List of actors considered for the part of the Doctor
Encyclopedia
Many actors have been considered for the part of The Doctor in Doctor Who
. Here is a list of actors who have been linked to the role.
First Doctor
Geoffrey Bayldon
told Doctor Who Magazine
that he had declined the role. He would later play an alternative version of the First Doctor
in two plays for the Doctor Who Unbound series of audio plays by Big Finish Productions
: Auld Mortality
(2003) and A Storm of Angels
(2005). Furthermore, he played Organon in the Fourth Doctor
serial The Creature from the Pit
(1979).
Hugh David
was the choice of Rex Tucker
, who was the series' "caretaker producer" before the arrival of Verity Lambert. Verity rejected this idea on the grounds that at 38, Hugh was too young. David later became a director and, in that capacity, worked on the Second Doctor
serials The Highlanders
(1966-7) and Fury from the Deep
.
Alan Webb
was then offered the role but declined, as did Cyril Cusack
.
Leslie French
was considered for the role. He later appeared in the Seventh Doctor
serial Silver Nemesis
(1988) as Lady Peinforte's mathematician.
Second Doctor
Rupert Davies
, Valentine Dyall
and Michael Hordern
were all approached for the role but none wanted to commit to a long-running series. Dyall would later play the Black Guardian
in the television stories The Armageddon Factor
(1979), Mawdryn Undead
(1983), Terminus
(1983) and Enlightenment
(1983) and Slarn in the audio drama Slipback
(1985).
Third Doctor
Ron Moody
was said to be the producers' choice after his success in "Oliver" but he turned down the role, which he later regretted.
Fourth Doctor
Graham Crowden
, who would later play Soldeed in The Horns of Nimon
(1979-1980), turned down the role as he did not wish to commit himself to a long-term role, while Michael Bentine
turned down the role when the production team felt he wanted too much influence over the series' scripts. Other actors considered included Bernard Cribbins
and Fulton Mackay
, who had previously played Dr. Quinn in Doctor Who and the Silurians
(1970).
Richard Hearne
was offered the role but his insistence that he play the part in the style of his 'Mr Pastry' character was not acceptable to the series' producer, Barry Letts
. Also considered was "Carry On" actor Jim Dale
.
Fifth Doctor
Richard Griffiths
was considered by producers for the role when Tom Baker left.
Seventh Doctor
The final three actors considered for the role were Sylvester McCoy
, Ken Campbell
and Chris Jury
. While Campbell's portrayal was considered too dark for the series, Jury was remembered by the production team and cast as Kingpin in 1988's The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
.
Dermot Crowley
had also auditioned for the role.
Eighth Doctor
Had the show continued past 1989, the producers were again considering Richard Griffiths
for the role of the Doctor.
Actors who auditioned for the role included Rowan Atkinson
, Liam Cunningham, Mark McGann
(whose brother, Paul McGann
eventually got the role), Robert Lindsay
, Eric Idle
, Tim McInnerny
(who appeared in the 4th series of the new series of Doctor Who, in the episode Planet of the Ood
), Nathaniel Parker
, Peter Woodward
, John Sessions
(who later played Tannis in the audio drama Death Comes to Time
), Anthony Head
(who appeared in the 2nd series of the new series of Doctor Who, in the episode School Reunion
) and Tony Slattery
.
Ninth Doctor
Hugh Grant
has stated that he turned down the role and expressed his regret once he saw how the show turned out
Bill Nighy
was also rumoured to have been offered the role (and was erroneously claimed to have been cast), as was Eddie Izzard
after the Fourth Doctor
actor, Tom Baker
, publicly supported his potential casting.
Eleventh Doctor
According to a Sylvester McCoy
fansite, Robert Carlyle
was in discussions about the role. British bookmakers William Hill then reported that 85% of bets placed on who would be the Eleventh Doctor were bets for Robert Carlyle
. A spokesperson for the company said "At this stage it is difficult to tell if the bets are wishful thinking or based on insider knowledge". Robert Carlyle was no longer being considered for the role as he had been cast in the new Stargate series, Stargate Universe
.
