What actor currently plays Doctor Who?
The Doctor (Doctor Who)
Jodie Whittaker took over the role as the Thirteenth Doctor in the 2017 Christmas special. In addition to the above-listed actors, others have played versions of the Doctor for the duration of particular storylines.
Notably, John Hurt guest starred as the War Doctor in the closing moments of the 2013 episode "The Name of the Doctor", the webcast "The Night of the Doctor" and the 50th Anniversary episode "The Day of the Doctor". The War Doctor is an incarnation existing between those of McGann and Eccleston. Hurt was never the programme's lead actor; his Doctor was retroactively inserted into continuity for the programme's 50th anniversary, and was written so as not to disturb the ordinal naming of the established Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. In the 1986 serial "The Trial of a Time Lord", Michael Jayston played the Valeyard, an amalgamation of the Doctor's darker sides from between his twelfth and final incarnations.
Doctor Who (film)
Of those actors who originally auditioned for the role of the Doctor, a number would go on to guest star in the series when it returned from 2005:
Jodie Whittaker
On 16 July 2017, the BBC announced that Whittaker would become the thirteenth and first female incarnation of The Doctor in the British TV series "Doctor Who". She formally assumed the role from Peter Capaldi in the 2017 Christmas special episode "Twice Upon a Time" when Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor regenerated into Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor. Whittaker appears in her first full series as the Doctor in the eleventh series, which premiered in October 2018. She is set to continue in the role in the twelfth series in 2020.
Richard Schiff
Richard Schiff (born May 27, 1955) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Toby Ziegler on "The West Wing", a role for which he received an Emmy Award. Schiff made his directorial debut with "The West Wing", directing an episode entitled "Talking Points". He is on the National Advisory Board of the Council for a Livable World. He currently has a recurring role on the HBO series "Ballers". Since September 2017, he has had a leading role in ABC's medical drama "The Good Doctor", as Dr. Glassman, president of a fictional teaching hospital in San Jose, California.
First Doctor
The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who". He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role once, in the tenth anniversary story "The Three Doctors" (1973), although due to his failing health the story was written so he would not have to appear very extensively.
Bruno Langley
Bruno Langley (born 21 March 1983) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Adam Mitchell in "Doctor Who" (2005) and Todd Grimshaw in "Coronation Street" (2000–17).
Doctor Who
"Doctor Who" has appeared on stage numerous times. In the early 1970s, Trevor Martin played the role in "Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday". In the late 1980s, Jon Pertwee and Colin Baker both played the Doctor at different times during the run of a play titled "Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure". For two performances, while Pertwee was ill, David Banks (better known for playing Cybermen) played the Doctor. Other original plays have been staged as amateur productions, with other actors playing the Doctor, while Terry Nation wrote "The Curse of the Daleks", a stage play mounted in the late 1960s, but without the Doctor.
Pearl Mackie
Pearl Mackie (born 29 May 1987) is a British actress, dancer, and singer. She is best known for playing Bill Potts in the long-running television series "Doctor Who". Mackie is a 2010 graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her first major TV role came in 2014, when she played Anne-Marie Frasier in BBC One soap opera "Doctors".
Christopher Eccleston
On 2 April 2004, it was announced that Eccleston was to play the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the revival of the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who", which began transmission on 26 March 2005. Eccleston was the first actor to play the role who was born after the series began, albeit by less than three months. On 30 March 2005, the BBC released a statement, ostensibly from Eccleston, saying that he had decided to leave the role after just one series, because he feared becoming typecast. On 4 April 2005, the BBC revealed that Eccleston's "statement" was falsely attributed and released without his consent. The BBC admitted that they had broken an agreement made in January not to disclose publicly that he only intended to do one series. The statement had been made after journalists made queries to the press office.
Jon Wellner
Jon Wellner (born July 11, 1975) is an American actor, best known for his role as toxicologist Henry Andrews on "". He has portrayed Andrews through the 2014-2015 season, his 10th with the show.
Rose (Doctor Who episode)
It was announced in March 2004 that Christopher Eccleston would be playing the Doctor. Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, stated that casting an actor of Eccleston's reputation signaled "our intention to take "Doctor Who" into the 21st century, as well as retaining its core traditional values — to be surprising, edgy and eccentric." Eccleston is the ninth actor to play the Doctor since the programme started in 1963. New actors are able to take over the role through a plot device of regeneration, introduced in 1966, in which the character of the Doctor changes body and identity. Russell T Davies decided to begin the revived series with a new Doctor rather than show the regeneration, as he believed it was "madness" to start with someone and then change him before the audience could build a relationship with him. Davies wanted to initially approach the revival as a "new programme". Eccleston's character is more "down-to-earth" than previous Doctors; Davies referred to him as "stripped down", while still having "fun and humour". Eccleston's costume of a battered leather jacket was in Davies' original pitch, but the clothing also went with Eccleston's desire not to have clothes dominating his time on the show. The Ninth Doctor's clothes do not dominate him, but rather create a simple silhouette and an "action man" vibe.
Florence Hoath
Florence Angela L. Hoath (born 12 July 1984 in London) is a British actress best known for her 2005 appearances as Nancy in "Doctor Who".
Lawry Lewin
Lawrence Valdemar "Lawry" Lewin (born 6 July 1973 in Eton, Buckinghamshire) is an English television actor. He appears on the CBBC show "Horrible Histories", and featured in the "Doctor Who" Christmas special "The End of Time".
