Well as a colonial I'm not familar enough with the non-star-level UK actors to hazard an opinion outside the big obvious names already mentioned here [and which I'd say there's zero chance we'll get lol]... but in general terms I'd like an actor older than Smith and Tennant but still possessing at least most of the physical energy they present. I think the kinetic nature of 10 and 11 shouldn't be abandoned... Statham would be an interesting flashback to 9's style, but can he act anywhere near well enough for this role?
To be honest, it wouldn't have to be her - her character has The Doctors DNA - she could easily have regenerated. The Whoniverse seems to be collecting spare Doctors - Tenants half human incarnation is still around in an alternate reality, at least for the next few weeks. I wonder if that reality (previously Doctorless) could be the Cushing movie reality, that Doctor having failed to regenerate along the way ? I can imagine a Tardis materialising in front of Tenant '2' and an aged dying Baker or Davison tumbling out...
A bittersweet last Doctor would be the only American who could pull off the role-- Gene Wilder. He already played a Time Lord as Willy Wonka--right down to his Wonkavator Tardis I love Johnny Depp, but Wilder would be my choice. In the last scene, I see the light atop the Tardis light up, and it and the roof only disappears. The four walls of the Tardis fall away like petals. It was always just an empty box. They fade from view as they fall. Lastly, just the square pedestal of the Tardis reamins. On it is a single word: GOODBYE roll credits
Another interesting flashback to 9's style would be Idris Elba, and I think he could contain the kinetic energy that Smith and Tennant do too. Would e the perfect mix. That'd be quite a good way for the doctor to die. I'd want a Brit to be the last doctor though. Really I think at the end of the day doctor who is a British thing, to deliberately have an American one wouldn't really gel well with a lot of Brits. I'm not saying completely avoid an actor if he's American, I'm saying don't go for an American actor for the sake of him being American. It would also make sense for the American actor to put on a British accent too. David Tennant is Scottish, but he put on an English accent and Scotland's in Britain, so why shouldn't an American do the same? For the final doctor, I'd like just a good standard doctor. No female doctors or any nonsense like that. What I'd do foe the thirteenth doctors dying episode is basically do what you suggested, but a nice moment that'd make the moment even sadder would be that the doctor is on an alien planet, but he has his companion with him, so she'd (or he'd) be stranded there. But eventually, I'd bring the doctor back for his fourteenth incarnation. Maybe before the thirteenth doctor dies I'd have the timelords resurrected, and they've brought him back to help them as there's another time war, and the 14th doctors first series would be all about preventing this new time war. The doctor would also try and bring his companion back home as he feels like he owes her. That way, they could continue with the series, and there could be up to 26 doctors now instead of just 13. Or maybe the timelords would just give him about three new lives. After all, we can't really go for 100 doctors now can we?
He's currently tied up on Elementary right now, but it just hit me tonight that Johnny Lee Miller would make (I think) a good Doctor. He could even maintain his persona he has on Elementary, he's a very eccentric type who exhibits many of the Doctor's personality traits. I would however have him shave and put on a more fitting outfit.
I didn't do that well, I just thought that was a funny clip to show someone who didn't know who he was and in relation to his potential casting as the 12th Doctor.
Frontios, Mawdryn Undead, Caves of Androzani, Enlightenment, Earthshock, Kinda, Snakedance and Warriors of the Deep (Certainly memorable!). Great and memorable era.
You're on the internet. It would have taken you five minutes to Google him and look at his pictures and filmography.