Tom Baker has had acting roles.
Tom Baker ( August 23 , 1940 -- September 2 , 1982 ) was an American actor who starred in the Andy Warhol film I , A Man ( 1967 ) . Tom Baker (English actor) . He is known for his portrayal of the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1981 , a longer tenure than any other actor , and for the narration of the comedy series Little Britain . Baker was in his thirties when his professional acting career began , and his first major film role was as Grigori Rasputin in Nicholas and Alexandra in 1971 , when he was 37 . He went on to play the villainous Prince Koura in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad in 1973 , which led to his casting in Doctor Who . He continued to win regular roles in TV later in his career , most notably in the series Medics and Monarch of the Glen .