I was watching part of a Dr. Who episode and wondered what actors could have played Dr. Who. My favorite past Doctor was Davidson.
My list:
Male:
Morgan Freeman his list of various characters included the Supreme Being he is #1
Charles Laughton his Hunchback is amazing #2
Humphrey Bogart he played good guys, bad guys and not so good guys
James Cagney was multifaceted
Charley Chaplin: the Tramp says it all
Robin Williams in movies like Awakening, Dr Patch Jacob the Lier, and Mrs Doubfire
Dustin Hoffman: Little Big Man and Tootsie
Sean Connery despite his Scottish Nationalism
Cary Grant comic and straight man
Robert Preston: Music Man and Victor/Victoria among others. His vibrancy would add to the character.
Female: all because of multifaceted characters
Barbara Stanwyck
Katharine Hepburn
Sandra Bullock
you may add to or subtract from this list
shalimar
Note: we use Tardis techno;logy at Little Kids Kamp
Comments
Quirky breakthrough actors
In the time I've been watching Dr Who the choice of actor has been someone with plenty of character who is just breaking through (exceptions being Paul McGann for the 'movie', Christopher Eccleston and now Peter Capaldi).
It would have been interesting to see Chaplin as the Doctor, not if he played him as the tramp but by using a few of those elements with a new character.
I've seen a lot of american actors suggested on other forums and there is one name I have a hard time finding objections to, that is Jim Parsons aka Sheldon from Big Bang Theory
also
Michael Sheen
Georgia Moffett
Idris Elba
Hugh Laurie
Emma Thompson
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You can't choose your relatives but you can choose your family.
First name that occurred to
First name that occurred to me was Burgess Meredith.
My personal favourite would have been Oliver Reed, except that the police box might have had to make way for the Rose and Crown.
A female doctor? I'd go for Polly Walker ('Rome' and 'Caprica')
He Threw Me For a Loop
I never thought of Burgess Meredith, but he would be a great Doctor having played the Penguin in the Batman series of the 1960's and 70's. Another Penguin from a Batman who would be good would be Danny De Vito who was also excellent in Twins and Matilda. Speaking of Twins, The Govenator as the Doctor? Also Ben Kingsley.
Hmmmm.....
...Claude Rains?
Love, Andrea Lena
Sorry to be Nationalistic
But Dr Who is a British Institution so no American or foreign Actors/Actresses need apply.
The character needs to have a good deal of Eccentricism or Quirk to make it work. You have to take the part seriously in order to be able to laugh at yourself.
Try to imagine a 'method' actor playing this role? I can't.
My list of actors who would have IMHO made a great Doctor is:-
Cary Grant, nee Archie Leech born in Bristol. He could play a comic character with a straight face.
John Cleese and the Ministry of Silly Walks (I saw that being filmed in London)
The Big Yin a.k.a Billy Connolly.
Peter Ustinov. probably playing Hercule Pierot ruled him out.
That's about it.
{been watching Dr Who ever since the 1st episode}
you use TARDIS tech ?
okay, that's it. I'm going to Little Kids Kamp post-haste ...
The Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe
Mr Norman & Mrs Shelly Johnson have more sets of twin girls than the Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe had children. These parents would need Tardis technology for bedrooms, the dining room, space to be alone or with boyfriend, quiet space, a back yard (probably 100+acres) and especially bathrooms. Making sure they do their homework is always a challenge.
shalimar aka Mrs Shelly Johnson
Jerry Lewis
Whoooooooah-woh, with th' time vortex and the heart o' the TARDIS and the wibbly wobbly freund-laven please don't cut my head off Queen Elizabeth NICE LAAAAAAAADDDYY!
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
OK not really Jerry Lewis...
In fact toward the end of his tenure I would joke that given another season Matt Smith would complete his transformation into Jerry Lewis. I love cute and zany but between him and the writers I felt things were getting a little too much so. The new guy seems to promise a step away from that, I'm looking impatiently forward to the new season. I was actually OK with the ""unlikeable" 6th Doctor, he was a refreshing change of pace, except for his evil clown suit.
I really want to see a woman in the role, but who? Someone strong, intelligent, who can be a wicked smart-ass when it's called for, and compassionate. Emma Thompson might be good, even though she's not funny in most of her roles she can be. But here's a long shot candidate: Given her performances as Guinan on Star Trek Whoopie Goldberg could do all those, and given her penchant for weird hats I imagine she'd look pretty snazzy in a fez.
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
Sarah Millican for Dr Who
I was going to suggest Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde) to give the tardis decor a makeover but when it was pointed out the tradition of British eccentrics thought Sarah Millican who when criticized for the dress she wore to the BAFTAs replied she'd wear the same dress if she was invited again - Dr Who traditionally never changes clothes
Rhona McCloud
Playing the Dr, huh.
Well as someone said in a earlier post, Doctor Who is British, and even though they used a American actor to play the Master in the movie, I really doubt they would get an American actor to play the Dr. However, since the Dr., has a whole new regeneration cycle, we may get to see a woman playing the title role. Maybe.
Ellen Page
Yes, I acknowledge that she's not British, but she's Commonwealth.
And ... I just imagine her, post-regeneration, looking down, with a long pause. "Well. This is a bit of a surprise." Looks up. "And who are you?"
An episode or three with a nice large burly male companion, who the good Doctor then leaves behind upon discovering a more *appropriate* companion. :-)
Thing is, the Doctor (whoever he or she is represented by) *has* to come across as smart, witty, and caring. A lot of other things are possible, but ... can those three personality notes be left out? Ruthless, often enough, even *cruel*. Quirky, as noted, but any new Doctor is going to remember having been past doctors, after all. Wouldn't that guarantee a certain amount of both embarrassment and brazenness?
Amy!
For a really different..
Tom Baker was my doctor...
For a really different doctor - Mel Brooks. :-) Of course, the accent might be different as well...
Could you imagine a Hugh Jackman Doctor? We might see him singing and/or dancing. :-)
How about Hugh Laurie?
How about Katherine Hepburn? Given the number of parts she played... Or Virginia Stanwick?
It all depends on what you're looking for in a Doctor.
Annette
Without limitations on
Without limitations on Nationality:
Vincent Price
David Niven
Peter Cushing
Sidney Poitier
Glenn Close
Helen Hunt
Angela Lansbury
Shirley MacLaine (Not really, but she does have the whole regeneration thing down pat.)
Female Doctor
If not for the fact she's already played a large part in the series, Catherine Tate would make a great Doctor...although, I suppose she already has :)
Never let it be said that I don't enjoy the occasional delusion of grandeur
Blech
I couldn't stand Catherine Tate as a companion, I can't even think of her playing the Doctor.
Female Doctor
Don't forget that somewhere out there the Doctors daughter is alive giving a ready made female doctor. For male doctors Alan Cumming or Robert Carlyle would make a good choice , slightly eccentric with that hint of cruelty essential in a doctor.
devonmalc
female dr
I think Helena Bonham Carter would make for a interesting Dr, she's played a lot of different role types and i think would be a quirky Dr.
My Vote
Is for Helen Mirren, a fine actress who can do anything from the queen to a spy and is English to boot,
Joanne