Harry Lloyd
, who played Son of Mine in Family of Blood, impressed Russell T Davies with his performance so much that Davies stated that he would be suitable casting for the Doctor (even though Davies himself would not influence the casting of the Eleventh Doctor). Interestingly when David Tennant announced he was stepping down as the Tenth Doctor, Davies did not reiterate his preference of Harry Lloyd as the Eleventh Doctor but instead stated that Russell Tovey should become the Eleventh Doctor. Tovey had appeared in Doctor Who as Midshipman Frame alongside Tenth Doctor David Tennant in Voyage of the Damned and then reprising this role in a cameo for the Tenth Doctor swansong The End of Time.
On the 14th October 2008, it was widely reported on many websites that Paterson Joseph
was being considered
On 27 November 2008 an Australian newspaper reported a story hinting that Dutch/Australian actor David Knijnenburg
was under consideration for the part. Despite the highly speculative nature of the report, it was neither confirmed nor denied by the BBC or the actor himself and the story was picked up by other sources. Comparatively unknown outside Australia, his appointment seemed unlikely although he was favourably recommended by previous Doctor Sylvester McCoy
.
David Walliams
was in the race as well
Benedict Cumberbatch
was offered the role, but turned it down. He later went on to star in the TV series Sherlock, created by current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat
.
On 3 January 2009, the BBC aired an episode of Doctor Who Confidential
that revealed Matt Smith
as the Eleventh Doctor.
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. Here is a list of actors who have been linked to the role.
First DoctorFirst DoctorThe First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
Geoffrey BayldonGeoffrey Bayldon
Geoffrey Bayldon is a British actor. After playing roles in many dramas including Shakespeare, he became known for portraying the title role of the children's series Catweazle , after turning down the opportunity to play both the First and Second Doctors in the long-running BBC science fiction...
told Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
that he had declined the role. He would later play an alternative version of the First Doctor
First Doctor
The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
in two plays for the Doctor Who Unbound series of audio plays by Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
: Auld Mortality
Auld Mortality
Auld Mortality is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Doctor Who Unbound dramas pose a series of "What if...?" questions.-Plot:What if.....
(2003) and A Storm of Angels
A Storm of Angels
A Storm of Angels is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Doctor Who Unbound dramas pose a series of "What if...?" questions. A Storm of Angels is the sequel to the earlier Unbound play Auld Mortality.-Plot:What if.....
(2005). Furthermore, he played Organon in the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
serial The Creature from the Pit
The Creature from the Pit
The Creature from the Pit is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 27 October to 17 November 1979.-Synopsis:On the planet Chloris, metal is scarce....
(1979).
Hugh David
Hugh David
Hugh David was an actor turned television director. David was born in Aberystwyth, Wales. His directorial credits include Compact, Z-Cars, The Pallisers and Doctor Who, for which he directed two stories in the Patrick Troughton era...
was the choice of Rex Tucker
Rex Tucker
Rex Tucker was a British television director in the 1950s and 1960s.He was born in March in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. Amongst his work, he was a driving force during the formative stages of Doctor Who in 1963, acting as a caretaker producer prior to the arrival of Verity Lambert...
, who was the series' "caretaker producer" before the arrival of Verity Lambert. Verity rejected this idea on the grounds that at 38, Hugh was too young. David later became a director and, in that capacity, worked on the Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
serials The Highlanders
The Highlanders (Doctor Who)
The Highlanders is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 17 December 1966 to 7 January 1967....
(1966-7) and Fury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from 16 March to 20 April 1968...
.
Alan Webb
Alan Webb (actor)
-Biography and Career:Educated at Bramcote School, Scarborough, and RN Colleges Osborne and Dartmouth. He served in the Royal Navy.Webb's early days were spent performing with the Lena Ashwell Players , J. B. Fagan's Oxford Players , The Croydon Repertory Company , and the Old Vic-Sadler's Wells...
was then offered the role but declined, as did Cyril Cusack
Cyril Cusack
Cyril James Cusack was an Irish actor, who appeared in more than 90 films.-Early life:Cusack was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa, the son of Alice Violet , an actress, and James Walter Cusack, a sergeant in the Natal mounted police. His parents separated when he was young and his mother took...
