Virgil Tracy
Virgil Tracy is one of Jeff Tracy’s five sons. He is also the primary pilot of Thunderbird Two. He lives on Tracy Island. Virgil was voiced by actor David Holliday during Season 1, and by actor Jeremy Wilkins during Season 2 and the two subsequent movies.
Here is a table of Canon Foundry facts about Virgil Tracy:
From the TV Series and the Movies (Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6):
| The Canon Fact | The Source |
|---|---|
| Pilot of Thunderbird Two | Various episodes |
| Medium brown hair, medium brown eyes | Various episodes |
| A few inches shorter than Scott when standing side by side | Seen in the episodes "Move and You're Dead, "The Duchess Assignment" and "The Mighty Atom" |
| Slightly shorter than both Gordon and Alan | Stands next to each at different times in "End of the Road" |
| Occasionally pilots Thunderbird Three | In the episode "Ricochet" |
| Plays piano | Various episodes, staring with the end of "Trapped In the Sky" |
| Plays guitar | Seen in "Man from M.I.5" |
| Paints | Seen in "Move and You're Dead" and "Atlantic Inferno" |
| Reads magazines | Reads Kiné magazine in "The Uninvited" and reads a jazz magazine in "Cry Wolf" |
| Enjoys a game of tennis with his father | Seen in "The Uninvited" |
| Enjoys a dip in the pool | With Scott, Gordon and Jeff, seen in "Move and You're Dead," "Operation Crash-Dive" and "Thunderbirds Are Go" |
| Shoots a gun with his right hand | Seen in "Perils of Penelope" |
| Uses cutting gear right-handed | Seen with oxyhydnite in "City of Fire" |
| Paints with his right and left hands (suggests he's ambidextrous) | In "Atlantic Inferno" and "Thunderbird 6," he paints with right hand but in "Move and You're Dead" he paints with his left hand |
| Has a sense of humour | Enjoys teasing – Alan in "End of the Road" (with Gordon) and getting Alan to pose for a ‘portrait’ in "Move and You're Dead" ; teases Lady Penelope (with Gordon and Alan) in "The Mighty Atom" |
| Finds it amusing that Lady Penelope is scared of mice | Seen in "The Mighty Atom" |
| Calls Jeff ‘Father’ | In both "Desperate Intruder" and "City of Fire" |
| Also calls Jeff 'Dad' | First time he speaks in "Trapped in the Sky" |
| Scott occasionally calls him ‘Virg’ | Heard in "Attack of the Alligators" |
| Smokes cigarettes | Seen in "Operation Crash-Dive" |
| Known for his precise timing | Example: will give an ETA as ‘four and three quarter minutes' such as in "Attack of the Alligators" |
| Is very calm no matter what's going on | Multiple episodes; his voice always sounds laid back even during a very tense moment (such as when the elevator car he's in crashes and goes upside-down in "Trapped in the Sky") |
| Is often at the heart of a rescue operation (in the middle or center of the action) | Such as piloting the elevator cars in "Trapped in the Sky," going down into the pit in "Pit of Peril" and with Scott on hover bikes using oxyhydnite in "City of Fire" to name some instances (there are many) |
| Is more worried about his Thunderbird being out of commssion than his own health | The one time we hear Virgil get upset is when he learns that Thunderbird Two is out of commission and tries to get out of bed to do something about it in spite of being injured, in "Terror in New York City"; in fact, he wants to help even while injured - Jeff has to order him to "Go back to bed." |
| Has been involved in at least one crash in Thunderbird Two | Seen in "Terror in New York City" |
| Other Sources: | |
| The Canon Fact | The Source |
| VIRGIL TRACY - Pilot of Thunderbird 2. Named after Virgil Ivan Grissom. Age - 27. | Thunderbirds Information Sheet |
| Scott sometimes calls him ‘little brother,’ though it has also been stated this is out-of-character (see Scott's page) | Multiple comics such as Fennell, Alan, Editor, November 4, 2067 (1967), TV Century 21. #146 and Fennell, Alan, Editor, January 27, 2068 (1968) #158.. |
| Reliable and steady. Works closely with Scott. | Click Here for the Source |
| 24 years old. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 10 |
| Takes after his mother in looks and colouring. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 10 |
| Most serious of the boys. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 10 |
| Graduate of Denver School of Advanced Technology. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 10 |
| Lover of good music and expert pianist. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 10 |
| Possesses an iron nerve and seems to have no sense of fear. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 10 |
| Forms definite opinions which are invariably correct. | (1966), Thunderbirds Annual. City Magazines Ltd. p. 10 |
| The intellectual of the five boys who thinks, reads and knows a lot. | (1967), Lady Penelope Annual. 'Graphology' feature. |
| His handwriting indicates that he pays attention to detail and prefers to observe rather than actively take part. | (1967), Lady Penelope Annual. 'Graphology' feature. |
| Always ready to help and give advice. | (1967), Lady Penelope Annual. 'Graphology' feature. |
| Has a cheerful attitude and a gentle sense of humour. | (1967), Lady Penelope Annual. 'Graphology' feature. |
| Sensitive with an artistic temperament, could well have become an author or poet. | (1967), Lady Penelope Annual. 'Graphology' feature. |
| Enjoys listening to jazz. | (1967), Lady Penelope Annual. 'Graphology' feature. |
| Age 27; birth date as August 15th (no year given) | 'Thunderbirds Are Go' Exhibitors' Campaign Book 1966 and in Thunderbird Six Press facts sheet, 1967 |
