Stephen Thorne

Stephen John Thorne (2 March 1935 – 26 May 2019) was a British actor of radio, film, stage, and television. He was best known for his regular BBC Radio 4 work and audiobook recordings, and for his portrayals of a few Doctor Who villains, including the Time Lord Omega.

He played several seasons with the Old Vic Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford and London, including a tour to Russia. He worked extensively in radio with over 2000 broadcasts for the BBC, including as Uncle Mort in the Radio 4 comedy series Uncle Mort's North Country.

His television credits included Z-Cars, Crossroads, and Doctor Who. In Doctor Who, he played three major villains (Omega, Azal, and Eldrad), as well as an Ogron, before later playing the villainous Max in The Ghosts of N-Space, a Doctor Who BBC Radio story, in the mid-1990s. Also on the radio, Thorne appeared as Aslan in The Magician's Nephew, as Treebeard in the Radio 4 adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, and also in their adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards! in which he portrayed Fred Colon (and also Death).

Other television work included Death of an Expert Witness, David Copperfield, and Last of the Summer Wine. He voiced Aslan in the animated version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Thorne reprised the character on the BBC radio adaptation of the same name. He gave many poetry readings on radio, television, tape and in venues from Westminster Abbey to various pubs.

Stephen Thorne is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 26 verified screen credits connected to this profile.

Selected work includes Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1992), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1979), Doctor Who (1963), Dalgliesh (1983), Tales of the Tardis (2023), Testament: The Bible in Animation (1996), David Copperfield (1986), Death of an Expert Witness (1983). The recorded credits span 1963 to 2023, including 18 movies and 8 TV shows.

The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.