Alan Tracy
Alan Tracy is one of Jeff Tracy’s five sons. He is pilot of Thunderbird Three and shares rotations on Thunderbird Five with his brother, John. He lives on Tracy Island. Alan was voiced by actor Matt Zimmerman, who also voiced NTBS reporter Ned Cook among many others.
Here is a table of Canon Foundry facts about Alan Tracy:
From the TV Series and the Movies (Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6):
| The Canon Fact | The Source |
|---|---|
| Blond hair and blue eyes | All episodes |
| Alternates with John in one month duty on Thunderbird Five | Seen in "The Uninvited" and "City of Fire" |
| Substitute pilot for Thunderbird One | Seen in "Atlantic Inferno" |
| Younger than all of his brothers as is the only one not old enough to go to the Follies Bergere in Paris | In "Perils of Penelope" |
| Says he ‘gets treated like a kid by the others because he is the youngest’ | In the movie "Thunderbirds Are Go" |
| Dislikes being treated ‘like a kid’ by his father and older brothers | Expressed in "Perils of Penelope" and the movie "Thunderbirds Are Go" |
| Can sometimes be reckless – no safety line on radio mast and tempts alligators to chase him on hoverbike | In "Attack of the Alligators" |
| Before International Rescue started, Alan had won the world race car driving championship | Revealed in "Move and You're Dead" |
| Has a romantic interest in Tin-Tin, and can be frequently in close proximity with her | Seen in "Trapped in the Sky," "30 Minutes After Noon," "Sun Probe," "The Cham-Cham" and "End of the Road" |
| He gets jealous and short-tempered when other men pay her attention... | Seen in "End of the Road," "The Cham-Cham" and "Ricochet" |
| ...though he tells the captain of Skyship One that ‘the life I lead is too dangerous for me to ask anyone to share it with me….. at the moment marriage is out of the question’ | Spoken in the movie "Thunderbird 6" |
| Goes jogging to keep fit | Seen in "Day of Disaster" |
| Enjoys sea-fishing | In "30 Minutes After Noon" |
| Enjoys tennis with Tin-Tin | In "Atlantic Inferno" |
| Plays piano (though not very well) | In "End of the Road" |
| Can ski | Seen in the movie "Thunderbird 6" |
| Calls Jeff ‘Dad’ | In "End of the Road" |
| Likes to tease | Teases Lady Penelope in "The Mighty Atom," and Parker in the movie "Thunderbird 6" |
| Other Sources: | |
| The Canon Fact | The Source |
| ALAN TRACY - Pilot of Thunderbird 3. Named after Alan B. Shepard Jnr. Age - 19. | Thunderbirds Information Sheet |
| Most romantic of the Tracy boys, with an interest in Tin-Tin | Click here for the source |
| An expert race car driver, with an impetuous nature | Click here for the source |
| 19 years old, Alan is the youngest of the Tracy brothers and pilot of Thunderbird Three. Editor’s note: as TV21 was set out as a newspaper, this implies that this is Alan’s age at this date (24th Sept 2066). If we use the birthdate of 12th March then he has already had his birthday in this year and so was 18 when IR started with a birth year of 2047. | Fennell, Alan, Editor, September 24, 2066 (1966), #88, TV Century 21. p. 6 |
| Named after astronaut Alan B. Shepherd Jnr. | Fennell, Alan, Editor, September 24, 2066 (1966), #88, TV Century 21. p. 6 |
| Alan can be shy but deep down is charming | Fennell, Alan, Editor, September 24, 2066 (1966), #88, TV Century 21. p. 6 |
| Serves a month’s duty in space in turn with brother John | Fennell, Alan, Editor, September 24, 2066 (1966), #88, TV Century 21. p. 6 |
| Blond, baby-faced 21 year old Alan has been to the moon several times and has his eyes on the stars | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 11 |
| His interest in space started in his youth and while at Colorado University he built a rocket which veered off course, shattering every window on the campus. It was after this incident that his father decided that astronaut training would give his son a sense of responsibility. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 11 |
| Alan has a reputation as a practical joker and can also be reckless at times; but he is dedicated to working for Jeff in his role as a member of International Rescue. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 11 |
| Alan likes to relax by exploring the rocks and potholes of the more inaccessible parts of Tracy Island and is also a great sportsman and the life and soul of any party. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 11 |
| Alan, born March 12th, age 19 | 'Thunderbirds Are Go' Exhibitors' Campaign Book 1966 and Thunderbird Six Press facts sheet, 1967 |
| Alan pilots Thunderbird Two | Theydon, John (1966), Ring of Fire. Titan Books Ltd. p.119. ISBN 1-85286-160-6 |
| Alan’s handwriting shows his modesty and shyness, possibly due to the pressure of having to follow in the footsteps of four older brothers. | (1967), “Graphology - The Tracys Write Character,” Lady Penelope Annual . Century 21 Publishing Ltd. pp. 36-37. |
| Alan is almost the direct opposite of Gordon, his next eldest brother. | (1967), “Graphology - The Tracys Write Character,” Lady Penelope Annual . Century 21 Publishing Ltd. pp. 36-37. |