Graeme Harper
Graeme Harper (born 11 March 1945) is a British television director. He is best known for his work on the science-fiction series "Doctor Who", for which he is the only person to have directed episodes of both the original run (1963–89) and revived run (2005–) of the programme. "Doctor Who Magazine" has described him as "the longest-serving crew member on "Doctor Who"."
Doctor Who (series 1)
David Tennant had been offered the role of the Doctor when he was watching a pre-transmission copy of "Casanova" with Davies and Gardner. Tennant initially believed the offer was a joke, but after he realised they were serious, he accepted the role and first appeared in the series finale "The Parting of the Ways". Tennant was announced as Eccleston's replacement on 16 April 2005. Other recurring characters for the series included Camille Coduri as Rose's mother Jackie Tyler, and Noel Clarke as Rose's boyfriend Mickey Smith. Other actors and television presenters who appeared in the series included Mark Benton, Zoë Wanamaker, Simon Callow, Eve Myles, Penelope Wilton, Annette Badland, Matt Baker, Andrew Marr, Corey Johnson, Simon Pegg, Anna Maxwell-Martin, Tamsin Greig, Shaun Dingwall, Florence Hoath, Richard Wilson, Jo Joyner, Davina McCall, Paterson Joseph, Anne Robinson, Trinny Woodall, and Susannah Constantine.
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who". He is portrayed by Colin Baker. Although his televisual time on the series was comparatively brief and turbulent, Baker has continued as the Sixth Doctor in Big Finish's range of original "Doctor Who" audio adventures. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old Time Lord alien from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. At the end of life, the Doctor can regenerate his body; in doing so, his physical appearance and personality change. Baker portrays the sixth such incarnation, an arrogant, flamboyant character in brightly coloured, mismatched clothes whose brash, often patronising personality set him apart from all his previous incarnations.
William Hartnell
Hartnell acted in numerous British films, as well as having many stage and television appearances, though he is best known for his role in "Doctor Who".
The Doctor (Doctor Who)
The character played by Peter Cushing in the films "Dr. Who and the Daleks" and "" referred to himself as "Dr. Who". However, these films are not considered part of the same narrative continuity as the television programme, as they were based upon two television serials featuring William Hartnell and made considerable alterations to the characters of the Doctor and his companions.
War Doctor
The War Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme "Doctor Who". He was portrayed by the English actor John Hurt. Although he precedes Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor in the show's fictional chronology, his first onscreen appearance came eight years after Eccleston's; the War Doctor was retroactively created by showrunner Steven Moffat for productions celebrating the show's 50th anniversary.
Eddie Robson
Eddie Robson (born 20 December 1978) is a British comedy and science fiction writer best known for his sitcom "Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully" and his work on a variety of spin-offs from the BBC Television series "Doctor Who". He has written books, comics, short stories and for television and theatre, and has worked as a freelance journalist for various science fiction magazines. He is married and lives in Lancaster.
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor. He is best 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's voice, which has been described as "sonorous", was voted the fourth-most recognisable in the UK.
Nimrod (Doctor Who)
Nimrod is played by British actor Stephen Chance. A novel, "Project: Valhalla", by Scott and Wright, featuring Nimrod and the Forge, was published in December 2005. Also in 2005, a webcomic called "The Forge: Project Longinus" began serialisation, written by Scott and Wright and illustrated by Bryan Coyle.
Rory Williams
Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series "Doctor Who". Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) as a companion in the middle of Series 5. As Amy Pond's fiancé, Rory is initially insecure because he believes Amy secretly loves the Doctor more. Later, however, he proves to be a hero in his own right and he and Amy get married. The couple conceive a daughter aboard the Doctor's time machine, the TARDIS, while in the time vortex, but their baby is kidnapped at birth. In "A Good Man Goes to War", Rory and Amy discover their time-traveler friend River Song is actually their daughter Melody Pond. The Doctor and River marry in "The Wedding of River Song", and Rory becomes the Doctor's father-in-law.
In "The Angels Take Manhattan", the fifth episode of the seventh series, he and Amy are transported back in time by a Weeping Angel, leading to the couple's departure from the series.
The Doctor (Doctor Who)
John Hurt plays a mysterious past incarnation of the Doctor in the 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor", with minor roles in "The Name of the Doctor" and mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor", created as a "mayfly Doctor" by Steven Moffat. In the television episodes, he is credited as "The Doctor", but he is introduced as "The War Doctor" in "The Night of the Doctor". The end of "The Name of the Doctor" closes with text superimposed over footage of Hurt introducing him, pictured to the left, which was unprecedented for the show. In "The Day of the Doctor", Hurt appears in a "multi-Doctor" special alongside Matt Smith and David Tennant as the Eleventh and Tenth Doctors, respectively. The three are collectively credited as "The Doctor" alongside Christopher Eccleston, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell, although the latter nine appeared only through the reuse of archive footage. Tom Baker did reappear, but as "the Curator", an ambiguously different character who he was not credited for playing. A voice actor, John Guilor, recorded a line of audio impersonating the First Doctor, for which he was credited as "Voice Over Artist".
Paul Kasey
Paul Kasey (born 5 August 1973) is an English actor who frequently plays monsters on "Doctor Who", "The Sarah Jane Adventures" and "Torchwood".
List of actors considered for the part of the Doctor
In 2017, Alan Cumming said that he had been approached about playing the character on two occasions, once by Russell T Davies and once by Mark Gatiss, but that the deal-breaker both times had been his reluctance to relocate to Cardiff. Cumming would later appear in the 2018 "Doctor Who" episode "The Witchfinders" portraying King James I.
