The Avengers Forever: Charles Tingwell

	Guest Actor Biography Page 118 of 127

Charles Tingwell

Venner, The Nutshell
Dr. Neville, Return of the Cybernauts

by Pete Stampede, David K. Smith, Alan Hayes and Stephen La Riviere Australian Charles Tingwell was a regular on Emergency Ward 10, one of the first of the medical dramas that plague British TV to this day! He was also in the first series of the charming children's comedy Catweazle (1970).

Also billed as Charles "Bud" Tingwell, he was born 3 January 1923 in New South Wales. A very busy actor, appearing in well over 80 films and television series, he has also worked as a television series director and producer. Among his few TV guest appearances are Adam Adamant Lives!, "The Sweet Smell of Success" (1966) and The Avengers "The Return of the Cybernauts" (1967). Later, in a bizarre mix-up, Tingwell was mistakenly listed as having died. After the death of a friend's dog, amusingly named Charlie the Wonderdog, Tingwell delivered the eulogy. A subsequent report in a Queensland newspaper claimed that it was Tingwell that had passed away . Unsurprisingly, Tingwell quickly spoke up to refute the stories of his demise.

Tingwell also made a name for himself in Britain as a voice artiste. He joined Gerry and Sylvia Anderson—the famous puppeteering husband and wife team behind a succession of children's TV hits—during recording of their first feature film Thunderbirds Are Go (1966). Tingwell supplied the voices for three supporting characters in the movie. He then joined the main cast of Thunderbirds' second season and returned once more to voice supporting characters for the Andersons' Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967). Tingwell voiced Dr Fawn in the latter series, but left after only 12 episodes. Later on, the actor claimed he would have liked to have stayed with the series longer, but other commitments prevented this. Curiously, the voice for Doctor Fawn was never recast - he just remained silent throughout the rest of the series! Tingwell did return to the Anderson fold however, playing a guest role in "Mindbender", a particularly surreal episode of the live-action series, UFO (1970).

Charles Tingwell returned to Australia in the late 70's, and has recently appeared in the anarchic comedy film The Castle (1997) and in the international success, The Dish (2000). He has also played two roles on infamous Australian soap opera, Neighbours, and has dropped by two other cult soap operas, The Flying Doctors and Prisoner (a.k.a. Prisoner: Cell Block H).