| Alan avoids making rash decisions but sits and thinks, weighing up a situation before taking action, both in his dealings with IR and in his private life. | (1967), “Graphology - The Tracys Write Character,” Lady Penelope Annual . Century 21 Publishing Ltd. pp. 36-37. |
| He is a warm and affectionate person; though not a great conversationalist, Alan has a quiet appreciation of people and a strong desire to help. | (1967), “Graphology - The Tracys Write Character,” Lady Penelope Annual . Century 21 Publishing Ltd. pp. 36-37. |
| Alan passed all his astronaut exams with grade A one | (1970), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 19 |
| Third (sic) son of Jeff | "Alan Tracy Profile," Thunderbirds Holiday Special ,1971, Polystyle Ltd. p.2. |
| Like his father, did his astronaut training at Cape Kennedy | "Alan Tracy Profile," Thunderbirds Holiday Special ,1971, Polystyle Ltd. p.2. |
| Alan was born 12th March 2007 and his mother died giving birth to him. (for more on this see files for Mrs Jeff) | de Klerk, Theo, “Thunderbirds All Series Guide,” Supermarionation is Go #10, Spring 1984. |
| Now aged 19, Alan studied at Harvard University, where he developed and flew a rocket | de Klerk, Theo, “Thunderbirds All Series Guide,” Supermarionation is Go #10, Spring 1984. |
| His hobbies are archaeology, a hobby he gets plenty of opportunities to indulge on Tracy Island, and driving fast cars. PS Correspondence with Theo de Klerk in 2013: Theo: I'm not sure anyone is interested in archaeology. Pen: So why did you say Alan was? Theo: I think that must have been an honest mistake in translation where geology was intended! I think I need to re-read whatever I wrote in my twenties! | de Klerk, Theo, “Thunderbirds All Series Guide,” Supermarionation is Go #10, Spring 1984. |
| Alan is the youngest of the Tracy boys and his mother died ‘shortly after’ his birth. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson . "The Tracys: Alan Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| The most excitable and romantic of the boys, though he has outgrown his former boisterous and reckless phase. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson . "The Tracys: Alan Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Tin-Tin is the love of his life, though he always has an eye for any pretty girl. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson . "The Tracys: Alan Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Studied space technology at Colorado University, then went on to join the World Space Patrol, travelling from Space City to various lunar outposts and satellites | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson . "The Tracys: Alan Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Alan is the type who can’t stay still for a minute and will try anything dangerous, romantic or adventurous – scuba diving, parachuting or race car driving. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson . "The Tracys: Alan Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| He has won two Grand Prix prizes for racing | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson . "The Tracys: Alan Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Alan’s mother died giving birth to him on 12th March 2005 (see more on Jeff's wife here) | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go! . Boxtree Limited. pp. 23-4. |
| Alan is now 21 | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go! . Boxtree Limited. pp. 23-4. |
| Alan studied at Harvard University where he built a rocket that veered off course and broke every window in the University of Colorado (sic) | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go! . Boxtree Limited. pp. 23-4. |
| Alan is a keen sportsman, partygoer and racing driver, but also enjoys quiet hobbies like archaeology (sic - see above de Klerk reference), wandering around Tracy Island to pore over rocks and potholes | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go! . Boxtree Limited. pp. 23-4. |
| Has visited the Moon many times | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go! . Boxtree Limited. pp. 23-4. |
| Is assisted with his Thunderbird Three responsibilities by his brother, Scott | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go! . Boxtree Limited. pp. 23-4. |
| His father sometimes treats like like a wayward schoolboy | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go! . Boxtree Limited. pp. 23-4. |
| He is the only brother in love with another one of the characters (Tin-Tin), though it is never fully written into any one script | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go! . Boxtree Limited. pp. 23-4. |
| Lucille Tracy dies the same year Alan was born (2005), though the cause is not given as childbirth. | (1992), The Official Thunderbirds Annual . Timeline. Grandreams, Ltd./ITC Entertainment Group. p. 22. ISBN 0-86227-953-4. |
| Alan’s birth date given as 12th March | (1992), The Official Thunderbirds Annual . Grandreams, Ltd./ITC Entertainment Group. p. 22. ISBN 0-86227-953-4. |
| Reckless, with a reputation for being a practical joker | (1992), The Official Thunderbirds Annual . Grandreams, Ltd./ITC Entertainment Group. p. 22. ISBN 0-86227-953-4. |
