John Woodnutt was a serious, gaunt-faced character actor with extensive stage experience. He made his professional acting debut at the Oxford Playhouse at the age of 18. He also performed Shakespearean roles at the Open Air Theatre at London's Regent's Park. He had a long string of television credits to his name, most often in coldly authoritarian, military or aristocratic roles. Early in his career, he appeared in adventure serials and swashbucklers for BBC television. A versatile actor who was willing to appear under monster makeup and rubber suits, he was later seen in four different installments of Doctor Who (1963) between 1970 and 1981 opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.