14 Candidates to Play the Fourteenth Doctor

The Doctor is one of the most sought-after roles on British TV. Whenever the role becomes available the British media goes into a fever pitch with speculation over who the next Doctor could be. Actors usually play the Doctor for three seasons so it’s likely the role will be available in the near future.

The Doctor is one of the most unique roles on TV. There are no restrictions on age, gender, race, or class and after a regeneration The Doctor’s personality gets reset. Since the revival of Doctor Who, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi have had prolific careers after their tenures as The Doctor, whilst Jodie Whittaker was an established career before becoming The Doctor.

The main criteria for an actor to play the character are a sense of fun, being otherworldly, and have dramatic ability. So here are 14 actors who should have the skills to play the Fourteenth Doctors.

Adeel Akhtar

Kicking off this list is Adeel Akhtar. Akhtar is an accomplished actor in the UK. He has appeared in numerous films and TV shows like Four Lions, The Night Manager, and Pan. He was nominated for a BAFTA for his role in Utopia and won the Best Actor in a TV Movie for Murdered by My Father.

Akhtar has plenty of experience in sitcoms and comedies and he has often played sleazy characters. In the BBC/PBS version of Les Misérables, he was utterly detestable as Monsieur Thénardier. It shows how good an actor Akhtar was if you can despite his character so much.

Akhtar has the comedic chops to play The Doctor and his experience as seedy characters means he can a morally ambiguous version of the character. Or he can at least play a version of The Doctor who has gift of the gab and able to talk his way out of situations.

Richard Ayoade

Richard Ayoade is often considered a candidate to play The Doctor and he wouldn’t be a bad candidate. His candidacy is due to his public persona where he has a quirky personality. Ayoade has acted as the host on shows like Travel Man and The Crystal Maze and he often has a dry wit.

Ayoade’s best-known acting role was as Moss in The I.T. Crowd where he played a socially inept geek. This is the other major reason why he is considered a candidate to play The Doctor.

Ayoade’s version of The Doctor would just be an exaggerated version of himself. He would be nerdy, witty, and socially awkward. Ayoade’s comedic delivery would fit The Doctor and I could picture his Doctor being so focused on something that he would be oblivious to his surroundings.

However, Ayoade has moved away from acting and he has become more focused on voice acting and presenting. His most recent acting role was in the indie drama The Souvenir and he hasn’t had a TV role since a 10-minute special of The Vicar of Dibley. He is also a filmmaker; he has made two indie films and numerous music videos. So it might be a case where he wouldn’t interested in the role.

Aisling Bea

Aisling Bea is a popular actress and stand-up comedian from the Emerald Isle and she has been remarkably successful in the UK and Ireland. She is a talented stand-up and a regular on panel shows like QI and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Her acting career has also been successful: she has often appeared in sitcoms and the occasional drama. She even stars alongside Paul Rudd in Netflix’s Living with Yourself.

Bea made her first show in 2019 with the comedy-drama This Way Up. She played an Irish woman living in London who recently had a wee bit of a breakdown. In the show Bea was witty and had a kind heart as she helped people out, but also got overwhelmed and has personal issues. Bea could bring these qualities to The Doctor by making the character humorous but also harbours a darkness.

Bea is an intelligent woman, she has a degree in French and Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin, but on panel shows Bea has been a bit ditzy. It would be a characteristic she could transplant onto The Doctor and it could result in enemies of The Doctor underestimating her.

If Bea did get the role I would like if she wore a similar costume to the one she wore on Taskmaster. It would be fun to see an attractive woman dress in formal, masculine clothes.

Matt Berry

A trait The Doctor has always been confident and usually arrogant. An actor who has mastered these traits and would make for a great Doctor. Berry is best known as a comedic actor, appearing in numerous comedic shows. Berry first gained recognition for his role as Douglas Reynholm in The IT Crowd, the boss with confidence and swagger.

Since The I. T. Crowd Berry has appeared in numerous shows in the UK and US. He won a BAFTA for his lead role in Toast of London and clearly in leading roles on FX’s What We Do In the Shadow and Channel 4’s Year of the Rabbit. Berry has also moved into voice acting like in Disenchantment where his character started off as a pompous arse but showed humility when he turned into a pig. Berry has done some occasional serious roles like in the BBC dramatisation Five Daughters.

Berry could bring back the showmanship that has been lacking during the Whittaker run. Berry is also a musician and he could use those skills with his Doctor, like The Second Doctor’s flute playing and The Twelve Doctor was a guitarist.