David Tennant
"Doctor Who" returned to British screens in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston playing the role of the Ninth Doctor in the first series. Tennant replaced him as of the second series, making his first, brief appearance as the Tenth Doctor in the episode "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) at the end of the regeneration scene, and also appeared in a special shown as part of the 2005 Children in Need appeal, broadcast on 18 November 2005. He began filming the new series of "Doctor Who" in late July 2005. His first full-length outing as the Doctor was a 60-minute special, "The Christmas Invasion", first broadcast on Christmas Day 2005. Tennant had been formally offered the role of the Doctor during rehearsals for "The Quatermass Experiment". Although the casting was not officially announced until later in April, both castmates and crew became aware of the speculation surrounding Tennant; in the live broadcast Jason Flemyng (Quatermass) changed his first line to Tennant's Dr Briscoe from "Good to have you back, Gordon" to "Good to have you back, "Doctor"" as a deliberate reference.
Kevin Lindsay
Kevin Lindsay (17 April 1924 – 26 April 1975) was an Australian actor, based in Britain, best known for his appearances in "Doctor Who" serials.
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who". He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton.
Matt Smith (actor)
Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is well known for his roles as the eleventh incarnation of The Doctor in the BBC series "Doctor Who" and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in the Netflix series "The Crown". Smith initially aspired to be a professional footballer, but spondylolysis forced him out of the sport. After joining the National Youth Theatre and studying Drama and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, he became an actor in 2003, performing in plays like "Murder in the Cathedral", "Fresh Kills", "The History Boys", and "On the Shore of the Wide World" in London theatres. Extending his repertoire into West End theatre, he has since performed in the stage adaptation of "Swimming with Sharks" with Christian Slater, followed a year later by a critically acclaimed performance as Henry in "That Face".
Twice Upon a Time (Doctor Who)
David Bradley appears in the episode as the First Doctor, having previously portrayed William Hartnell in the docudrama "An Adventure in Space and Time". This makes him the third actor to play the role in the television programme, after William Hartnell and Richard Hurndall (in 1983's "The Five Doctors") since the premiere of "Doctor Who" in 1963. Bradley previously played Solomon in the 2012 episode "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship".
Frazer Hines
Frazer Hines (born 22 September 1944) is an English actor best known for his roles as Jamie McCrimmon in "Doctor Who" and Joe Sugden in "Emmerdale". Hines appeared in 117 episodes of the original series of "Doctor Who"; only the first four Doctors appeared in more episodes.
Tosin Cole
Tosin Cole (born 23 July 1992) is a British actor. He is known for various roles in British television series and films. He began his on-screen career starring in "The Cut" and "", later securing a regular role as Neil Cooper in the soap opera "Hollyoaks". After leaving the show Cole appeared in a range of television series and commercial films for guest appearances and participated in many short films. In October 2017, the BBC announced that Cole had been cast as Ryan Sinclair in the 2018 series of "Doctor Who".
List of Doctor Who audio plays by Big Finish
The dramas feature both former actors who portrayed the Doctor and his companions, and new continuing characters as well as elements from other spin-off media. The canonicity of the audio dramas, as with other "Doctor Who" spin-off media, is unclear. To date, productions have featured the Fourth (Tom Baker), Fifth (Peter Davison), Sixth (Colin Baker), Seventh (Sylvester McCoy), Eighth (Paul McGann), War (Sir John Hurt) and Tenth (David Tennant) Doctors portrayed by their original actors.
List of actors considered for the part of the Doctor
Many actors have been considered for the part of The Doctor in "Doctor Who". The following is a list of actors who have been linked to the role.
Simon Guerrier
Simon Guerrier (born June 1976) is a British science fiction author and dramatist, closely associated with the fictional universe of "Doctor Who" and its spinoffs. Although he has written three "Doctor Who" novels, for the BBC Books range, his work has mostly been for Big Finish Productions' audio drama and book ranges.
David Tennant
David John Tennant (né McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor and voice actor. He is best known for his roles as DI Alec Hardy in ITV's "Broadchurch", the Tenth Doctor in the BBC television series "Doctor Who", Giacomo Casanova in the TV serial "Casanova", Kilgrave in Netflix's "Jessica Jones", and Barty Crouch, Jr. in the film "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". In addition to his appearances on screen, he has worked as a voice actor and in theatre, including Prince Hamlet in a critically acclaimed 2008 stage production of "Hamlet" and as the voice of Scrooge McDuck in the "DuckTales" reboot which began airing in 2017. In January 2015, Tennant received the National Television Award for Special Recognition.
Silas Carson
Silas Carson (born 1965) is an English actor, mostly known for playing Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi and Viceroy Nute Gunray in all three of the Star Wars prequels and providing the voice of the Ood in "Doctor Who".
Doctor Who (2013 specials)
On 1 June 2013, Matt Smith announced that he would be leaving "Doctor Who", with his final episode being the 2013 Christmas Special, with that episode set to feature the Doctor's latest regeneration. Speculation about the identity of the actor set to take over began immediately, with a number of names suggested. The official announcement of the actor of the Twelfth Doctor was made in a special live simulcast on 4 August 2013 in "Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor", and saw confirmation of Peter Capaldi in the role. The 2013 special is the fourth and final Christmas episode to feature Matt Smith's incarnation of the Doctor, and the second to feature Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald.
