Actor Shane Rimmer, who voiced the character of pilot Scott Tracy in Thunderbirds, has died. The official Gerry Anderson website carried the news, saying that the death of the 89 year old had been confirmed by his widow Sheila Rimmer. Rimmer died at home in the early hours of 29 March. No cause of death has been given.

Rimmer, who was born in Toronto in 1929 and moved to the UK in the 1950s, played the leader of the Thunderbirds crew in 32 episodes produced between 1964 and 1966. The actor also contributed his voice to other Gerry Anderson projects including Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and appeared in person in the Anderson’s live action project UFO. Behind the scenes, Rimmer also wrote episodes of Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, The Secret Service and The Protectors.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Scott, Lady Penelope and Virgil in Thunderbirds Photograph: ITV / Rex Features

As well as his work with Gerry and Sylvia Anderson he appeared in over 100 films including Dr Strangelove, Gandhi and Out of Africa. He played three different roles in three different James Bond movies, appearing in Diamonds Are Forever, You Only Live Twice, and The Spy Who Loved Me.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Shane Rimmer with James Bond actor Roger Moore on the set of 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me. Photograph: Danjaq/Eon/Ua/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

Rimmer was also regularly cast in science fiction and fantasy projects, having appeared in William Hartnell era Doctor Who story The Gunfighters, as well as in Space: 1999, and having minor roles in Star Wars and Superman movies. He also played two different characters in British soap opera Coronation Street – in 1988 as shopkeeper Malcolm Reid, and between 1967 and 1970 as Joe Donnelli, an American GI who had murdered an army colleague and eventually shot himself.

Rimmer had continued to work in his later years, and as recently as 2017 was supplying a voiceover in cult kids’ TV show The Amazing World of Gumball.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Documentary overview of Shane Rimmer’s career

He told the Washington Times in 2017 that it was his Bond work he was most proud of. “That was crazy. I have no idea how it happened. I did Diamonds Are Forever first. It wasn’t much. I just came on and got into a bit of a slanging match with Sean Connery, who slangs very well. Then I did You Only Live Twice. They got rid of me up in space in that one. The third, The Spy Who Loved Me was a good one all around. It was Roger Moore’s favourite of all the ones he did. You just get a kind of intuitive thing about a movie. It worked very well.”