.
Leslie French
Leslie French
Leslie Richard French was a British actor of stage and screen.French was primarily a theatre actor, as well as a director, singer and dancer, with a varied career that included the classics, musical revue, pantomime and ballet...
was considered for the role. He later appeared in the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
serial Silver Nemesis
Silver Nemesis
Silver Nemesis was the 25th anniversary serial of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast in the UK in three weekly parts from 23 November 1988, to 7 December 1988....
(1988) as Lady Peinforte's mathematician.
Second DoctorSecond DoctorThe Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
Rupert DaviesRupert Davies
Rupert Davies was a British actor. He remains best known for playing the title role in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of Maigret, based on the Maigret novels written by Georges Simenon....
, Valentine Dyall
Valentine Dyall
Valentine Dyall was an English character actor, the son of veteran actor Franklin Dyall. Dyall was especially popular as a voice actor, due to his very distinctive sepulchral voice, he was known for many years as "The Man in Black", narrator of the BBC Radio horror series Appointment With Fear.In...
and Michael Hordern
Michael Hordern
Sir Michael Murray Hordern was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War.-Personal life:...
were all approached for the role but none wanted to commit to a long-running series. Dyall would later play the Black Guardian
Black Guardian
The Black Guardian is a character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was played by Valentine Dyall....
in the television stories The Armageddon Factor
The Armageddon Factor
The Armageddon Factor is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 20 January to 24 February 1979...
(1979), Mawdryn Undead
Mawdryn Undead
Mawdryn Undead is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts from 1 February to 9 February 1983...
(1983), Terminus
Terminus (Doctor Who)
Terminus is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 15 to 23 February 1983...
(1983) and Enlightenment
Enlightenment (Doctor Who)
Enlightenment is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from March 1 to March 9, 1983...
(1983) and Slarn in the audio drama Slipback
Slipback
Slipback is a radio audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced by the BBC and first broadcast in six episodes on BBC Radio 4 from 25 July to 8 August 1985, as part of a children's magazine show called Pirate Radio Four...
(1985).
Third DoctorThird DoctorThe Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
Ron MoodyRon Moody
Ron Moody is an English actor.- Personal life :Moody was born in Tottenham, North London, England, the son of Kate and Bernard Moodnick, a studio executive. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother was a Lithuanian Jew. He is a cousin of director Laurence Moody and actress Clare...
was said to be the producers' choice after his success in "Oliver" but he turned down the role, which he later regretted.
Fourth DoctorFourth DoctorThe Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
Graham CrowdenGraham Crowden
Clement Graham Crowden was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his many appearances in television comedy dramas and films, often playing eccentric 'offbeat' scientist, teacher and doctor characters.-Early life:...
, who would later play Soldeed in The Horns of Nimon
The Horns of Nimon
-Outside references:The plot of this serial incorporates aspects of the story of Theseus and the Minotaur - a fact the Doctor comments on at the end of the last episode...
(1979-1980), turned down the role as he did not wish to commit himself to a long-term role, while Michael Bentine
Michael Bentine
Michael Bentine CBE was a British comedian, comic actor and founding member of the Goons. A Peruvian Briton by heritage as a result of his father's nationality, In 1971 Bentine received the Order of Merit of Peru because of his fund-raising work for the 1970 Great Peruvian...
turned down the role when the production team felt he wanted too much influence over the series' scripts. Other actors considered included Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
and Fulton Mackay
Fulton Mackay
Fulton Mackay OBE was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.-Early life:...
, who had previously played Dr. Quinn in Doctor Who and the Silurians
Doctor Who and the Silurians
Doctor Who and the Silurians is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from January 31 to March 14, 1970. The story is the first appearance of a recurring family of Earth-dwelling reptiles...
(1970).