Patrick Troughton
Patrick George Troughton (, 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor. Classically trained, he played the second incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running British science-fiction television series "Doctor Who", which he played from 1966 to 1969; he reprised the role in 1973, 1983 and 1985. He appeared in several fantasy, science fiction and horror films.
Mark Williams (actor)
Mark Williams (born 22 August 1959) is an English actor, screenwriter and presenter. He is best known as Arthur Weasley in the "Harry Potter" films, and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show "The Fast Show". He also played Brian Williams in the BBC series "Doctor Who", and Olaf Petersen in "Red Dwarf". More recently he has appeared as the title character in the BBC series "Father Brown".
Colin Baker
At the time of Baker's casting as Davison's successor, he was the only actor portraying the Doctor to have appeared in the television series as another character prior to taking on the leading role (in 2013 Peter Capaldi was announced as the Twelfth Doctor after having previously appeared in another role in the 2008 episode "The Fires of Pompeii"). When Baker was cast to replace Davison, many fans cited that shooting scene in "Arc of Infinity", prompting Baker to say jokingly that he got the part of the Doctor by killing the incumbent. He is no relation to Tom Baker, who previously played the Fourth Doctor in "Doctor Who".
Harry Lloyd
Harry Charles Salusbury Lloyd (born 17 November 1983) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Will Scarlet in the 2006 BBC drama "Robin Hood", Jeremy Baines in the 2007 "Doctor Who" episodes "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood", and Viserys Targaryen in the first season of the HBO series "Game of Thrones". He has also appeared on stage, and in films including "The Theory of Everything" and "Anthropoid".
David Tennant
In October 2015, Big Finish Productions announced that Tennant would return to the role of the Tenth Doctor alongside Catherine Tate as his former companion Donna Noble in three new stories from Big Finish. The stories feature current and previous Doctor Who actors, including Strax actor Dan Starkey, former Davros actor Terry Molloy, and many veterans of Big Finish, including Niky Wardley, who portrayed Eighth Doctor companion Tamsin. The three stories were released in May 2016.
Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter and novelist. His work includes writing for and acting in the TV series "Doctor Who" and "Sherlock". Together with Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and Jeremy Dyson, he is a member of the comedy team "The League of Gentlemen". He played Tycho Nestoris in the HBO series "Game of Thrones".
List of actors considered for the part of the Doctor
In 2003, Bill Baggs was set to make a 40th-anniversary special for BBC South with Alan Cumming as the Doctor. Baggs had directed numerous unofficial "Doctor Who"-related productions since the show's cancellation, including "The Airzone Solution", which featured Cumming in another role. The special was cancelled when the BBC instead commissioned Russell T Davies to revive the series.
Oh No It Isn't!
The audio drama also features actor Nicholas Courtney who is better known for playing the recurring character of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the television series "Doctor Who".
Paul Darrow
Paul Darrow (born Paul Valentine Birkby on 2 May 1941) is an English actor best known for his portrayal of Kerr Avon in the BBC science fiction television series "Blake's 7". He also guest starred twice on "Doctor Who", playing Captain Hawkins in the serial "Doctor Who and the Silurians" which was transmitted in 1970 and Maylin Tekker in the serial "Timelash" which was transmitted in 1985. He is also the voice of "Jack", on independent radio stations JACK FM and Union JACK, whose lines include dry-witted comments pertaining to current events.
Dreamland (Doctor Who)
Dreamland is the third animated "Doctor Who" serial (based on the British science fiction television live action series) to air on television, and the second to air after the revival of the live-action series in 2005. It stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and aired in six parts (one 12-minute episode, followed by five 6-minute episodes) broadcast daily from 21 November 2009 on the BBC's Red Button service, the official "Doctor Who" website and the BBC iPlayer. It was broadcast in its entirety on BBC Two and BBC HD on 5 December 2009.
History of Doctor Who
It was announced on 4 August 2013 on a live BBC special entitled "Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor" that Peter Capaldi would portray the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in 'Doctor Who'. During his appearance in the special, he said that he had been a fan of the series; a letter that he had written to the Radio Times at the age of 15 about the show was read aloud. Capaldi had already appeared in the series 4 episode "The Fires of Pompeii" as Caecilius, the father of the family that the Doctor saves from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He had also appeared in "" as the civil servant John Frobisher.
David Atkins (actor)
David Atkins is an English actor best known for his role as Rob Edwards in the British television soap opera "Hollyoaks", who he played from 2011 to 2012. Atkins also appeared in two episodes of "Doctor Who" in 2010. In 2016 he was cast in the semi-regular role of Tyler Green, a young police constable, in the BBC daytime soap, "Doctors", which he played until February 2017.
Jack Harkness
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in "Doctor Who" and its spin-off series, "Torchwood". The character first appears in the 2005 "Doctor Who" episode "The Empty Child" and subsequently features in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion to the series' protagonist, the Doctor. Subsequent to this, Jack became the central character in the adult-themed "Torchwood", which aired from 2006 to 2011. Barrowman also reprised the role for guest appearances in "Doctor Who" in its 2007 series and 2008 series, as well as the two-part special "The End of Time".
River Song (Doctor Who)
River Song is a fictional character created by Steven Moffat and played by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series "Doctor Who". River Song was introduced to the series as an experienced future companion of series protagonist the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time in his TARDIS. Because River Song is a time traveller herself, her adventures with the Doctor occur out of synchronisation; their first meeting (from the audience's perspective) is his first and apparently her last. While other actresses briefly portray younger versions of the character, Kingston plays her in 15 episodes, as River becomes a companion, romantic interest and eventual wife of the Doctor in his eleventh incarnation portrayed by Matt Smith.
