One of British television’s all-time great “Rent-A-Yanks”, Shane Rimmer was actually born in Toronto, Canada. But you wouldn’t know it from his 40-odd year career on UK screens. He played the murderous deranged GI Joe Donelli on Coronation Street and as US government officials in both A Very British Coup and Ant and Dec’s Alien Autopsy. A varied career. He was also the only person to appear in four different Bond films playing four different characters (usually unnamed, but still).
However, he was most associated for the authoritative voice he gave Scott Tracy in the original Thunderbirds. So successful was he in the role that he became a regular in Gerry Anderson productions, also turning up in Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, UFO and more. Even in his late 80s, he was still turning up in Thunderbirds fan films. Although, to be honest, the idea of a Thunderbirds fan community unnerves me deeply.
Shane Rimmer
28 May 1929 – 29 March 2019
Died aged 89 (three picks)