Gerard Parkes, the actor who played the human character Doc on Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock," died on Oct. 19 in a Toronto retirement home. He had just turned 90.
Born in Dublin in 1924, Parkes moved to Canada after World War II and began his acting career on the stage in 1948, according to his IMDB biography.
His earliest listed TV credit was an appearance in a 1960 episode of the series, "The Encounter."
Parkes had an unforgettable role as another character named Doc, playing a bar owner with Tourette syndrome in the 1999 film "The Boondock Saints." He also had roles in "A Muppet Family Christmas," "Shining Time Station" and "The Littlest Hobo," and Entertainment Weekly reported that he played a priest multiple times throughout his career.
Parkes won best actor at the 1968 Canadian Film Awards for his role in the movie "Isabel." But his agent, Gerry Jordan, said it was his work on "Fraggle Rock" that many remember.
“We would get loads of fan mail always asking for his picture. It was one of those roles that hit a chord with kids and adults,” Jordan told the Canadian Press.
As Doc, Parkes played an inventor with a dog named Sprocket who lived in an apartment with a small hole leading to Fraggle Rock. Doc was the only "silly creature," a.k.a. human, on the show and as such usually couldn't see the Fraggles except in some extraordinary circumstances, as in the clip below.
However, not everyone saw Parkes in the role. While he was shown in most versions of the show, separate segments featuring other actors were filmed for use in a number of other countries.
"He was a magical man and a terrific performer," Jordan told CBC News.
Parkes leaves behind his longtime partner, Sheelagh Norman.