List of actors who have played the Doctor
The incumbent is Jodie Whittaker, who succeeded Peter Capaldi in the role at the conclusion of the 2017 Christmas special.
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme "Doctor Who", who is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. As with previous incarnations of the Doctor, the character has also appeared in other "Doctor Who" spin-offs. In the programme's narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old Time Lord alien from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. At the end of life, the Doctor can regenerate his body; in doing so, his physical appearance and personality change, and a new actor assumes the role. Tennant's portrayal of the Doctor is of an outwardly charismatic and charming adventurer whose likable and easygoing attitude can quickly turn to righteous fury when provoked.
Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who". He is portrayed by Peter Davison.
John Leeson
John Leeson (born John Francis Christopher Ducker; 16 March 1943, Leicester) is a British actor who is known for voicing Bungle in "Rainbow" and K-9 in "Doctor Who".
Simon A. Forward
Simon A. Forward (born 1967 in Penzance) is an author and dramatist most famous for his work on a variety of "Doctor Who" spin-offs. He currently lives and works in Penzance (with his two cats) as a full-time writer.
List of Doctor Who cast members
Both Capaldi and Coleman reprised their roles as the Doctor and Clara during the ninth series in 2015, with Coleman departing at the end of that year. Coleman was replaced by Pearl Mackie, who was introduced as Bill Potts. Jodie Whittaker took over the lead role of the Doctor from Peter Capaldi in the 2017 Christmas special "Twice Upon a Time". Her first series as the Thirteenth Doctor began its broadcast in late 2018. Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill replaced Mackie and Lucas as the companions for the show.
Doctor Who (film)
Among the actors who were invited to audition for the role of the Doctor but declined the opportunity were Christopher Eccleston and Peter Capaldi. Eccleston and Capaldi would go on to play the Ninth and Twelfth incarnations of the Doctor, respectively, in the revived series of "Doctor Who" which began in 2005. Eccleston turned down the offer to audition for the TV Movie because at the time he felt he was not yet an established enough actor and did not want to be associated with a "brand name" so early in his career. Capaldi declined because he felt it was unlikely that he would be given the part.
Alex Macqueen
Alexander Tulloch Macqueen (born 30 November 1973 in Epsom, Surrey) is an English actor. He has appeared on television, film and radio in the UK in productions such as "Holby City", "Hut 33", "Peep Show", "The Thick of It", "Keeping Mum", and "The Inbetweeners". He also voiced an incarnation of The Master in various "Doctor Who" audio plays for Big Finish, starting 2012.
Doctor Who
Although the idea of casting a woman as the Doctor had been suggested by the show's writers several times, including by Newman in 1986 and Davies in 2008, until 2017, all official depictions were played by men. Jodie Whittaker took over the role as the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of the 2017 Christmas special, and is the first woman to be cast as the character. Whittaker had previously starred in television series such as "Return to Cranford", "Broadchurch" alongside David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) and the dystopian anthology "Black Mirror". The show introduced the Time Lords' ability to change sexes on regeneration in earlier episodes, first in dialogue, then with Michelle Gomez's version of The Master.
Doctor Who
In 2011, David Yates announced that he had started work with the BBC on a "Doctor Who" film, a project that would take three or more years to complete. Yates indicated that the film would take a different approach to "Doctor Who", although the current "Doctor Who" showrunner Steven Moffat stated later that any such film would not be a reboot of the series and a film should be made by the BBC team and star the current TV Doctor.
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor has been extremely popular amongst the "Doctor Who" fandom. He received critical acclaim for his complexity and humanity and is considered one of the greatest incarnations of the character. The BBC went as far as to consider ending the show in 2010, thinking it would fail without Tennant. In 2006, readers of "Doctor Who Magazine" voted Tennant's Doctor "Best Doctor" over perennial favourite Tom Baker. He also won the National Television Awards award for Most Popular Actor in 2006 and 2007, and the award for Outstanding Drama Performance in 2008 and 2010. In a poll conducted by "Radio Times" in March 2007, Tennant's Doctor was named the "coolest character on television". IGN ranked the Tenth Doctor the best Doctor in 2011. In 2013, IGN again ranked Tennant as the best Doctor, along with the "Daily Mail" and "Radio Times", with Billie Piper also being voted as best companion. Users of Plusnet also voted David Tennant as the best Doctor in 2013. Users of DoctorWhoTV also voted Tennant as 'Ultimate Doctor' in 2013. Voters on "Digital Spy" also rated Tennant as the greatest Doctor in 2013 with 50.05% of the votes, and again in 2015. A poll in November 2013 revealed that Tennant was considered the greatest Doctor with 33% of the vote, a clear 10% lead over 2nd place, Tom Baker.
Readers of "The Telegraph" voted Tennant as the greatest actor to play the Doctor in 2014.
Doctor Who (film)
Casting sessions took place in March 1994; actors who actually auditioned for the role include Liam Cunningham, Mark McGann, Robert Lindsay, Tim McInnerny, Nathaniel Parker, Peter Woodward, John Sessions, Anthony Head, and Tony Slattery. Paul McGann was first considered around the time of these auditions, but did not formally audition for the part until later.
