'Doctor Who' robot Martin dead at 82

LONDON, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Actor John Scott Martin, known best for portraying a deadly robot in the British TV series "Doctor Who," has died at the age of 82, his wife says.

Margaret Martin said the actor who donned the uncomfortable costume of the lead Dalek robot for 110 episodes of the popular science fiction series between 1964 and 1980 was a lovable fun man, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

"He loved people and they loved him," she said of Martin, who died Jan. 6 of unspecified causes. "He was such fun -- the life and soul of the party."

Martin, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, once said in an interview that the bad-guy robot he played, which killed five Doctor Whos through the years, was ground-breaking in the TV world.

"The Daleks were a great success," he said. "They were the first real robotic bad guys and the first screen monsters where you didn't realize there was a person inside."

The Times of London said in addition to "Who," Martin appeared in movies such as "Pink Floyd The Wall" and "Little Shop of Horrors."

The newspaper said in addition to his wife, Martin is survived by his daughter Catriona.