Capaldi and Eccleston turned down role of the 8th Doctor in 1996
- Thread starter Candlelight
- Start date
IIRC, one of the other contenders for the 8th Doctor was Anthony Stewart Head. Of course, the following year, he was cast as Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He would later go on to other Doctor Who appearances on audios as well as playing the principal in the David Tennant episode "School Reunion."
So in a mirror universe, Peter Capaldi made a one-off appearance in the telemovie (before reprising the role for Night of the Doctor last year), while Paul McGann has just completed his first season in the role.
And in another one, Eccleston did the telemovie and NOTD, while Capaldi did one season in 2005 but refused to come back for Day of the Doctor.
And in another one, Eccleston did the telemovie and NOTD, while Capaldi did one season in 2005 but refused to come back for Day of the Doctor.
Different 'they' though. The people involved in casting the telefilm were not the same people who cast Eccleston or Capaldi (indeed, different people cast Eccleston and Capaldi). Indeed, Russell T. Davies specifically said that while he liked McGann's Doctor, his portrayal wouldn't have been right for RTD's depiction of the character.
Still, there's a nice kismet in how those actors eventually did end up playing the part.
The list of people who actually did script reading meetings for the 8th Doctor, let alone who were approached and not interested/available, or who were considered but crossed off on the basis of a tape (so not necessarily a tape of them actually working with a Who script, it might be a viewing of them in some other role, though McGann did his initial audition on tape, using an earlier World War II-set version of the script) is immense.
The Regeneration book has screen grabs of McGann, Christopher Bowen (Mordred in Battlefield) and John Sessions (GUS in Mummy on the Orient Express) reading; others who are listed as having done these reads include Timothy Bentinck, Rovert Lindsay, Tim McInnerney, Kevin McNally, Peter Woodward, Anthony Head, TonY Slatttery... you get the idea. And that's without including the people who were approached, or those (like Peter O'Toole - who'd probably have done it, as he said yes to playing Borusa when they were still using a script that featured him - David Warner, etc etc) who were on the list if they ended up going for an older Doctor...
One observation made is that al lot of the tapes see the actor playing the Doctor as 'Funny eccentric,' in the style of early McCoy or late-ish Tom, which is not what the producers wanted. Hence McGann.
The Regeneration book has screen grabs of McGann, Christopher Bowen (Mordred in Battlefield) and John Sessions (GUS in Mummy on the Orient Express) reading; others who are listed as having done these reads include Timothy Bentinck, Rovert Lindsay, Tim McInnerney, Kevin McNally, Peter Woodward, Anthony Head, TonY Slatttery... you get the idea. And that's without including the people who were approached, or those (like Peter O'Toole - who'd probably have done it, as he said yes to playing Borusa when they were still using a script that featured him - David Warner, etc etc) who were on the list if they ended up going for an older Doctor...
One observation made is that al lot of the tapes see the actor playing the Doctor as 'Funny eccentric,' in the style of early McCoy or late-ish Tom, which is not what the producers wanted. Hence McGann.
This is what Capaldi looked like in the 1990s. As a conventional British leading man, which is what they were looking for at FOX, I can totally see it.
http://pcnewspull.dtforum.netdna-cd...s/2014/03/tumblr_inline_myjw8uqFvi1qmlph5.png
Meanwhile, Eccleston looked like this. Honestly don't see it as much.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/incoming/ar...et-Him-Have-It-Christopher-Eccleston-1991.jpg
Mark
http://pcnewspull.dtforum.netdna-cd...s/2014/03/tumblr_inline_myjw8uqFvi1qmlph5.png
Meanwhile, Eccleston looked like this. Honestly don't see it as much.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/incoming/ar...et-Him-Have-It-Christopher-Eccleston-1991.jpg
Mark
Looks more like Michael Elphick to me.
Eccleston is in character there, of course, as a late 50s character with learning difficulties. If you look at him a couple of years later, in Cracker or Our Friends in the North (which he'd probably still have been making when they actually shot the TV movie), he doesn't look that different to his Doctor (well, in OFitN the character obviously ages 30 years, and goes through all the hairstyles of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, but...).
^ And in which he co-starred with Daniel Craig and Mark Strong. I'd never have guessed at the time that we were watching a future Doctor, a future James Bond and a future Sinestro.
It is Michael Elphick.
Some of those names are a little odd. Tony Slattery?
That's around the time Capaldi did Neverwhere, he's rather creepy in that. That also starred Paterson Joseph which is why I mentioned him, because watching it at the time Capaldi never leapt off the screen as a potential Who the way Paterson did (though now I can see it). I guess the notion of bringing the show back in the mid 90s with a non white actor would have been a step too far!
It seems an appropriate time ti repost this!
Some of those names are a little odd. Tony Slattery?
That's around the time Capaldi did Neverwhere, he's rather creepy in that. That also starred Paterson Joseph which is why I mentioned him, because watching it at the time Capaldi never leapt off the screen as a potential Who the way Paterson did (though now I can see it). I guess the notion of bringing the show back in the mid 90s with a non white actor would have been a step too far!
It seems an appropriate time ti repost this!
Basically they approached just about every working actor in Britain between the ages of 30 and 60 for the TVM - means nothing, really.
Debunk time! They were looking at lots of different possibilities, from different countries and ethnicites - all the way to Eddie Murphy. Yes. EDDIE MURPHY.
http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Eighth_Doctor
Mark
http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Eighth_Doctor
Mark
Much as I like Capaldi, I would probably prefer that universe.
I disagree. I don't think there's a single kind of Doctor that McGann couldn't pull off if asked. Although, I suppose McGann might have brought a bit too much of a natural likability that wouldn't have quite fit with Eccleston's occasional jerk tendencies. (But then, that was my least favorite part of Eccleston's Doctor anyway.)
He's got a kind of McGann-esque look to him in that photo anyway.
Now imagine him in an uncomfortable wig