List of actors considered for the part of the Doctor

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 and A Storm of Angels

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 youngDWM 391 - Verity Lambert obituary]

Alan Webb was then offered the role but declined, as did Cyril Cusack

"Second Doctor"

Rupert Davies, Valentine Dyall & Michael Horden were all approached for the role but none wanted to commit to a long-running series. [http://www.denofgeek.com/television/40456/who_couldve_been_who_an_alternate_history_of_doctor_who.html]

"Third Doctor"

Ron Moody was said to be the Producers choice after his success in "Oliver" but he turned down the role [http://www.denofgeek.com/television/40456/who_couldve_been_who_an_alternate_history_of_doctor_who.html]

"Fourth Doctor"

Graham Crowden turned down the role as he did not wish to commit himself to a long-term role [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0189561/bio Graham Crowden - Biography ] ] , 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 [ [http://www.gallifreyone.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=EkEuyuVApFYXtWLbWR&tmpl=newsrss&style=feedstyle Outpost Gallifrey: Doctor Who RSS News Feed ] ] and Fulton Mackay.

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.

"Fifth Doctor"

Richard Griffiths was considered by producers for the role when Tom Baker left. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/faces/richard_griffiths.shtml BBC - Drama Faces - Richard Griffiths ] ]

"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.

"Eighth Doctor"

Had the show continued past 1989, the Producers were again considering Richard Griffiths for the role of the Doctor.

When the role of the Eighth Doctor finally did become available for the 1996 American TV movie, the following actors were initially considered by Producers:

Michael Crawford, Tim Curry, Eric Idle, Trevor Eve, Billy Connolly, Michael Palin, Robert Lindsay and Jonathan Pryce.

Actors who auditioned for the role included Rowan Atkinson, Liam Cunningham, Mark McGann (whose brother, Paul McGann eventually got the role), Robert Lindsay, 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, Anthony Head (who appeared in the 2nd series of the new series of Doctor Who, in the episode "School Reunion" ) and Tony Slattery. [Segal, Philip; Gary Russell (2000). Doctor Who:Regeneration. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-710591-6. ]

"Ninth Doctor"

Hugh Grant has stated that he turned down the role and expressed his regret once he saw how the show turned out [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a43067/hugh-grant-to-appear-in-doctor-who.html Cult - News - Hugh Grant to appear in 'Doctor Who'? - Digital Spy ] ]

Bill Nighy was also rumoured to have been offered the role [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2003/10/06/7221.shtml BBC - Doctor Who (David Tennant and Billie Piper) - News ] ] , as was Eddie Izzard after The Fourth Doctor actor, Tom Baker, publicly supported his potential casting. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2003/10/06/7221.shtml BBC - Doctor Who (David Tennant and Billie Piper) - News ] ]

"Tenth Doctor"

Though the tabloids claimed Bill Nighy was offered the role once again, he stated in an interview that he has never been offered the job. [http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/nighy%20eyes%20doctor%20who%20role_1059948 Bill Nighy - Nighy Eyes Doctor Who Role ] ]

"Eleventh Doctor"

James Nesbitt has been named as a potential Doctor in the British media. [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a69179/nesbitt-to-become-next-doctor.html Cult - News - Nesbitt to become next Doctor? - Digital Spy ] ] This rumour started after he starred in Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat's series "Jekyll" and at the time Steven Moffat was being suggested as a replacement for Russell T Davies should he retire as Executive Producer of the series. This was before it was announced that Steven Moffat was to write the scripts for a trilogy of "Tintin" films for directors Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. However it has been announced that in 2010, Moffat will be the Executive Producer of Doctor Who, making James Nesbitt a more likely candidate.

Robert Carlyle is in discussions about the role according to Sylvester McCoy's website. British bookmakers William Hill 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" [ [http://www.williamhillmedia.com/index_template.asp?file=10285 Who Will Be Next Dr Who? | William Hill Press Office ] ]

Bill Nighy has stated he would love to take over from Tennant once he leaves if the producers approach him.

David Walliams is another name thrown out to play the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor. [ [http://www.askmen.com/men/entertainment_250/287_david_walliams.html David Walliams - AskMen.com ] ]

Harry Lloyd, who played Son of Mine in Family of Blood, reportedly impressed Russell T Davies with his performance so much that he put him on the list of potential candidates. However, now that Davies has announced his retirement from the show, it is less likely that Lloyd will get the part. [ [http://www.pr-inside.com/new-doctor-who-unveiled-r207167.htm NEWS NEW DOCTOR WHO UNVEILED Music, movie & Entertainment News ] ]

According to Russell T Davies' book "Doctor Who: The Writers Tale", the 2009 Christmas special is called The Next Doctor and co-stars David Morrissey; [http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/breaking-news/2008/07/04/liverpool-actor-david-morrissey-could-be-next-doctor-who-64375-21227910/] Davies' book seems to suggest that Morrissey is playing a future incarnation of The Doctor [http://www.kasterborous.com/news.asp?id=1795] .

References