David Tennant
Tennant featured as the Doctor in an animated version of "Doctor Who" for "Totally Doctor Who", "The Infinite Quest", which aired on CBBC. He also starred as the Doctor in another animated six-part "Doctor Who" series, "Dreamland". Tennant guest starred as the Doctor in a two-part story in "Doctor Who" spin-off "The Sarah Jane Adventures", broadcast in October 2009. He continued to play the Tenth Doctor into the revived programme's fourth series in 2008. However, on 29 October 2008, he announced that he would be stepping down from the role after three full series. He played the Doctor in four special episodes in 2009, before his final episode aired on 1 January 2010, where he was replaced by the eleventh doctor, portrayed by Matt Smith. The "Daily Mirror" reported that Tennant was forbidden from attending "Doctor Who" fan conventions while playing the role, to avoid the chance that he could accidentally let slip any plot points during filming of the series. However, Tennant claimed this was false and that he had never been banned or discouraged from attending conventions.
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who". He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy.
Doctor Who (series 10)
Preceded by a Christmas special in December 2016, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio", the series is the third and final series starring Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, an incarnation of the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in his TARDIS, which appears to be a British police box on the outside; Capaldi announced in January 2017 that he would be stepping down from the role after the tenth series. The series introduces Pearl Mackie as Bill Potts, the Doctor's newest travelling companion, and also features Matt Lucas as Nardole, who appeared in the 2015 and 2016 Christmas specials. Michelle Gomez and John Simm return as their respective incarnations of the Master. The main story arc for the first half of the series revolved around the Doctor and Nardole occupying themselves as a university professor and assistant while they guard an underground vault containing Missy, who the Doctor has sworn to protect for a thousand years after her supposed execution. Missy later travels with the team in the TARDIS, and eventually partners with her previous incarnation as they all battle a Cyberman onslaught aboard a Mondasian colony ship.
The Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the title character in the long-running BBC science fiction television programme "Doctor Who". Since the show's inception in 1963, the character has been portrayed by thirteen lead actors. In the programme, "the Doctor" is the alias assumed by a centuries-old alien—a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey—who travels through space and time in the TARDIS, frequently with companions. The transition to each succeeding actor is explained within the show's narrative through the plot device of "regeneration", a biological function of the Time Lord race that allows a change of cellular structure and appearance with recovery following a potentially fatal injury.
Anthony Ainley
Anthony Ainley (20 August 1932 – 3 May 2004) was an English actor best known for his work on British television and particularly for his role as the Master in "Doctor Who". He was the fourth actor to play the role of the Master, and the first actor to portray the Master as a recurring role since the death of Roger Delgado in 1973.
List of actors considered for the part of the Doctor
Actors who auditioned for the role in the 1996 film included Rowan Atkinson (who played a spoof version of the Doctor in "Curse of Fatal Death"), Liam Cunningham (who appeared in the 2013 "Doctor Who" episode "Cold War"), Mark McGann (whose brother Paul McGann eventually got the role), Robert Lindsay, Eric Idle, Tim McInnerny (who appeared in the 2008 "Doctor Who" episode "Planet of the Ood"), Nathaniel Parker, Peter Woodward, John Sessions (who later played Tannis in the audio drama "Death Comes to Time", and voiced Gus in the 2014 "Doctor Who" episode "Mummy on the Orient Express"), Anthony Head (who appeared in the 2006 "Doctor Who" episode "School Reunion", narrated episodes of the "Doctor Who Confidential" behind-the-scenes series, and provided voice-acting work for both the televised "The Infinite Quest" and the "Excelis" story arc from Big Finish Productions), Rik Mayall and Tony Slattery. Billy Connolly has stated that he was also considered for the part. Peter Capaldi was invited to audition, but declined, as he "didn't think [he] would get it, and... didn't want to just be part of a big cull of actors." Capaldi was eventually cast as the Twelfth Doctor.
Doctor Who – Main Range
The Doctor Who – Main Range series consists of full-cast audiobook adventures based on the British science fiction television programme "Doctor Who", produced by Nicholas Briggs and Big Finish Productions and starring one of the original actors to play The Doctor on television in the classic era of the programme. The main audio series currently feature the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors, and have since developed the pattern of thirteen releases per year, one every month with two in September or December.
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures
The Tenth Doctor Adventures, announced in October 2015, is a Big Finish Productions audio play series based on the television series "Doctor Who". It sees the return of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. The first trilogy of stories was released in May 2016. In November 2017 a second volume was released, featuring the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler. A third volume is due to be released in 2019 with Tate reprising her role as Donna.
Richard Franklin (actor)
Richard Kimber Franklin (born 15 January 1936) is an English actor, writer, director and political activist. Principally a stage actor, he has also appeared as a regular character in several high-profile British television programmes, including "Crossroads," "Emmerdale Farm," and most notably in the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who," in which he portrayed Captain Mike Yates of UNIT. Franklin initially played the part from 1971 until 1974, but has returned to the role on a number of occasions both on television and in Doctor Who spin-off media. Franklin is a prolific dramatist and author of books such as "Forest Wisdom: Radical Reform of Democracy and the Welfare State" reflecting his left-wing political views and activism, as well as novels based in the Doctor Who universe. Franklin has stood as an independent candidate for Parliament several times and founded the Silent Majority Party.
Steven Beckingham
Steven Beckingham is a British actor and singer who was born on 6 November 1978 in Frimley Green, Surrey, England, United Kingdom. He has appeared in a few films and TV series including Heartbeat and the "Doctor Who" episode "Dalek". He is now an acting teacher at West Linn High School in Oregon.
