Predict who will be cast as the 12th Doctor

[Starkers]

Eccleston was very well known, quite a coup really. I’d never seen Tenannt in anything but I think he was on a few people’s radar, depended if you’d watched Casanova or not really. Smith had done a few things, and he had some cop show that came out just after he was cast as well.

 

[Venardhi]

I was under the impression Eccleston got the job pretty much just because RTD had worked with him before on Second Coming, liked him, and wanted to work with him again.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I was under the impression Eccleston got the job pretty much just because RTD had worked with him before on Second Coming, liked him, and wanted to work with him again.

Other way round. Eccleston approached RTD about Doctor Who because he'd enjoyed working on The Second Coming. RTD had thought that Eccleston was out of the production's league. Ironic, as RTD had already offered the role to Hugh Grant who had turned it down.

 

[Pingfah]

Hmm never heard of The Second Coming. Looks very interesting, I will watch that.

 

[Starkers]

Eccleston was great and I wouldn’t not wanted to have had him play the Doctor, but the idea of Hugh Grant always will intrigue me.

 

[PorthosShadow]

Eccleston was great and I wouldn’t not wanted to have had him play the Doctor, but the idea of Hugh Grant always will intrigue me.

I've never been a huge fan of Hugh Grant but I'm as intrigued by the possibility. I know it's unlikely to ever happen but still intriguing never the less.

 

[Green Lantern]

I think Hugh Grant wouldn't have pulled it off anywhere near as good as Eccleston. Still could have been an okay doctor, but Eccleston was just amazing. If Eccleston stayed a while longer, I wouldn't be surprised if he was my favourite doctor. Leather jackets are cool.

 

[Sindatur]

There aren't many actors that I detest watching, but Hugh Grant is one of them and I am very grateful he never played the Doctor.

There are other actors, such as Johnny Depp or Tom Cruise who I don't think much of personally, but, as actors, I have enjoyed many of their characters. Hugh Grant goes well beyond this though, for some reason he just rubs me totally the wrong way

 

[RevdKathy]

If we're pulling big names out of left field (Like Pierce Brosnan) can I suggest Colin Firth?

Yes, I know he's much too big a name and all that. But I'd love to see what he'd make of the role.

 

[JRoss]

Why do people keep wanting Idris Elba? The dude is brutish. He is Luthor and Heimdall. I like him but he could never play the Trickster. I also have never seen what others appear to see in Stephen Fry. He has a pleasant smile and seems kind of clever, but I get no real charm from him. Hugh Laurie is not on my list, as hewore out his welcome overacting on House.

This might be petty but I couldn't watch Paterson Joseph for the simple fact that he has a name that reads like a phone book listing.

I would like Linus Whatshisname from Law and Order.

 

[Sci]

And then what are you going to do?

One of the things to remember about casting people is this: Much of the time, there is a point at which your casting choices become somewhat arbitrary. I've cast or helped cast theatrical productions, and often you hit a point where neither Actor A nor Actor B are truly "better" than one-another. You have to make a choice, so you go with your instinct, and it's probably a bit arbitrary.

If the Doctor Who team were to make an effort to find the best actors out there who are not white Englishmen, obviously they would have to pick one person, and at some point their choice may well be somewhat arbitrary. That's okay. The goals would be to find a great actor, and to break out of the mindset that one should see "white English male" as the "default" setting.

So if they then choose the white Welshman over the black Englishman this is ok because at least they've broken out of the default setting of a white Englishman? I mean seriously is a white Welsh or Scotsman really that different from a white Englishman?

I don't know, is there a difference between the dominant ethnicity and two minority ethnicities with their own distinct languages and active separatist groups?

I'd love to see the casting call as well, and I'd love for a white English actor to then take, perfectly justifiable, umbridge.

It is not justifiable if the Twelfth Doctor character is conceived of as being a minority. No white actor would be justified in taking umbrage at not being cast as Captain Benjamin Sisko. No black actor would be justified in taking umbrage at not being cast as Tony Soprano. Etc.

No, it needs to be the best person for the job or the person cast risks having no credibility,

Again, I reject this notion that there's usually a such thing as one particular "best person for the job." More than likely there are going be multiple "best persons for the job" who would all be equally right in different ways. And if you're not making a special effort to find that caliber of quality in minority populations, you're probably only ever going to find that level of quality within the majority population.

 

[Venardhi]

I would like Linus Whatshisname from Law and Order.

Linus Roache has been on my list for a while too.

 

[stoneroses]

Ben Danials has been linked now I see. At 48 would certainly be different. I would not be surprised that when he is anounced it will be a surprise like last time. Who ever it is will already have been signed up by now.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

The good news of reading everyone's suggestions is I now believe ANYONE could be cast as the Doctor.