Richard Hearne
Richard Hearne
Richard Lewis Hearne, OBE was an English actor, comedian, producer and writer. He was famous for his stage and television character Mr Pastry.-Career:...
was offered the role but his insistence that he play the part in the style of his 'Mr Pastry' character was not acceptable to the series' producer, Barry Letts
Barry Letts
Barry Leopold Letts was a British actor, television director, writer and producer best known for his work on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and for producing the BBC's Sunday Classic drama serials in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
. Also considered was "Carry On" actor Jim Dale
Jim Dale
Jim Dale, MBE is an English actor, voice artist, singer and songwriter. He is best known in the United Kingdom for his many appearances in the Carry On series of films and in the US for narrating the Harry Potter audiobook series, for which he received two Grammy Awards, and the ABC series Pushing...
.
Fifth DoctorFifth DoctorThe Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
Richard GriffithsRichard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
was considered by producers for the role when Tom Baker left.
Seventh DoctorSeventh DoctorThe Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
The final three actors considered for the role were Sylvester McCoySylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy is a Scottish actor. As a comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s, but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to...
, Ken Campbell
Ken Campbell (actor)
Kenneth Victor Campbell was an English writer, actor, director and comedian known for his work in experimental theatre...
and Chris Jury
Chris Jury
Chris Jury is an English actor/writer/director with a range of television credits. He is best known for his role as Eric Catchpole in the antique trade drama Lovejoy starring Ian McShane, which he played between 1986 and 1993...
. While Campbell's portrayal was considered too dark for the series, Jury was remembered by the production team and cast as Kingpin in 1988's The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 14 December 1988 to 4 January 1989.-Plot:...
.
Dermot Crowley
Dermot Crowley
Dermot Crowley is a Irish stage, film and television actor.-Career:Crowley's stage work has included a leading role in an Olivier Award winning production of Conor McPherson's The Weir, which played in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States in the late 1990s...
had also auditioned for the role.
Eighth DoctorEighth DoctorThe Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
Had the show continued past 1989, the producers were again considering Richard GriffithsRichard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
for the role of the Doctor.
Actors who auditioned for the role included Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
, Liam Cunningham, Mark McGann
Mark McGann
Mark McGann is an English actor, director and musician.- Acting career :McGann first appeared on stage in 1981 in the production Lennon at the Everyman Theatre and the London Astoria where he portrayed John Lennon, role which won him the first of his two Olivier Award nominations for best actor in...
(whose brother, Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
eventually got the role), Robert Lindsay
Robert Lindsay (actor)
Robert Lindsay is an English actor who is best known for his television work, especially his roles of Wolfie Smith in Citizen Smith, Michael Murray in G.B.H., Captain Sir Edward Pellew in Hornblower and Ben Harper in My Family which has been on television screens since 2000.-Early life:Lindsay was...
, Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
, Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny is an English actor. He is known for his role as Percy in Blackadder and Blackadder II, and as Captain Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth...
(who appeared in the 4th series of the new series of Doctor Who, in the episode Planet of the Ood
Planet of the Ood
"Planet of the Ood" is the third episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 19 April 2008. It features the return of the Ood, who appeared in the second series episodes "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit".The episode...
), Nathaniel Parker
Nathaniel Parker
Nathaniel Parker is an English actor best known for playing Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.-Personal life:...
, Peter Woodward
Peter Woodward
Peter Woodward is an English actor, stuntman and screenwriter. He is probably best known for his role as Galen in the Babylon 5 spin-offs Babylon 5: A Call to Arms, Crusade and Babylon 5: The Lost Tales....
, John Sessions
John Sessions
John Gibb Marshall , better known by the stage name John Sessions, is a Scottish actor and comedian. He is known for comedy improvisation in television shows such as Whose Line Is It Anyway?; as a panellist on QI; and as a character actor in numerous films, both in the UK and in Hollywood.-Early...
(who later played Tannis in the audio drama Death Comes to Time
Death Comes to Time
Death Comes to Time is a webcast audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced by the BBC and first broadcast in five episodes on the BBCi Cult website from 12 July 2001, accompanied by limited animation.-Synopsis:When two Time Lords are...
), Anthony Head
Anthony Head
Anthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
(who appeared in the 2nd series of the new series of Doctor Who, in the episode School Reunion
School Reunion (Doctor Who)
"School Reunion" is the third episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It first aired on 29 April 2006. The episode's narrative takes place some time after the events of "The Christmas Invasion"...