Gemma Chan

Hailing from London Gemma Chan has become a prominent actress on film and TV. The role that made her name was Mia in Channel 4/AMC’s sci-fi drama Humans where her character evolved from an artificial intelligence who had her mind erased to a civil rights activist. Chan was playing a robot so had to speak in a monotone but was still able to convey emotions due to her relationships with her Sync family and the Hawkins. She was also pretty badass in the role, whether it was saving the youngest member of the Hawkins family from getting hit by a van, or leading a march down the streets of London.

Outside of Humans Chan has appeared in dramas and comedies, indie films, and blockbusters. In Secret Diaries of a Call Girls where she played a tough dominatrix. Whovians wouldn’t want The Doctor to be a sex worker, Chan could still play The Doctor as a no-nonsense character who takes control of any situation. She can be the hardnosed version of The Doctor.

There are two issues with Chan becoming The Doctor. The first is she has already played a character in the special “The Waters of Mars.” Yet, that hasn’t stopped other actors having one-off roles and then getting cast as regular characters. The other roadblock is Chan’s career in Hollywood is starting to take-off. She has already appeared in films like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Transformers: The Last Knight, and Captain Marvel, and she is set to appear in the Marvel film Eternals.

Angus Imrie

Angus Imrie is the most left-field candidate to make it onto this list but there is a good reason why he could make a great Doctor. Imrie is a young actor, he is only 26 at the time of writing and he has a lot of credits on the stage and screen. His roles include playing Arthur Tudor in The Spanish Princess and Claire’s weird stepson in Fleabag.

The role that made Imrie a candidate was Merlin in The Kid Who Would Be King. In that film, Imrie disguised himself as a schoolkid so he can mentor a young boy who found Excalibur. Imrie had to play Merlin as the wise wizard but also be incredibly embarrassing who has few boundaries.

If Imrie did get the role he would similar to Matt Smith by being an old man in a young man’s body. Imrie’s youthful looks can be played up for Doctor Who with people being surprised that The Doctor could look so young.

Paterson Joseph

Paterson Joseph is an actor I have long wanted to play The Doctor and still believe he can do a job. Joseph has plenty of experience on the stage and screen. The main reason why I would like to see him play The Doctor was his recurring role in Peep Show. Joseph played Mark’s boss, Alan Johnson, a man who was extremely confident and flashy who liked to show off his wealth. As Johnson he constantly spoke with intensity. He also had a dark side, like screwing Mark on numerous occasions and having a toxic, turbulent relationship with Big Suzy. Joseph can be a larger than life figure who also has demons.

Joseph has a supporting role in 2000’s The Beach and that film gives a quick speech about why cricket is such a great sport. This moment gives us a quick sample of what a Doctor’s speech would be like from him. Joseph has become more known to a younger audience recently due to his role as the villainous Kamal Hadley in the BBC’s adaptation of Noughts + Crosses.

Joseph has experience with Doctor Who. He appeared in the Series One finale “Bad Wolf”/”The Parting of the Ways” and lend his voice to the Big Finish audio drama Earth Aid.

Rory Kinnear

Rory Kinnear is often a popular candidate to play The Doctor, so it would be amiss to leave him off this list. Kinnear’s most recognisable work is as Bill Tanner in the Bond series, but this is the tip of his career iceberg. Kinnear has a prolific career on television, appearing in shows like The Hollow Crown, Black Mirror, Southcliffe, Penny Dreadful (and its spin-off series City of Angels), and Years and Years. He would have street cred with fans of Doctor Who.

Kinnear’s biggest achievement is his theatre work. He was a regular feature for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre.  He has led in plays like Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth and he has won two Laurence Olivier Awards during his career. This would make Kinnear similar to David Tennant who was also a Shakespearean actor.

Kinnear could bring that Shakespearean grandeur to the role and would be able to project a big speech like Tennant, Smith, and Capaldi did. He can combine this with his some of his more grounded screen work.

Adrian Lester

Adrian Lester is an actor with a long career. He started his career as a stage, appearing in numerous plays in London, including Henry V and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for best actor for his role as Othello back in 2013. He has been the lead role in the stylish BBC show Hustle which was a British TV version of the Oceans films. It was a light and breezy series that was popular in its day. Lester also had a major role in another BBC show, Bonekickers: but we don’t talk about Bonekickers.

Lester has also had plenty of film roles including leading the political satire Primary Colors. He appeared in blockbuster fare like The Day After Tomorrow and had a supporting role in the B-movie homage Doomsday. Recently played Elizabeth I’s ambassador in Mary Queen of Scots.

Lester can be light-hearted and confident as one would expect The Doctor to be. Lester’s experience with Shakespeare means he can do the grand speeches and melodrama that is a part of Doctor Who’s charm.

