1960s TV classic Thunderbirds reborn on Amazon, with original voice actor
David Graham, who voiced Parker in spy series Thunderbirds for children’s TV, reprises role in reboot. He tells of the joy of revisiting a character for a new generation
There are not many actors who can say that they have had the chance to play the same role they originated more than a half century ago. That’s exactly what David Graham has done with the Amazon original kids’ series Thunderbirds Are Go.
Graham was a voice actor on the original Thunderbirds series that launched in 1965, providing the voices of Brains, Gordon Tracy and Parker. In the new version, Graham voices Parker, the butler to Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, the head of a network of undercover agents.
Thunderbirds Are Go is a reinvention of the 1960s series that features a family of heroes who operate International Rescue. The action in the series was originally presented through electronic marionette puppetry known as Supermarionation. The new series uses computer generated animation. The second season of the animated series will be available on Amazon starting Friday.
“Thunderbirds remains popular because of the chemistry between the characters and the wonderful special effects. There is that connection between Lady Penelope and Parker and the father with the sons. That’s why when they asked me to do the voice of Parker again, I jumped at the chance,” Graham says. “Lucky for me, my voice is in pretty good shape for my age.”
Recording sessions have not changed in five decades. Graham still goes into a studio with fellow cast members – Rasmus Hardiker, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kayvan Novak and Rosamund Pike – to record the dialogue.