| Named after astronaut Virgil Grissom. | de Klerk, Theo, “Thunderbirds All Series Guide,” Supermarionation is Go #10, Spring 1984. |
| 27 years old, birth date 15th Aug 1999 | de Klerk, Theo, “Thunderbirds All Series Guide,” Supermarionation is Go #10, Spring 1984. |
| Studied at Denver Polytechnic. | de Klerk, Theo, “Thunderbirds All Series Guide,” Supermarionation is Go #10, Spring 1984. |
| Not much of a talker, somewhat reserved but fearless with nerves of steel. | de Klerk, Theo, “Thunderbirds All Series Guide,” Supermarionation is Go #10, Spring 1984. |
| Hobbies include technical subjects and music. He plays the piano and composed the Thunderbirds theme. | de Klerk, Theo, “Thunderbirds All Series Guide,” Supermarionation is Go #10, Spring 1984. |
| Second oldest of Jeff’s sons. | Thunderbirds' holiday special 1971 p3 |
| Holds a degree in nuclear engineering. | Thunderbirds' holiday special 1971 p3 |
| Of all the family members, is the most serious and intense. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson. "The Tracys: Virgil Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Is very musical like his mother. Musical tastes range from classical to jazz, and can play piano to professional level. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson. "The Tracys: Virgil Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Can field strip and repair almost any piece of rescue equipment and is the only one of the Tracy boys who can even half follow one of Brains’ explanations. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson. "The Tracys: Virgil Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Has diplomas from Denver School of Advanced Technology | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson. "The Tracys: Virgil Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Habitual smoker, preferring Havana cigars. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson. "The Tracys: Virgil Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| An expert shot. | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson. "The Tracys: Virgil Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Drives all of the rescue vehicles from the many pods; has the task of producing the brute force required in many of their assignments, and always comes through calmly and with great courage | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson. "The Tracys: Virgil Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Generally works with Gordon and Brains as his assistants in Thunderbird Two, though Alan steps in when not needed in Thunderbird Three | Peel, John (1988) Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson. "The Tracys: Virgil Tracy," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster |
| Born 15th Aug 1999, now aged 27. | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go!. Boxtree Limited. p. 20 |
| Has an intensity and gravity of demeanour which gives him a maturity that surpasses his age. | Marriott, John (1992), Thunderbirds Are Go!. Boxtree Limited. p. 20 |
| Begins astronaut training in 2019 | (1992), The Official Thunderbirds Annual, "Biography," Grandreams, Ltd./ITC Entertainment Group. p. 8-9. ISBN 0-86227-953-4. |
| Born 15th Aug, no year given | (1992), The Official Thunderbirds Annual, "Biography," Grandreams, Ltd./ITC Entertainment Group. p. 32. ISBN 0-86227-953-4. |
| Took an early interest in heavy equipment with the machinery on the Tracy Farmstead. | Fennell, Alan, "The Complete Thunderbirds Story,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #51, 18 September - 1 October, 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| At Denver School of Advanced Technology he played in the American Football squad, where he was one of the most successful players while achieving a degree in Advanced Technology | Fennell, Alan, "The Complete Thunderbirds Story,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #51, 18 September - 1 October, 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| Virgil followed Scott into Tracy College, Kansas to train as an astronaut. His skills were needed to service a faulty space capsule during an Earth-orbital training flight. He later joined Scott in working for their father at Tracy Aerospace. | Fennell, Alan, "The Complete Thunderbirds Story,” Thunderbirds: The Comic #51, 18 September - 1 October, 1993, Fleetway Editions, Ltd., ITC Entertainment Group, Ltd. p. 12. |
| Born 15th Aug 2041. | Bentley, Chris (2000), The Complete Book of Thunderbirds. Carlton Books, Ltd.. p. 54. ISBN 1-84222-092-6. |
| A complex young man who combines a physical strength and fearless bravery with a gentler side as a gifted artist and pianist. | Bentley, Chris (2000), The Complete Book of Thunderbirds. Carlton Books, Ltd.. p. 54. ISBN 1-84222-092-6. |
| Born 15th Aug 2041. | Denham, Sam (2000), Thunderbirds Top Secret Annual 2001, 'Biography,' Carlton Books Ltd. p. 18. ISBN 1842220948 |
| Probably the most practical minded of the brothers, he possesses a precise understanding of the capabilities of IR’s powerful technology, but is also aware of its limitations. | Denham, Sam (2000), Thunderbirds Top Secret Annual 2001, 'Biography,' Carlton Books Ltd. p. 18. ISBN 1842220948 |
| Aged 24. | Cole, Stephen (2002), Thunderbirds International Rescue Annual 2003, 'Biography,' Carlton Books Ltd. p. 36. ISBN 1842226759 |
| Daring, mature, artistic. | Cole, Stephen (2002), Thunderbirds International Rescue Annual 2003, 'Biography,' Carlton Books Ltd. p. 36. ISBN 1842226759 |
Editor’s Note: There is some debate as to where in the birth order Virgil fits in. Stay tuned to future updates of TICipedia when this particular aspect of canon will be separately addressed!