Actor Gerard Parkes, 'Doc' on Fraggle Rock, dies at 90
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Gerard Parkes, the Irish-Canadian actor best known for portraying Doc on Fraggle Rock, died Sunday in Toronto, four days after celebrating his 90th birthday.
Parkes was born in Dublin in 1924, and took a job at CBC Radio in the 1950s. Parkes appeared in movies, television shows, and onstage, with roles in The Boondock Saints, Isabel, and A Muppet Family Christmas. His most memorable role was as Doc on the 1980s children show Fraggle Rock, where he was the only human to regularly appear. "He had a thrill doing that show," Parkes' agent of 30 years, Gerry Jordan, told CBC News. "We got loads of fan mail from kids and adults around the world. He was a magical man and a terrific performer."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