Siobhan McSweeney

Siobhan McSweeney is an Irish actress who has performed in both the UK and her homeland. She’s best known for playing Sister Michael, the no-nonsense nun/headteacher in the sitcom Derry Girls. In the popular comedy McSweeney was often a scene-stealer with her straight-talking and harsh life lessons. McSweeney’s Sister Michael was often blunt, sardonic, or had a reaction of dismay: all of this made her hilarious. But even in a comedy Sister Michael could still be serious and concerned like at the end of the second season of Derry Girls when a teacher’s pet was willing to miss Bill Clinton’s visit to Derry. McSweeney can bring these characterisations together to play a seemingly nonchalant Doctor who deep down really cares.

James Nesbitt

Hailing from Northern Ireland James Nesbitt was considered to be a candidate to replace David Tennant as The Doctor back in 2008. He would still be a viable candidate to play The Doctor.

Nesbitt was a fixture on British TV in the 2000s. He was one of the stars on the hit ITV show Cold Feet and led the police procedural Murphy’s Law which had a comedic edge. More recently Nesbitt starred in Sky One’s Lucky Man and international audiences will properly know him best as Bofur from The Hobbit Trilogy.

Nesbitt is an experienced actor who has can be dramatic and comedic. These are skills any actor who plays The Doctor would require. Nesbitt would be a dependable choice to play The Doctor and can be a fun presence on screen. His role on Jekyll was proof of this whilst his role in Murphy’s Law that he can have anti-authority streak.

Nesbitt said in 2007 that he wouldn’t play The Doctor because it would be career suicide. He would properly reconsider this now since actors who have played The Doctor and the companions have had successful post-Doctor Who careers.

Peter Serafinowicz

Peter Serafinowicz would be an incredibly popular candidate if he considered playing The Doctor. Serafinowicz is a prolific actor and voice actor who has appeared in projects in the UK and the US. He’s biggest TV role to date was The Tick in Amazon Prime’s superhero comedy show of the same name. He has appeared in numerous films and TV shows like Guardians of the Galaxy, Shaun of the Dead, Spaced, and Parks and Recreation. He was the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and was the villainous ambassador in the Rick and Morty episode “Pickle Rick.”

Serafinowicz has had a role in Doctor Who: he played The Fisher King in the episode “Before the Flood.” This was a voice role so there is plenty of distance for Serafinowicz to play The Doctor: there would be no need to justify his new looks like Peter Capaldi who played a Roman official before playing The Doctor.

Serafinowicz can be humorous, intense, and occasionally standoffish, characteristics that the Doctor has had. He is also an imposing figure, he stands at 6 ft 4 and this would help him stand out (pardon the pun) compared to previous versions of The Doctor.

Serafinowicz has often had supporting roles in major films so it would be great to see him have a leading role in a popular franchise. He has often played villains so he could use that experience to play a darker version of the Doctor. Or the very least Serafinowicz could make a great Master or Rassilon.

Ben Whishaw

Ben Whishaw is often a popular choice to play The Doctor. This is due to his two biggest roles, Q in the Bond series and Paddington Bear. As Q Whishaw was the inventor of Bond’s gadgets and had a nerdy quality to him. He made awkward jokes and dresses in shirts and ties with a jumper or cardigan. As Q he is confident to the point of arrogant, energetic, and cheeky. Whilst as Paddington he was the embodiment of kindness. Both these roles have qualities that The Doctor has shown.

Outside of his roles in big franchises, Whishaw has had prolific on film and TV. He has appeared in films like The Lobster, Mary Poppins Returns, and Suffragette. He played against type in Armando Iannucci’s adaptation of David Copperfield where he played the slimy and greedy Uriah Heep. He won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an Emmy his supporting role in A Very English Scandal.

Whishaw clearly has the acting chops and he has a youthful look for a 40-year-old. The drawback with Whishaw is his busy schedule which could prevent him from committing to the series.

Benedict Wong

Completing this list is Benedict Wong. Wong is a British-Chinese actor who originated from Manchester. He has often had supporting roles in UK and US films. His credits include Prometheus, Annihilation, and Gemini Man. Wong is best known for playing the sorcerer also called Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even in supporting roles Wong was memorable, especially in Doctor Strange where he was working with some big-name actors like Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Tilda Swinton. Wong can be a jovial character and serious presence. Wong could be a light-hearted Doctor who has a scene of fun and adventure but knows when he has to get down to business.

Wong has often played Chinese characters so it would make a change if he got to use his native Mancunian accent in a role.