In 1948, he made his feature film debut as a shepherd in Escape (1948). One of the stars of the film was William Hartnell, his predecessor in the role of the Doctor in "Doctor Who" (1963). They had previously appeared in several plays together, one of which involved Troughton acting as Hartnell's understudy.
Of the first four actors to play the Doctor in "Doctor Who" (1963), he had the shortest lifespan at 67 years and three days.
Of the five other actors to play the Doctor during his lifetime, he worked with all of them except for Tom Baker.
Once claimed his favourite role on television had been Daniel Quilp in "The Old Curiosity Shop" (1962).
Patrick Troughton was one of a select few classically trained actors to be cast by Laurence Olivier in his film Hamlet (1948). The young Troughton was also cast in another acclaimed Olivier production, Richard III (1955).
Portrayed Adolf Hitler in the play "Eva Braun" on the stage at Edinburgh's Gateway Theatre. [1950]
Stepchildren: Jill and Graham.
Troughton died while attending a science fiction convention (Magnum Opus Con) in the United States. His successor as the Doctor, Jon Pertwee, also died of a heart attack while visiting the U.S.
When it was announced in 1980 that Peter Davison was to play the Fifth Doctor, he advised the 29-year-old actor to limit his time on the series to three years, as he had done, in order to avoid being typecast. Davison followed this advise. In March 1987, only weeks before Troughton's death, Davison advised Sylvester McCoy, who had been announced as the Seventh Doctor that month, to do likewise.