Doctor Who fandom
Additionally, the son of Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury), is a fan and Williams invited Richard Dawkins to Lambeth Palace; in part because Dawkins's wife, Lalla Ward played the Fourth Doctor's companion, Romana.Additionally, Tenth Doctor David Tennant has repeatedly said that he wanted to play the Doctor since he was a little boy, and had appeared in numerous Big Finish audio plays both before and after his casting as the Doctor. Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi is a fan and has been since he was a teenager.
Ninth Doctor
Christopher Eccleston's casting as the Ninth Doctor was announced on 22 March 2004. He was the production team's first choice for the character. Other actors linked to the role included Bill Nighy, Richard E Grant, Anthony Head, Eddie Izzard, Hugh Grant and Alan Davies. Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, stated in the announcement of his casting that casting an actor of Eccleston's reputation signalled "our intention to take "Doctor Who" into the 21st century, as well as retaining its core traditional values – to be surprising, edgy and eccentric". Executive Producer Russell T Davies remarked that casting Eccleston "raises the bar for all of us". Eccleston cited the quality of the scripts as a reason for joining the cast, stating in an interview on BBC's Breakfast programme that he was "excited" about working with Davies. In the press-pack for the series he states that he had emailed the writer to declare his interest in the role. Eccleston enjoyed having the chance to work on a series aimed at a different demographic than his previous work, noting that "it's aimed at families, so I'm kind of acting for children and I feel very lucky to be able to do that". He felt that being cast by Davies in the series was a "risk" because as an actor he is not known for "charm or comedy" and anticipated a potential backlash due to being built up as "an actor of stature" and the difference between his own interpretation of the character and past doctors.
Regeneration (Doctor Who)
The current incarnation of the Doctor is played by Jodie Whittaker, following the regeneration of the Twelfth Doctor (portrayed by Peter Capaldi) during the 2017 Christmas special "Twice Upon a Time".
Colin Baker
Colin Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor. He became known for playing Paul Merroney in the BBC drama series "The Brothers" from 1974 to 1976. He later played the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series "Doctor Who" from 1984 to 1986. Baker's tenure as the Doctor proved to be a controversial era for the series, which included a hiatus in production and his subsequent replacement on the orders of BBC executive Michael Grade.
Nicholas Courtney
William Nicholas Stone Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011) was a British actor, most famous for playing Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who".
Twelfth Doctor
Capaldi has previously appeared playing other roles in the "Doctor Who" franchise. He portrayed Lobus Caecilius in the 2008 episode "The Fires of Pompeii" and John Frobisher in "", the 2009 serial of the "Doctor Who" spin-off "Torchwood". Moffat has stated that he plans on explaining over time why there are three characters in the "Doctor Who" universe with the same appearance; his predecessor Russell T Davies had once explained to him a theory for the first two, and upon Capaldi's casting assured Moffat that the explanation would still work. This situation was alluded to in "Deep Breath", when a confused Doctor is reminded of Caecilius when he examines his face in a mirror. In "The Girl Who Died", it is explained that the Doctor chose Caecilius' face to remind himself that he is the Doctor, and that he can always save people. While not explained in the episode, Moffat later said that he also shares a face with John Frobisher as Frobisher is Caecilius's descendant, and represents the end of Caecilius's bloodline, referencing the Doctor's "eternal battle with doom and destiny." Capaldi's casting marks the second time an actor has previously appeared in the series and then been cast as an incarnation of the Doctor, the first being Colin Baker.
John Simm
In 2007, Simm was chosen by Russell T. Davies to play The Master, the nemesis of The Doctor in the long-running BBC series "Doctor Who". He appeared in the final three episodes of series three: "Utopia", "The Sound of Drums", and "Last of the Time Lords". When originally cast in the third series of Doctor Who, it was announced that he would be playing a character by the name of Mr Saxon, a name that was later revealed as an alias of the character he was portraying. He reprised the role in the 2009 two-part special "The End of Time". In 2008, Simm played Edward Sexby in "The Devil's Whore", a four-part English Civil War epic for Channel 4. He performed at the Royal Variety Performance with Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller, and starred in the film "Skellig", broadcast on Sky1 in April 2009.
Danny Webb (actor)
Danny Webb (born 6 June 1958) is an English television and film actor. He is best known for his roles as the prisoner/only survivor Morse in the movie "Alien 3", Thomas Cromwell in "Henry VIII" and as John Maynard Jefferson in the two part "Doctor Who" story "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit" in 2006.
Adric
Adric is a fictional character played by Matthew Waterhouse in the long-running British science fiction television series "Doctor Who". He was a young native of the planet Alzarius, which exists in the parallel universe of E-Space. A companion of the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, he was a regular in the programme from 1980 to 1982 and appeared in 11 stories (40 episodes). The name Adric is an anagram derived from Nobel Prize-winning physicist Paul Dirac. Waterhouse is the youngest male actor to play a companion so far in the series.
List of Doctor Who cast members
This is a list of actors who have appeared in the long-running British science fiction television series, "Doctor Who". For other related lists see below.
Christopher Eccleston
Eccleston garnered widespread attention and acclaim for portraying the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the 2005 revival of the BBC science fiction series "Doctor Who", becoming the first actor to play the role since 1996. He departed the role after a single series, winning a National Television Award and receiving Broadcasting Press Guild Award and BAFTA Cymru Award nominations for his performance. Eccleston has since appeared in the television series "Heroes", "The Shadow Line", "Blackout", "Lucan", "The Leftovers", "Safe House", "Fortitude" and "The A Word" and films including "", "" and "Legend". He won an International Emmy Award for his performance in an episode of the anthology series "Accused". Onstage, Eccleston has played the title roles in productions of "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" as well as starring in productions of "Miss Julie", "A Doll's House" and "Antigone". Since 2017, Eccleston has narrated the documentary series "Ambulance".
