Victor Winding

Victor Winding (30 January 1929 – 9 October 2014) was a British actor born in Lambeth, London. Among his best-known roles was Spencer, an airline pilot taken over by a chameleon in the 1967 Doctor Who serial The Faceless Ones. He also appeared, from 1968 to 1971, as Det Chief Inspector Fleming in seasons one to three of the TV series The Expert. In addition, he enjoyed a long stint in the daytime soap Crossroads, playing garage manager Victor Lee from 1978 to 1981.

Biography

Educated at Westminster Technical Institute, Winding initially trained as a draughtsman but acted in amateur dramatics, also teaching drama for the London County Council. In December 1958, aged 29, he turned professional on joining Farnham Repertory Company at the Castle Theatre in Farnham, Surrey. Three years later, in 1961, he joined the Old Vic company in London.

Aged 34, in February 1963, Winding made his West End debut in the James Saunders play Next Time I'll Sing to You at London's Criterion Theatre, taking over the role of Meff from Michael Caine, who had left the cast in order to make the film Zulu. Also in the play were Barry Foster, Liz Fraser and Peter McEnery. Winding's next West End role, from November 1963 to July 1964, was the Jesuit father in Jean Anouilh's Poor Bitos at the Duke of York's Theatre, with Donald Pleasence in the title role.

His film appearances included roles in three Pete Walker horror movies, namely Frightmare (1974), House of Mortal Sin (1975) and Schizo (1976). Other films included The System (1964), The Medusa Touch (1978) and The Sailor's Return (also 1978), in which he played the ship's captain.

In 1991, at the Duchess Theatre, he joined the cast of the Ray Cooney farce Run for Your Wife in its final year in the West End. Among his last television credits was the role of Kenneth Pigot in the ITV series Crime Story.

Winding was divorced from Rosalind Allen and had four children: Celia, Kay, Julian and Jane.

Filmography