60 years later, Thunderbirds are still GO! An exclusive chat with the last Tracy brother: Keith Alexander
Where were you when you watched Thunderbirds for the first time? The supermarionation series has entertained children and adults alike for over 60 years, with the show maintaining a sense of magic despite advances in filming technology.
Unfortunately, the final cast member of the original series, David Graham, passed away last year. He voiced several characters for Gerry Anderson, including those of Brains, Parker, Gordon Tracy and Kyrano. You can see one of his last interviews that he recorded for Scalextric here.
Gerry Anderson also commissioned a couple of Thunderbirds films, with most of the original cast joining. However, Ray Barrett, who voiced John Tracy, had moved back to Australia when creating Thunderbirds 6, and was unable to rejoin the cast. Keith Alexander stepped in to take his place.
Looking back at Thunderbirds
With 2025 marking the 60th anniversary of Thunderbirds, the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society managed to track Keith Alexander down – the last remaining Tracy brother on earth. He will be appearing at the upcoming UFO 55th Anniversary Celebration and Location Tour to discuss his participation in that series.
But of course, we wanted to discuss all things Thunderbirds! So, we managed to get some time with him before the event to hear all his stories of his time on the film set.
Welcome to London Keith – how has it been so far?
Very much changed. [I was here] about 40 years ago. I missed the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition IRA bomb by 11 minutes. I had just posted a letter in the Tite Street letterbox, which is used by a lot of parliamentarians. I walked around the corner and that post office and that letterbox blew up.
Then the government was talking about listeria in salads and problems with beef and the rest of it, and we had some young children. And my wife said, ‘I feel as if we’re in the front line of things. Can you take me to Australia?’ So I went home.
And you came back for the anniversary?
Andrew Staton [from the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society] found me, you see. I’ve been hiding away in Australia all these years, minding my own business, but I’m still active and broadcasting at 95, which isn’t too bad.
They thought I’d gone, because I’m the last of the Tracy boys, you know. Thunderbird 5. I’m the last surviving male Anderson voice, having done some voices in Thunderbirds, and a couple in Captain Scarlet.
Keith Alexander on life, radio, and Thunderbirds
How did you get involved with Gerry Anderson?
I arrived in England in 1965, and I came by ship, you see, because I was once in a terrible airplane accident, and I was one of the lucky few who got out.
So, I came by ship and enjoyed myself immensely. In fact, I was lucky enough to score a seat at the captain’s table, and he was rather fond of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Between the two of us, we drank the ship dry. But eventually I sobered up, and eventually, through my agent and some contact with Ray Barrett, I got my chance.
Not playing John originally. I don’t like to boast, but I’m rather good at copying voices. In those days, sometimes tape and various other forms of media got corrupted and important phrases were lost. So, I would be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and they’d ask, could I copy this voice so we could at least use it in some way. So, I was pretty good at that, and I stood in and did the voice of Alan and Gordon and a few others before I ever inherited John.
What are your fondest memories from Thunderbirds?
Working with nice chaps. Like Shane Rimmer [who played Scott Tracy] and Jeremy Wilkin [Virgil] was a lovely, gentle chap. But I never got round to playing golf with Shane. We were both keen golfers.
We had a lot of fun, actually. There was no great pressure.
We would rehearse in the morning and then Gerry would take us off for a wonderful pub lunch, with a little bit of liquid amber to help it down, you might say. Then we would record in the afternoon, and Gerry would turn up when we did the next episode and say, ‘Chaps, somehow or other we lose a bit of sparkle when it comes to the performance!’
And you’re doing radio now?
I’m still doing radio. I’ve seen radio through, not from the beginning, but pretty well back to the time when we did live radio. And if we recorded, we recorded on massive discs. And if you made a mistake, you had to start again from the beginning.
So of course, I’ve progressed into tape and all the other wonderful recording techniques we’ve got now. I’ve done an awful lot of broadcasting work as a so-called reporter, I mean in war situations and I’m a colossal name-dropper because the BBC sent me into so many situations where I’ve interviewed important people, kings and all sorts.
It’s such an educative experience because if you just shut up and listen, you learn an awful lot, and you ask questions that you never would politely ask in normal society.
So, I’ve had a wonderful gift in not being an actor that rests. Actors don’t like resting – it means they’re not employed and they fret. You know the merest jingle from the telephone sends them into ecstasy.
I’ve written, last year, my first novel. And the thing about writing history in particular is you don’t have to make it up – it’s all there if you research it thoroughly and I’ve managed to make this history come to life in surprising ways. And my novel, Not Just Another Love Story, I’m hoping someone’s going to decide that its worth making into a movie. I think it would be a really good one because it’s got all the ingredients of action, and love, and a bit of death.
With that in mind then, were there any characters you wish you could have played?
Well, I was offered Foster in UFO, but I couldn’t do it because I was working in the States. And look, I was happy doing what I was doing. I love being a jobbing actor; I love the challenge of finding a funny voice.
And what did you think about the Tiger Moth in Thunderbirds 6?
I flew a Tiger Moth a couple of times – I was in the AAF after the war when I was 16. I had two flights in that and a couple of parachute jumps. But the most significant flying story I’ve got is when we were taken up in a Catalina Flying Boat.
Well, they’re not designed to fly, I don’t think! Most cumbersome-looking thing. Anyway, these two RAF chaps took us up, I can’t remember why, but they were larking about with us. And they rolled the Catalina upside down and trying to scare the hell out of us. And they did!
Now the Tiger Moth incident is one in a scene I was not in. But I do think that when it comes to toys or models, I do think Thunderbird 6, the Tiger Moth, should be made as a model to complete the set.
Why Thunderbirds still inspires fans today
Why do you think Thunderbirds is still so popular?
We’re all aware of their faults, but overall, they presented a good world, and a world with happy resolutions. It was a good, honest endeavour with everybody involved doing the best they can.
We should always appreciate things for what they are and not try to turn them into something that they’re not. They shouldn’t be compared to CGI and the extraordinary things that have happened. You should look at Thunderbirds and say, that was bloody good!
Are you looking forward to the event at the end of the month?
I just want the people who turn up not to be disappointed in me, because I’m actually quite embarrassed to be doing this sort of thing. It’s not me; I’m not a showy person. But I hope I can deliver something that amuses them and in no way spoils their happy memories of these shows they love.
It’s clear that even 60 years later, the spirit of Gerry Anderson lives on. Keith Alexander was a delight to talk to, and he is likely to be very well received by the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society.
Related Products
Further Reading
