Donald Pleasence was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, on 5 October 1919. He became a familiar British character actor, working extensively in theatre, television and film.

His father was a railway stationmaster, and Pleasence briefly followed him into railway work. He wanted to act and entered repertory theatre before the Second World War.

Pleasence initially registered as a conscientious objector but later joined the Royal Air Force. He served with Bomber Command as a wireless operator and air gunner. In 1944, his aircraft was shot down during a raid. He was captured and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner.

After the war, he returned to acting. His British stage work included playing Davies in Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker, a role he also played in the 1963 film adaptation. His screen career spanned British television and film, as well as international productions. He played Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice and, from 1978, Dr Sam Loomis in the Halloween films.

By his death in 1995, Pleasence had built a large body of stage, television and film work over a career spanning more than five decades.