Vernon Dobtcheff (born 14 August 1934) is a British actor, best known for his roles on television and film, he has acted in numerous stage productions. Biography Dobtcheff was born in Nîmes, France, of Russian descent. He attended Ascham Preparatory School in Eastbourne, Sussex, England, in the 1940s, where he won the Acting Cup. One of his many television roles was as the Chief Scientist in the Doctor Who series The War Games in 1969, in which he became the first actor ever to mention the Time Lords by name. He appeared in the Blake's 7 episode "Shadow" as the Chairman of the Terra Nostra in 1979. He has appeared in such films as The Day of the Jackal (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Before Sunset (2004). In his 2006 memoir, Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins, British actor Rupert Everett describes an encounter with Dobtcheff on the boat train to Paris, and reveals his extraordinary reputation as the "patron saint" of the acting profession, stating that Dobtcheff "was legendary not so much for his acting as for his magical ability to catch every first night in the country". Dobtcheff appeared in the Doctor Who audio drama The Children of Seth in which he plays the role of Shamur. Selected film & TV roles Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) as French Team Member (uncredited) Darling (1965) as Art Critic (uncredited) Return from the Ashes (1965) as Man breaking up nightclub fight (uncredited) The Idol (1966) as Man at Party The Taming of the Shrew (1967) as Pedant A Dandy in Aspic (1968) as Stein The Tyrant King (1968) as M.Le Coq Baby Love (1969) as Man in Cinema The Assassination Bureau (1969) as Baron Muntzof Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) as Mendoza Darling Lili (1970) as Otto Kraus The Beast in the Cellar (1970) as Sir Bernard Newsmith Les mariés de l'an II (1971) as Le pasteur The Horsemen (1971) as Zam Hajji Fiddler on the Roof (1971) as Russian Official Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) as Dr. Lazovert Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) as Duc François de Guise The Canterbury Tales (1972) as The Manager Up the Front (1972) as Muller The Day of the Jackal (1973) as The Interrogator Story of a Love Story (1973) Revolt of the City