a wealth of information here about his life, influences, and career, and this book should please most fans of the man, the roles he played, or of Doctor Who in general.

[Andrea]

An interesting insight into a favourite actor of mine. Roger seemed like a lovely man. He was very highly thought of by all those who knew him.