) and Tony Slattery
Tony Slattery
Anthony Declan James "Tony" Slattery is an English actor and comedian who has appeared on British television regularly since the mid 1980s, most notably as a regular on the Channel 4 improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway? As a film actor, both comedic and serious, his credits include The...
.
Ninth DoctorNinth DoctorThe Ninth Doctor is the ninth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by Christopher Eccleston....
Hugh GrantHugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
has stated that he turned down the role and expressed his regret once he saw how the show turned out
Bill Nighy
Bill Nighy
William Francis "Bill" Nighy is an English actor and comedian. He worked in theatre and television before his first cinema role in 1981, and made his name in television with The Men's Room in 1991, in which he played the womanizer Prof...
was also rumoured to have been offered the role (and was erroneously claimed to have been cast), as was Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
after the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
actor, Tom Baker
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker is a British actor. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role he played from 1974 to 1981.-Early life:...
, publicly supported his potential casting.
Eleventh DoctorEleventh DoctorThe Eleventh Doctor is the eleventh incarnation of the protagonist of the BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Matt Smith plays this incarnation, replacing David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in the 2010 episode "The End of Time, Part Two"...
According to a Sylvester McCoySylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy is a Scottish actor. As a comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s, but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to...
fansite, Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
was in discussions about the role. British bookmakers William Hill then reported that 85% of bets placed on who would be the Eleventh Doctor were bets for Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
. A spokesperson for the company said "At this stage it is difficult to tell if the bets are wishful thinking or based on insider knowledge". Robert Carlyle was no longer being considered for the role as he had been cast in the new Stargate series, Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
.
Harry Lloyd
Harry Lloyd
Harry Lloyd is an English actor. He played Will Scarlet in the first two seasons of the BBC drama Robin Hood which began in 2006...
, who played Son of Mine in Family of Blood, impressed Russell T Davies with his performance so much that Davies stated that he would be suitable casting for the Doctor (even though Davies himself would not influence the casting of the Eleventh Doctor). Interestingly when David Tennant announced he was stepping down as the Tenth Doctor, Davies did not reiterate his preference of Harry Lloyd as the Eleventh Doctor but instead stated that Russell Tovey should become the Eleventh Doctor. Tovey had appeared in Doctor Who as Midshipman Frame alongside Tenth Doctor David Tennant in Voyage of the Damned and then reprising this role in a cameo for the Tenth Doctor swansong The End of Time.
On the 14th October 2008, it was widely reported on many websites that Paterson Joseph
Paterson Joseph
-Career:Born in London. Attended Cardinal Hinsley R.C High School in North West London. Joseph first trained at the Studio '68 of Theatre Arts, London – 1983–85 with Robert Henderson, then at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art . In recent years he has had a high number of roles in...
was being considered
On 27 November 2008 an Australian newspaper reported a story hinting that Dutch/Australian actor David Knijnenburg
David Knijnenburg
David Albertus Trelawney Knijnenburg is an Australian stage, television and film actor, best known for playing Alfred Hitchcock in his stage production Hitchcock & Herrmann and in assorted roles in Twelfth Night Theatre's numerous stage adaptations of classic BBC television series such as Dad's...
was under consideration for the part. Despite the highly speculative nature of the report, it was neither confirmed nor denied by the BBC or the actor himself and the story was picked up by other sources. Comparatively unknown outside Australia, his appointment seemed unlikely although he was favourably recommended by previous Doctor Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy is a Scottish actor. As a comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s, but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to...
.
David Walliams
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
was in the race as well
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English film, television, and theatre actor. His most acclaimed roles include Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama Hawking ; William Pitt in the historical film Amazing Grace ; the protagonist Stephen Ezard in the miniseries thriller The Last Enemy ; Paul...
was offered the role, but turned it down. He later went on to star in the TV series Sherlock, created by current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
.
On 3 January 2009, the BBC aired an episode of Doctor Who Confidential
Doctor Who Confidential
Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly...
that revealed Matt Smith
Matt Smith (British actor)
Matthew Robert Smith is an English stage and television actor. He is known for his role as the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who, for which he received a BAFTA Award nomination in 2011....
as the Eleventh Doctor.