What is it about Paterson Joseph?

[23skidoo]

I'm going to preface this by saying this is not intended to be a thread over whether the Doctor should change race or gender the next time he regenerates. That argument gets people riled up and I'd rather that be saved for another thread, or TNZ.

It's also not meant as a knock against Paterson Joseph, who I'm sure is a talented actor and nice guy.

The thing is as you read elsewhere, the media and fandom are knee-jerking (again... ) over some random comment Matt Smith made that he might look at trying to do some Hollywood stuff after he finishes the next season of Doctor Who. (That is ALL he said - he never said "after I leave Doctor Who"; read the quotes for yourself.) So of course, as is traditional, the whole "who will be the next Doctor" question has arisen again.

This blog is first out of the gate, it seems, in reviving that old chestnut that a) the next Doctor should be black and b) the next Doctor should be played by Paterson Joseph.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowan..._hollywood_could_paterson_josephs_name_re-eme

Put aside a) per my disclaimer above. What I want to know is - who is Paterson Joseph and why is everyone so gaga over the guy? I'm in Canada - I've never heard of him outside of his appearances in The Parting of the Ways. Yet the way people carry on about him, you'd think he was Heath Ledger reincarnated. I've read comments by people who were so convinced he was going to be cast (even though by all accounts he was never in the running) that they weren't able to accept Matt Smith.

He's almost the "anti-Catherine Tate" in a way. Just as no one outside the homeland knew her from Adam, while everyone inside the UK treated her casting as Donna Noble with fear and trembling, the same sort of applies with this guy, except in this case people are treating him, it seems, as the "only logical choice" for the part. I wasn't particularly impressed with him in the Daleks story, and I don't really see a need to invoke the "Colin Baker as Maxil" rule with him either. Personally I'd go for Adrian Lester of Hustle first if I were casting the Doctor in that direction (Lester also has some additional US cachet thanks to AMC airing Hustle for a while). And I'm sure there are plenty of other black actors in the UK - including women, thanks to The Doctor's Wife - who would be good choices if they went that route. Why fixate on Paterson Joseph?

Alex

 

[Sindatur]

I've only seen Paterson Joseph in Survivors and in Doctor Who. I reallly enjoyed him in Survivors and based upon that character, I could easily see him as the Doctor.

 

[OmahaStar]

I don't really see a need to invoke the "Colin Baker as Maxil" rule

It's a great rule! Live with it!

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Most people want Patterson Joseph because of his role in Neverwhere:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHpYWy89yVU

It was eminently Doctor-ish in its day, being a great rendition of the foppish, eccentric Victorian adventurer stereotype (and PJ did it VERY well in that show). IMO though, the Doctor role has been re-redefined since then by three wonderful actors, where the Doctor doesn't HAVE to be the foppish, eccentric Victorian adventurer stereotype that most fans believed the Doctor would be in the years between the old and current series (and the Eighth Doctor's personality nonwithstanding).

PJ is a wonderful actor, but IMO he'd be at the older end for what the show needs these days (that, and Neverwhere was in 1996). The current series seems to like younger men for the kids to relate to. Tennant was just great as a mid-30s looking Doctor; Smith is far younger but pulls off the absent-minded professor thing so well to look NOT in his 20s no matter how hard you peer at him.

Mark

 

[Starkers]

Three words.

Marquis de Carabas

Although in fairness that was 15 years ago

As for him being cast as Who after Tennant, well even one of his Survivors castmates made a play of saying he'd been cast during one interview, though I can't help wondering if it was intentional misdirection, or just the actor in question extracting the urine.

I'm not sure about Adrian Lester as the Doctor, I like him as an actor, just not sure he's quirky enough to play the Doctor.

On a semi related note, the 15th anniversary DVD/bluray of Neverwhere is coming out soon apparently...Yay!

 

[Starkers]

Oops, sorry Mark!

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

WTF?! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!!

Ahh, Halloween.

 

[CaptainWacky]

He's just the Doctor. He didn't make the needle sharp.

 

[Silent_Bob]

Marquid De Carabas and to a lesser extent, Alan Johnson are two roles he's played that show he can go from energetic and happy to rather sinister in seconds.

His skin colour is irrelevant, Patterson Joseph should be a Doctor because he's an excellent actor. And i want to be able to say "Johnson!?!" the first time he appears on screen.

 

[Sandoval]

I don't see him as a leading man. He's watchable enough but while he is a good supporting actor, he is firmly a supporting actor and not someone who can carry a major series like Doctor Who as the lead.

Compare this with someone like Idris Elba who began as a supporting actor in The Wire and quickly progressed to 'leading man' status in Luthor. Patterson Joseph has been in a lot of things in supporting roles and while I like what I see, I don't see a man with the presence to carry a series himself.

 

[captcalhoun]

personally, i don't get it either. people have fixated on him to a ridiculous degree, just as people thuoght CT would be playing Lauren in Who which was equally daft.

if i was going to cast the new doctor, i'd sooner cast Tom Chambers or another relative unknown.

 

[Skellington]

It could be that the PJ boat sailed with the casting of Matt Smith.

Idris Elba for Twelve.

 

[Starkers]

Nah Elba's great but not as Who, make a better 007!

And Tom Chambers? Hmm, can't really see it, but then I think Bradley James might do a good job in a few years time so what do I know!

 

[Sandoval]

Elba is too physically intimidating for the role.

 

[Skellington]

Nah Elba's great but not as Who, make a better 007!

From a recent interview:

Elba was asked if he would "get in the cab" to Bond studio Sony's office to talk about the role. "I'd not only get in the cab," he said, "but I'd take the taxi driver out of the car, hostage. The taxi: jump out while it was moving, jump on to a pedal bike that was just past the door as I got on it, and then get on a plane – on the wing – land on top of Sony Studios, slide through the air conditioning, and land in the office." For good measure, Elba added: "I'm never shaken or stirred."

Elba is too physically intimidating for the role.

I don't know. Colin Baker's Doctor could be a bit of a brawler. Maybe it's once again time for a Doctor who looks like he could beat the cr*p out of you.

 

[Sandoval]

Gerard Butler is Bond.

 

[Skellington]

Hugh Jackman wants his job.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I like Joseph in Peep Show, as the demented Johnson. But I've never really cared for most of his other performances. Perhaps it's because I expect him to be like Johnson (though I've been able to accept the other Peep Show actors in other roles). I actively disliked his performance in Jekyl.

As has been said, I think if he was ever in the running to be DW, that time has passed. I'm also in the 'cast an unknown/little known actor next time out' camp.

 

[Bacl]

As others have said, Joseph had momentum from his role in Neverwhere, which was Doctor Whoish.

Many rumored that Joseph had auditioned and was the front runner, but that because he was an experienced actor he would have required too high a pay. Matt Smith was rumored to have gotten the job not just because he is a damn fine Doctor, but also because he signed a contract where he'd be paid in peanuts and jammy dodgers.

 

[auntiehill]

I ADORE Paterson Joseph. He was great in Neverwhere and just wonderful in Survivors. I find him very appealing; when he's on screen, I can't take me eyes off of him. I don't know how you'd define "star power" but I think he definitely has it. When I watch him, I just feel that there's something special about him. YMMV, of course, but I think, because of his shorter, slender build, great voice and his great range as an actor, he'd make a great Doctor Who.

I love Idris Elba, too, but I don't see him in something as potentially light-hearted as Who. He has a very intimidating, intense presence and he's better suited for roles like Luther or, as mentioned, something Bond-like.