Jeremy Wilkin (1930-2017)

by **Matt Crowther** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 10:22 pm

Just seen via Thunderbirds 1965's FB page that Jeremy Wilkin has passed.

from the Anderson website:

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Jeremy Wilkin, who passed away on 19th December 2017 at the age of 87.
Jeremy was no stranger to Gerry Anderson fans, having provided the voices for countless characters in many Supermarionation series, starting with Thunderbirds in which he took over the role of Virgil Tracy from David Holliday. In addition to voicing Virgil and other characters in the second series, Jeremy also provided many guest character voices in the feature films Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6.
After Thunderbirds, Jeremy continued his association with Gerry Anderson by providing the voices of Captain Ochre and Captain Black (prior to being mysteronised) in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, along with many other voices in each episode. Jeremy would also lend his impressive range of voices to the final Supermarionation series’ Joe 90 and The Secret Service.
When Gerry Anderson made the move from puppetry to live action, Jeremy was cast in Journey to the Far Side of the Sun and later an episode of The Protectors, but it is for his regular role as Skydiver Navigator Lt. Gordon Maxwell in UFO that he is perhaps best known to Gerry Anderson fans.

Outside the world of Gerry Anderson, Jeremy had an impressive filmography that included appearances in everything from Doctor Who – Revenge of the Cybermen to big screen outings with Roger Moore’s James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me.
In 2015, Jeremy delighted fans by appearing at the Andercon convention at the Leicester Athena with his fellow Thunderbirds actors and made another appearance with them later that year at a convention in Maidenhead hosted by Fanderson. Delegates enjoyed the humorous moment when Jeremy and fellow Thunderbirds actor Matt Zimmerman discovered that they had been in the same stage play together in the 1950s.
Gerry Anderson blogger Andrew Clements recalls meeting Jeremy at the Maidenhead event “Jeremy was an absolutely fascinating man. I commented on something he had said during an interview panel and from that small comment we ended up having a long conversation about everything from ancient history to modern languages, including those he was learning at the time. He even came and found me later in the day to provide an answer to something neither of us could remember previously. It was a little moment in a long weekend, but I’ll never forget how he took the time to speak with me and many other fans throughout the event.”
We would like to extend our sympathies to Jeremy’s family and friends at this time.
Donations in Jeremy Wilkins’s memory can be made at the following website: https://david-wilkin.muchloved.com/

such a shame, that world of Anderson is shrinking ever thusly.

by **Marion** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 10:30 pm

Very sad news. RIP, Captain Ochre. :cry:

by **Carrie** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 10:54 pm

A nice post, Matt.
Yes, yet another sad loss within the Anderson extended 'family'. Jeremy Wilkin was a consummate voice actor, able to modulate his tones to bring life to a varied multitude of characters, in both Season Two of Thunderbirds, and of course, Captain Scarlet, where he gave life to my two favourite male characters, Virgil Tracy and Captain Ochre.
A long life, and one which I hope, was filled with the same delight and joy that he brought to the fans by way of his work.
My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Like Marion, feeling very sad indeed. (hugs)

RIP Captain Ochre.

by **Isabelle** » Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:35 am

I was sorry to read this earlier today. Like Carrie, Ochre and Virgil are among my favorite puppets. Sad, sad news indeed. :cry:

by **chrisbishop** » Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:28 pm

I had the privilege to have a little chat with Mr. Wilkin back during the 2015 convention. I was waiting in line for his signature, and when I stepped forward to shake his hand and talk with him, he realised I was French Canadian (can't hide that accent, really). So he entered into this discussion about a friend of his, a French Canadian actor who was one of the fonders of the Theatre du Nouveau Monde and asked me if I had heard of him. I recognised the said man as Jean Gascon, when Mr. Wilkin mentionned he had a role in 'A Man Called Horse'. then the chat continues and I had the surprise of hearing him singing a French Canadian ritournelle that I knew very well - but at the time couldn't remember the words because I might actually have joined him...

Mr. Wilkin stroke me as a very warm and friendly individual and I liked him right there. Too sad that he had passed away.

All my condelances to those he leaves behind.

by **Carrie** » Wed Jan 31, 2018 5:46 pm

How lovely, Chris. Thanks for sharing that warm anecdote. It does seem that many, if not all of the voice actors from the Anderson universe were, and still are, thankfully, gracious men and women who enjoy the conventions and get-togethers with the fans and each other. I'm just sad I missed seeing and listening to Jeremy Wilkin.

by **Skybase Girl** » Sat Feb 03, 2018 1:16 pm

I’ve only just seen the sad news about Jeremy Wilkin. Like Chris, I spoke to him at the Fanderson convention in 2015 and he kindly signed my Thunderbirds book. Dressed rather eccentrically in Rupert Bear checked trousers and scarf, he seemed bemused to be there (I don’t think he was a regular at conventions) but he threw himself into the spirit of it. He was delighted to have given voice to Virgil Tracy and he loved Thunderbird 2. “That was my craft, you know,” he told me, beaming proudly. He was a big miss at Fanderson last year which focused on the 50th anniversary of Captain Scarlet. I’m sure that if he’d been there, he would have talked equally enthusiastically about his time as Captain Ochre.
I know time marches on for everyone, but it’s very sad to lose another member of the Anderson ‘family’. However, we are fortunate that his legacy and the characters he helped to bring to life live on through the DVDs, fan fic, comics and books.
Condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed.

by **Matt Crowther** » Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:07 am

You are both quite lucky. I wish I could get the chance to meet Shane Rimmer but to me Wilkin is more associated with Scarlet. It's always good to see him when I watch The Spy Who Loved Me. Sounds like he was an incredibly humble chap which I always like about well known people, especially when they're known for certain shows and whatnot.

The Anderson website provided this tribute: http://gerryanderson.co.uk/jeremy-wilki ... 6065eff88b

by **Skybase Girl** » Sun Feb 04, 2018 1:33 am

Matt, you would have loved Fanderson 2015. Booking for the entire weekend included dinner on the Saturday night at the Maidenhead hotel. It was a bit like school dinners.... separate tables, but everyone queued up to help themselves. That included the guest artistes and speakers. We found ourselves in the queue in front of Jeremy Wilkin, Shane Rimmer, Matt Zimmerman and their partners. They were all lovely, very unassuming and very funny. It was a really good night and quite a privilege to hear them cracking on with each other like the good friends they were and are.

by **Matt Crowther** » Sun Feb 04, 2018 8:35 pm

Sounds like I would've and the worse thing is that Maidenhead's not too far from where I live, so could've made it fine enough. I see Shane Rimmer has a bunch of events this year including London Film Comic Con (the entry fee is a bit steep for me at present) but we'll see. Sort of feel I need to make the effort, as this band of Anderson alumni are so few nowadays.