Orson Welles

Orson Welles (1915-1985) was an acclaimed and controversial film and radio actor, director and writer of the 20th century. Welles rose to fame in 1938 when his radio production of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds sparked panic across America due to its realistic depiction of a radio broadcast covering an alien invasion. He later entered the film industry with the film. Considered a maverick of the cinema, Welles continued to push the boundaries of film until his death in the 1980s, although relatively few of his productions ever reached completion. He supplemented his directing income by taking on acting roles and filming television commercials.

At the time of his War of the Worlds broadcast, Welles encountered the Eighth Doctor and his companion Charley Pollard and shared an adventure involving a real invasion. (BFA: Invaders from Mars)

Behind the scenes

 * One of the members of Welles' Mercury Theatre of the Air troupe, who participated in both The War of the Worlds and Citizen Kane, George Coulouris, guest starred in the 1964 Doctor Who story The Keys of Marinus as Arbitan. Welles' line "George, what are you doing with those keys" in Invaders from Mars is an in-joke referring to Coulouris' role in Doctor Who.