It’s a big evening for Doctor Who fans, as the mystery of the 14th Doctor will finally be solved, but we’re also set to welcome the 15th Doctor, when Ncuti Gatwa takes over from David Tennant.
The role has been played by over a dozen actors, each bringing their own unique spin to the titular Time Lord, whether it was William Hartnell’s grumpiness, Tom Baker’s wonder or Jodie Whittaker’s sense of adventure. As we prepare to welcome Ncuti to the role, take a look at the other stars who have played a version of The Doctor.
William Hartnell
© Chris Ware
William Hartnell introduced the character and themes to audiences, including the TARDIS, the Daleks and the Cybermen, all the way back in 1963. His version of the character was a runaway from his home planet of Gallifrey who had settled on Earth alongside granddaughter Susan Foreman.
William would leave the show in 1966, due to his worsening arteriosclerosis, which was undiagnosed at the time, and disputes with the new production team. After the idea that The Doctor could regenerate was brought up, the actor shared his thoughts on who should replace him, saying: “There’s only one man in England who can take over, and that’s Patrick Troughton.”
Patrick Troughton
© ITV/Shutterstock
Patrick did indeed take over from William appearing at the end of The Tenth Planet, and he would go on to play the role until 1969. While William’s version of the character could be known for his short temper, Patrick’s incarnation was scruffier and more light-hearted.
The actor rarely gave interviews about his time on the show, and decided to depart after three series, after finding the work to be intense and the desire to avoid being typecast. However, he would make three further appearances on the show, appearing alongside the Third, Fifth and Sixth incarnations of the character.
Jon Pertwee
© Michael Webb
Jon Pertwee played the Third Doctor, with the series choosing to have the Time Lords exile the character to Earth, where he ended up as a scientific adviser to UNIT. During his run, the show examined the history behind the Time Lords and even introduced one of the series’ most iconic villains, The Master.
Jon played the character very differently from the previous stars, opting for a more action-oriented portrayal that was partially inspired by James Bond, and himself. During one interview, the actor quipped: “Doctor Who is me – or I am Doctor Who. I play him straight from me.”
Jon played the role between 1969 and 1974 before hanging up his coat, citing a desire to return to stage. However, in subsequent interviews the star said the reasons behind his departure came following the death of Roger Delgado, who played The Master, and the departure of Katy Manning, who played his companion, Jo Grant, and producer Barry Letts.
Tom Baker
© Anwar Hussein
For many, Tom Baker absolutely embodies The Doctor, and the wide-smiled incarnation often ranks among many fans’ favourites. The Fourth Doctor was known for his enthusiasm and anger at villains while the show expanded its own mythology with the introduction of Davros, the creator of the Daleks, who would go on to be one of The Doctor’s most noteworthy villains.
Tom’s reign as The Doctor is the longest of any actor, lasting from 1974 up until 1981. He criticised his final season on the show for having too many characters and relying on The Doctor too much, and has previously expressed thoughts he should have left the role one series earlier. However, the show still holds a special place in his heart, and he returned during the show’s 50th anniversary, playing a new character named The Curator.
In an interview about his time on the show, he shared: “When I was doing Doctor Who, it was the realisation of all my childhood fantasies… so I took to it like a duck to water, and I still do. Doctor Who was more important than life to me—I used to dread the end of rehearsal… that’s why I can’t stay away from it.”
Peter Davison
© Avalon
Peter Davison had big shoes to fill when he took over the role, but he filled them with ease and transformed the role into his own. While other Doctors had been more guarded with their emotions, Peter’s version expressed a more vulnerable side and felt a great sadness when his companions left, especially with the death of Adric in Earthshock.
Under the advice of previous star Patrick Troughton, Peter limited his time on the show to just three series, leaving in 1984, in order to avoid being typecast. Peter continues to have links to the show, with his daughter, Georgia Tennant, having played The Doctor’s ‘daughter’ in one episode, while his son-in-law is David Tennant, who plays the 10th and 14th incarnations of the character.
Colin Baker
© Larry Ellis Collection
The second Baker to play the role, Colin was known as the Sixth Doctor, with the character becoming more brash and flamboyant than previous incarnations, which received a mixed response from fans. Colin’s time as the Doctor was marked by internal battles within the BBC that led to the series going on an 18-month hiatus.
Even though he had signed a four-year contract, and had hinted at a desire to beat Tom Baker’s record stint in the role, Colin left in 1986, and due to being unimpressed by an offer from the BBC, he didn’t return to film his regeneration scene.
Sylvester McCoy
© Avalon
Sylvester McCoy entered the show in 1986 and played the Seventh Doctor until the BBC cancelled Doctor Who in 1989. The Seventh Doctor was a stark departure from his previous incarnation and while he had his whimsical moments, especially with his trademark umbrella, he was known for having a darker and more manipulative side.