 

[Starkers]

One of the things to remember about casting people is this: Much of the time, there is a point at which your casting choices become somewhat arbitrary. I've cast or helped cast theatrical productions, and often you hit a point where neither Actor A nor Actor B are truly "better" than one-another. You have to make a choice, so you go with your instinct, and it's probably a bit arbitrary.

If the Doctor Who team were to make an effort to find the best actors out there who are not white Englishmen, obviously they would have to pick one person, and at some point their choice may well be somewhat arbitrary. That's okay. The goals would be to find a great actor, and to break out of the mindset that one should see "white English male" as the "default" setting.

So if they then choose the white Welshman over the black Englishman this is ok because at least they've broken out of the default setting of a white Englishman? I mean seriously is a white Welsh or Scotsman really that different from a white Englishman?

I don't know, is there a difference between the dominant ethnicity and two minority ethnicities with their own distinct languages and active separatist groups?

I'd love to see the casting call as well, and I'd love for a white English actor to then take, perfectly justifiable, umbridge.

It is not justifiable if the Twelfth Doctor character is conceived of as being a minority. No white actor would be justified in taking umbrage at not being cast as Captain Benjamin Sisko. No black actor would be justified in taking umbrage at not being cast as Tony Soprano. Etc.

No, it needs to be the best person for the job or the person cast risks having no credibility,

Again, I reject this notion that there's usually a such thing as one particular "best person for the job." More than likely there are going be multiple "best persons for the job" who would all be equally right in different ways. And if you're not making a special effort to find that caliber of quality in minority populations, you're probably only ever going to find that level of quality within the majority population.

Their own separate languages? Interesting. That’ll be Welsh (which approx. 20% of Welsh people actually speak) and Gaelic, which just over 1% of Scots speak (going by 2001 census info, it’s probably gone up but not by much). By your definition you’d reject someone from Cornwall yet they have their own distinct language and active separatist groups…but they’re also English. I’m curious as well about your concerns for the nationality of the actor vs. the portrayal. So the fact that Tennant is actually Scottish is irrelevant because he’s putting on a cockney accent. Does this mean it’d be acceptable if we have an English actor who puts on a Scot’s accent? I’m guessing no, but it’s amusing to see the knots you tie yourself into.

I’m not disputing that if the 12th Doctor is conceived as being a minority from the outset this is a problem, so long as this is made clear during the casting process that they’re looking for a black or south Asian actor I have no issue. It’s when you get into the muddy waters of no white Englishman but if you’re Welsh and Scottish that’s ok that I see a problem, because frankly at times that kind of ethnicity is a very subjective thing. You just have to look at how many footballers who are technically one nationality but play for another because their grandfather was Scottish/Irish/English…. Just look at Owen Hargreaves born in Canada, English father, Welsh mother.

It’s interesting as well that you bring up Sisko given that my understanding was always that Sisko’s ethnicity was not set in stone, and that Avery Brooks auditioned against people of all colours, but then part of the reason DS9 is my joint favourite Trek series is because ethnicity doesn’t seem to have been an issue during casting, and because of that we got perhaps the most diverse and natural seeming crew of all and the only white man in the main cast (not in makeup) is the curmudgeonly Irish guy! DS9 is the very antithesis of a cast hired by committee/to tick boxes, so very different to how it’d be just a few years later. “Black guy who won’t do much, check. Asian girl, check, chick with big tits, check, handsome white guy, check, check, check…beagle, er check…”

I hope the next Doctor is Black or South Asian, I'd just prefer it if he beat a bunch of white guys to get there. Of course whatever he (or she) is I’ll keep watching.

 

[Classic Fan]

So we seem to be on personal choices.

So, here's my choice. He was my favourite back I 2008/9 to replace Tennant. He was also my choice for Bond in 2004/5 when they were replacing Brosnan.

He has a quirky look, could carry off the Doctor well, fantastic actor, British. 45, but looks younger.

Everyone will probably know him as Count Adhemar from A Knights Tale, or Adam from Abe Lincoln: vamp hunter, or even Jacob Hood from the aptly named show, Eleventh Hour.

Rufus Sewell.





Tried to find the most Docor-esque shots.

 

[Photoman15]

Obviously, it should be Gordon Ramsey. He already has 6 current shows, why not make it 7?

Or Stephen Hawking.

 

[Avon]

i predict the 12th doctor will be played on alternating episodes by Helen Mirren and The Undertaker

 

[Starkers]

That's ridiculous, HHH would be a far better choice!

Actually given he's contractually obliged to be in every British TV show ever made, I'm surprised Tom Ellis' name hasn't been mentioned

 

[Green Lantern]

Tom Ellis could work actually. Although I remember he was is last of the timelords. Andrew Lee Potts is another actor who could work. Although he's al ready too well known as Conner is primeval.