Shane Rimmer Dies: Longtime Screen & Voice Actor In Bond Films, ‘Thunderbirds’ & Much More Was 89

Erik Pedersen

Shane Rimmer, whose 60-year career as a character and voice actor included three James Bond films, a lead turn in the 1960s puppet series Thunderbirds and uncredited bit role in the original Star Wars, died early today at his home in England. He was 89. No cause of death was announced.

IMDb list more than 160 credits for Rimmer spanning six decades — from early TV through current series The Amazing World of Gumball. Along the way he appeared in such high-profile films as Batman Begins, the first three Superman films with Christopher Reeve and Best Picture Oscar winners Gandhi and Out of Africa. Four of his other films — Reds, Star Wars, Julia and Dr. Strangelove — were nominated for the Academy’s Big Prize. He also turned up in the 007 films The Spy Who Loved Me, Diamonds Are Forever and You Only Live Twice.

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Born on May 28, 1929, in Toronto, Rimmer moved to the UK in the 1950s. He would go on to appear on dozens of TV shows there, including the long-running soap opera Coronation Street — playing different characters in the late 1960s and again in 1988 — mid-’60s Doctor Who, Orlando and numerous miniseries.

He also carved out quite a career as a voice actor in series including Space: 1999, Joe 9, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Dick Spanner, P.I. But he might be best known as the voice of Scott Tracy, a member of the International Rescue team in Gerry Anderson’s popular marionette series Thunderbirds (1965-66) and subsequent film and TV remake.

Elsewhere, Rimmer had writing credits on such TV series as The Protectors, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

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