| Born 2005 | Fennell, Alan, “Part 18 – Alan Tracy - Dare Devil!,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #52, October 2nd - 15th , 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| Alan has a reckless steak and loves to take hair-raising risks | Fennell, Alan, “Part 18 – Alan Tracy - Dare Devil!,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #52, October 2nd - 15th , 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| Is a practical joker | Fennell, Alan, “Part 18 – Alan Tracy - Dare Devil!,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #52, October 2nd - 15th , 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| Alan went to Colorado University, where his rocket broke ‘the university building’s (sic) windows’... | Fennell, Alan, “Part 18 – Alan Tracy - Dare Devil!,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #52, October 2nd - 15th , 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| ...After that Alan went on to the Tracy college that Kansas University had named after his father, where he achieved the highest number of passes in the astronaut training programme. | Fennell, Alan, “Part 18 – Alan Tracy - Dare Devil!,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #52, October 2nd - 15th , 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| Alan both drives and designs motor racing cars | Fennell, Alan, “Part 18 – Alan Tracy - Dare Devil!,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #52, October 2nd - 15th , 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| Born 12th March 2044, now 21 | Bentley, Chris (2000), The Complete Book of Thunderbirds . Carlton Books, Ltd.. p. 55. ISBN 1-84222-092-6. |
| Caring and deeply romantic, Alan meets his responsibilities to IR with a maturity that belies his years, though at times his father still regards him as a wayward schoolboy. | Bentley, Chris (2000), The Complete Book of Thunderbirds . Carlton Books, Ltd.. p. 55. ISBN 1-84222-092-6. |
| Educated at Colorado University | Bentley, Chris (2000), The Complete Book of Thunderbirds . Carlton Books, Ltd.. p. 55. ISBN 1-84222-092-6. |
| Great sportsman and practical joker | Bentley, Chris (2000), The Complete Book of Thunderbirds . Carlton Books, Ltd.. p. 55. ISBN 1-84222-092-6. |
| Jealously guards his relationship with Tin Tin but at the same time harbours a secret passion for Lady Penelope | Bentley, Chris (2000), The Complete Book of Thunderbirds . Carlton Books, Ltd.. p. 55. ISBN 1-84222-092-6. |
| Aged 21 | Denham, Sam (2000), Thunderbirds Top Secret Annual 2001, 'Biography,' Carlton Books Ltd. p. 19. ISBN 1842220948 |
| Alan’s romantic good looks make him a winner with girls | Denham, Sam (2000), Thunderbirds Top Secret Annual 2001, 'Biography,' Carlton Books Ltd. p. 19. ISBN 1842220948 |
| The joker of the pack… a prankster | Olivier, Jenny (2000), Lady Penelope's Secrets. Carlton Books Limited. p. 86. |
| "There's nothing he loves more than a night out clubbing." | Olivier, Jenny (2000), Lady Penelope's Secrets. Carlton Books Limited. p. 87. |
| Aged 21 | Cole, Stephen (2002), Thunderbirds International Rescue Annual 2003, 'Biography,' Carlton Books Ltd. p. 36. ISBN 1842226759 |
| “Alan was raised by his father, his elder brothers and his grandmother because his mother Louise (sic) had died giving birth to him. So he was spoilt rotten. He had a romantic arrangement with Tit Tin but also a crush on Lady Penelope. I think Sylvia had a soft spot for him.” Further clarification on this point in phone conversation with Pen Turner: Matt said he only read the name Lucille in one of the Thunderbirds books/magazines – the name was not something said to him by Sylvia in face-to-face conversation. | Interview with Matt Zimmerman conducted at October 2010 Fanderson convention by Pen Turner |
| Asked about how much background the actors were given about their characters. Matt replied that all he was told by Sylvia at the start was that Alan was the youngest and that he was spoilt. | Matt Zimmerman interview at Flights of Fancy, Cosford, Nov 2012 |
| Pilot of Thunderbird Three, named after Alan B. Shepard. Age 19 | The Thunderbirds Information Sheet. This document provides definitive proof of the official birth order of the Tracy boys. It was mailed directly from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's office to fans who wrote in requesting information about International Rescue. The document we have (see menu to the left, "TB Info Sheet"): a picture of it was sent originally to Peter Singleton on April 4, 1966. It was signed by Una, Gerry Anderson's secretary, on his behalf. Pete Singleton shared it with Stephen La Riviere (TB 1965), who shared it with TICipedia webmistress Jaimi Sorrell on June 10, 2017 (and later publicly as well on the TB 1965 Facebook page). |
| Reply from 'Lady Penelope' to letter from reader gives Alan's age as 21. | Dutch Source: TV2000 comic Jan 21st 1967 |
| Profile of Alan, age 19 | Dutch Source: TV2000 comic Feb 25th 1967 |
| Profile of Alan, age 19 | Dutch Source: Albert Heijn Margarine leaflets 1967 |