Paul McGann
© 20th Tv/Universal Tv/Bbc/Kobal/Shutterstock
Paul McGann has only made fleeting appearances as the Eighth Doctor, appearing in Doctor Who: The Movie in 1996 and a short episode as part of the show’s 50th anniversary. This incarnation was described as passionate, enthusiastic, and eccentric, and has had much more development in audio dramas.
Christopher Eccleston
© Huw John/Shutterstock
When the BBC rebooted Doctor Who in 2005, Christoper Eccleston signed on to play the Time Lord’s Ninth incarnation. This version of the Doctor was more isolated than before after fighting off-screen in the Time War which seemingly wiped out the Time Lords. Christopher successfully reintroduced the show to audiences with the Daleks making a frightening return and his companion Rose Tyler is hailed as one of the show’s best.
Christopher has described his time on the show as “mixed” and expressed in an interview: “My relationship with my three immediate superiors – the showrunner, the producer and co-producer – broke down irreparably during the first block of filming and it never recovered.”
David Tennant
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David Tennant, who played the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors, is often hailed by fans as one of the best Doctors ever. The Tenth incarnation displayed much more of a romantic side, often forming strong bonds with other characters and while having a sense of joy, could often transform this into righteous anger. During his time on the show, Doctor Who reintroduced iconic villains like The Master and the Cybermen, while also introducing the Weeping Angels, and giving fans the fan-favourite companion, Donna Noble.
David returned to Doctor Who in a special episode, before being introduced as the show’s Fourteenth incarnation of the titular character, with the reason behind him re-adopting this face still a mystery. The character has similar mannerisms to the Tenth Doctor, especially his jokey nature with Donna.
David is due to depart the role in the 14 December, 2023 episode, but he first left the show in 2009 after expressing a desire to not “outstay” his welcome. “It would be very easy to cling on to the TARDIS console forever and I fear that if I don’t take a deep breath and make the decision to move on now, then I simply never will,” he explained.
Matt Smith
© Mediapunch/Shutterstock
Following David’s first departure from the role, Matt Smith took over the reins, introducing audiences to a more comedic Doctor, who also flashed moments of anger, especially when those close to him were harmed. Much like the Tenth Doctor, the Eleventh had numerous romantic encounters and expanded the show’s mythos after discovering that the Time Lords hadn’t perished in the Time War.
Matt departed the series in 2013, although he later expressed a regret at not remaining on the show for a further series.
Peter Capaldi
© Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA/Shutterstock
After a series of younger Doctors, Peter Capaldi took over the role and in a direct departure from his previous incarnation, this version of The Doctor was known for being spikier and belligerant, before later beginning to display a more selfless and softer side.
A lifelong fan of the show, Peter truly embodied the role, but decided to leave in 2017, sharing: “This could be my final year; it’s terrifying, I love Doctor Who but it can be an insular world and I do want to do other things. There will come a time when this is over, but I knew that when I started. I was thinking about my regeneration scene from the outset, that’s my terrible melancholic nature, when you accept the job you know there’ll come a day, inevitably, when you’ll be saying goodbye.”
Jodie Whittaker
© Gareth Everett/Huw Evans/Shutterstock
Jodie Whittaker was the first woman to take on the role of The Doctor, with her version of the character being a light-hearted adventurer who always strove for non-violent resolutions. Although never acted on, there was a hint at a romantic connection between The Doctor and companion Yaz Khan, and during her time on the show, the Time Lords were wiped out once again while The Doctor’s backstory was expanded on, being named as The Timeless Child who was always able to regenerate.
Jodie stepped down from the role in 2022, sharing that she was following the Doctor Who tradition of appearing in three series before leaving.
Ncuti Gatwa
© James Pardon
Ncuti will be the latest actor to take on the role, and we will be meeting his version of the character soon. Other than promotional images, we know next to nothing about the Fifteenth Doctor, other than appearing to be quite fashionable, changing his outfits on several occasions.
John Hurt
© WPA Pool
While all the actors before played numbered versions of the Time Lord, there have been two other actors to appear on-screen as the Time Lord. The first was veteran actor John Hurt, who played the War Doctor. This is the version of the Time Lord who fought in the Time War, ultimately regenerating into the Ninth Doctor.
This Doctor was more of a soldier and only briefly appeared in 2013 serial The Name of the Doctor, before making an appearance in the show’s 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor.
Jo Martin
© James Pardon
Jo Martin surprised audiences in 2020’s Fugitive of the Judoon when her meek character was revealed as a previously unknown incarnation of The Doctor. Dubbed the Fugitive Doctor, this version of the character was more battle-hardy and willing to use weapons. When the Timeless Child mythos was introduced to the show, it was confirmed that Jo was playing a version of the character that predated William Hartnell’s First Doctor.
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