Jimmy Vee
Jimmy Vee (born 3 February 1959) is a Scottish actor, puppeteer and stunt performer. He is best known for playing a number of "Doctor Who" monsters and aliens, as well as the actor for R2-D2 in "" and "Star Wars Episode IX", replacing the late Kenny Baker.
Paul Marc Davis
Paul Marc Davis (born April 16, 1974) is a British actor who has appeared on "Doctor Who" (the episode "Utopia") and three of its spin-off series: "Torchwood" ("Exit Wounds"), "The Sarah Jane Adventures" (as recurring villain "The Trickster"), and "Class" (as recurring villain Corakinus). This makes him the only actor to appear in all four of the "Doctor Who" series. He was also an executive producer on "Sports Day 3D".
Shaun Dingwall
Shaun Dingwall (born 1970) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Pete Tyler in "Doctor Who," as Reg Trotter in "Rock and Chips" and as D.C. Mark Rivers in "Touching Evil".
Matthew Waterhouse
Matthew Waterhouse (born 19 December 1961) is an English actor and writer best known for his role as Adric in the BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who" from 1980 to 1982.
Doctor Who (series 11)
On 8 March 2018, Alan Cumming announced that he had been cast as King James I in an episode of the series. On 25 March, comedian Lee Mack stated that he would make a brief appearance in one episode. Shaun Dooley also appears in the series. In a "Coming Soon" vignette during the closing credits of the premiere episode, "The Woman Who Fell to Earth", a number of guest actors appearing in the remaining episodes of the series were shown: Mark Addy, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Shane Zaza, Shobna Gulati, Brett Goldstein, Josh Bowman, Siobhan Finneran, Lois Chimimba, Susan Lynch, Hamza Jeetooa (credited as Hamza Jeetoa), Art Malik, Suzanne Packer, Vinette Robinson, Amita Suman, Ben Bailey Smith, Phyllis Logan, and Chris Noth.
Corey Hawkins
Corey Antonio Hawkins (born October 22, 1988) is an American actor and singer. He is known for his roles in the TV series "The Walking Dead" and "", as well as his portrayal of Dr. Dre in the 2015 film "Straight Outta Compton". In 2017, he starred in the Broadway production "Six Degrees of Separation", for which he received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Twelfth Doctor
Matt Smith, who played the Eleventh Doctor, publicly announced his departure from "Doctor Who" on 1 June 2013, triggering extensive media speculation on the subject. On 3 August 2013, bookmakers William Hill suspended betting when Capaldi became the five to six favourite to be cast. Capaldi's casting was revealed on 4 August during a live broadcast on BBC One, titled "Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor". The live show, hosted by Zoe Ball, was watched by an average of 6.27 million in the UK, and was also simulcast in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Dr. Who (Dalek films)
Dr. Who is a character based on the Doctor, the protagonist featuring in the long-running BBC science fiction television series "Doctor Who".
Doctor Who Unbound
In "Exile", Arabella Weir plays a female incarnation of the Doctor. American alternative weekly "Houston Press"s Jef Rouner described her portrayal as "one of the most melancholy of all the Doctors." Other actors who played the Doctor included Geoffrey Bayldon, David Collings, Derek Jacobi, and David Warner.
Doctor Who
On 4 August 2013, a live programme titled "Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor" was broadcast on BBC One, during which the actor who was going to play the Twelfth Doctor was revealed. The live show was watched by an average of 6.27 million in the UK, and was also simulcast in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Doctor Who
The Master is the Doctor's archenemy, a renegade Time Lord who desires to rule the universe. Conceived as "Professor Moriarty to the Doctor's Sherlock Holmes", the character first appeared in 1971. As with the Doctor, the role has been portrayed by several actors, since the Master is a Time Lord as well and able to regenerate; the first of these actors was Roger Delgado, who continued in the role until his death in 1973. The Master was briefly played by Peter Pratt and Geoffrey Beevers until Anthony Ainley took over and continued to play the character until Doctor Who's hiatus in 1989. The Master returned in the 1996 television movie of "Doctor Who", and was played by American actor Eric Roberts.
Gareth Roberts (writer)
Gareth John Pritchard Roberts (born 5 June 1968) is a British television screenwriter and novelist, best known for his work related to the science-fiction television series "Doctor Who". He has also worked on various comedy series and soap operas.
Natalie Walter
Walter had a relationship with the actor David Tennant, the Tenth Doctor in "Doctor Who". Walter has also acted in the programme. She lives in London.
Doctor Who (series 12)
Jodie Whittaker is due to return for her second series as the Thirteenth Doctor, the most recent incarnation of the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in their TARDIS, which appears to be a British police box on the outside. The series also stars Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill as the Doctor's travelling companions, Graham O'Brien, Ryan Sinclair and Yasmin Khan, respectively.
Travis Oliver
Travis Oliver (born 18 March) is a British actor. He is possibly best known for his role as Oliver Ryan in the ITV series "" between 2005 and 2006. He's also made appearances in BBC's "Doctor Who" (2007) and the film "Lesbian Vampire Killers" (2009).