The 11th Doctor
You've probably heard that the man to the left, a Mr. Matt Smith, will be taking over the role of the Doctor after David Tennant sadly, tragically leaves the show. I don't have much of a history with this show, only really being conversant with the modern resuscitation of Doctor Who, but I believe that this is a bad idea and speaks more to the desire of the producers to keep another skinny young man in the role than it does their interest in casting an interesting actor.
Now, I don't know Matt Smith, and I haven't seen anything he's been in, but he looks tailor-made for the Twilight crowd. He's the youngest doctor ever, and arguably the handsomest. And this role has never been about superficial good looks. After all, the relaunch was anchored by the non-hottie Christopher Eccleston, and the following man is one of the most beloved actors to have ever played the role:
Now, I don't know Matt Smith, and I haven't seen anything he's been in, but he looks tailor-made for the Twilight crowd. He's the youngest doctor ever, and arguably the handsomest. And this role has never been about superficial good looks. After all, the relaunch was anchored by the non-hottie Christopher Eccleston, and the following man is one of the most beloved actors to have ever played the role:
So, you can see that there is no Bondian tradition of attractiveness. Rather, there is a tradition of charisma and eccentricity, and Matt Smith may very well be a wonderful young man, but I don't get that vibe from him in interviews. I was looking forward to another older, more professorial Doctor, somebody along the lines of Bill Nighy. Somebody with some Ian McKellan-esque gravitas, not somebody who would look more comfortable on the inside of a schoolgirl's locker than at the controls of the TARDIS.
But what do I know? The kid might work.
As long as he cuts his ridiculous hair.
But what do I know? The kid might work.
As long as he cuts his ridiculous hair.
Comments
First, Doctor Who has not fallen prey to the Twilight Syndrome. He is a stage actor, just as Tennant was and will return to being. He is young but he will not be the doctor until May 2010 so he will age some. Watch how fast he ages when he no longer is able to have a normal flatmate and go out with his friends. His life is about to change drastically!
I will gladly argue with you that Matt Smith will be the most attractive Doctor. David Tennant is hot!!!! Even with his wrinkles, he is hotter than Smith. He will always be the hottest Doctor. Unless maybe they cast Paul Rudd. PS. I will argue with Ginger Sister too that Doctor is not supposed to be hot. He has always had sex appeal, which comes from much more than appearance but is never hindered by appearance.
Don't give up on him yet. He is a good actor and ultimately that is what the job is. He is getting a new head writer, Moffat, that hand picked him (remember this writer was also crucial in reviving the series so he knows Doctor Who). So, the scripts will play to his part. They will most likely cut his hair some but not a lot (David doesn't have short hair either) and I can't wait to see what style of clothes he picks.
All and All (and this comes from a real Doctor Who fanatic. hahah) I am sad to see David leaving. I love him as the Doctor. However, I'm also excited to see how Smith will take on the role. Ultimately, I have faith in Moffat, he wrote Blink which is one of my favorite (and darkest) Doctor Who episodes. Kevin, I don't think you have seen that one yet. I hope to see Doctor Who go a bit darker and daring with the new writer and Doctor.
It makes me feel better though, knowing that Smith is a stage actor. I, too will be sorry to see Tennant go. (I did, however, say the same about Eccelston). The real test to me is if Smith can pull off the intensity of joy, of sorrow, and of life that make up the Dr.
We'll see.
If you watch some of Smith's other work then you will see a range of things. He has done some television work. In 2006, he made a television special with Billie Piper called "The Ruby in the Smoke" you can Netflix it if you are curious. But the majority of his work has been on stage. From the clips that I've seen he does have a range.
On the bright side, being the Doctor seems to age everyone. Look at how young David looked when he first started. Being in the middle of Doctor Who in the UK can age a person. :)
I will stop dorking out on you now. :D Sorry. I get a little excited about the Doctor.
I'm pretty sure you're in good company here. Good luck out dorking us. :)
What Christopher Eccleston lacked in the stereotypical good looks, he more than made up in the quirkiness that is The Doctor. Tennant does a good job of it, too, though I think he grew into the part (when he first showed up, I didn't think a whole lot of him, but he grew on me). Each incarnation of The Doctor has a different personality, so who knows what the Smith Doctor will be like?
I think David Tennant is a much better looking man than Mr. Matt Smith. I haven't read or heard any of his interviews yet, so I can't say whether he will be a good fit or not. I'm thinking he must be good if they have selected him?