10 Intriguing Movie Roles Matt Smith Should Play

Bow ties are cool. Movies are cooler.

Doctor Who Matt Smith
BBC

He's left the TARDIS and crossed the Pond (so to speak) with a few movies already under his belt. The coming months will see former Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith appear alongside Schwarzenegger in the latest installment of the Terminator franchise (Genisys), fight zombies in Jane Austen country (Pride & Prejudice & Zombies) and help Natalie Dormer talk to the undead (Patient Zero). Not forgetting, of course, a certain debut director named Ryan Gosling, who called Smith personally to invite him to star in Lost River whilst still on Time Lord duties.

Now his film career is up and running, what parts should Smith play in order to maximise his impact Stateside? The highly distinctive performer is on the cusp of becoming either the next big thing or a flash in the pan. Other Doctors have tried and so far failed to complete the race Mr Smith is about to run. If the multi-talented David Tennant can't make a dent in Tinseltown, then what chance his successor? The streets of LA are paved with pitfalls, even for a household name.

This article suggests if he sticks to the following choices, he stands a good chance of hitting the big screen, big time! So stick the fish fingers and custard in the fridge and order a large hot dog and eye-wateringly expensive bucket of popcorn, as the youngest Time Lord to date stakes his decidedly Earthbound claim in the Land Of The Free. What could possibly go wrong? 

10. John Steed

Doctor Who Matt Smith
BBC

Long before The Incredible Hulk beat up a Norse God and Scarlett Johansson squeezed into a catsuit, there was another franchise called The Avengers. Following the exploits of debonair agent John Steed and his array of pro-active female assistants (most notably Emma Peel), the show was a long-running hit in the UK and crucially made the jump to America where viewers loved its mix of stiff upper lips and surrealistic exploits. This was a series where you were as likely to see a giant rat as a milkman.

Warner Bros attempted a big screen transfer in the late 90s... with disastrous results. Starring an awkward-looking Ralph Fiennes as Steed, the project was hacked to pieces in the edit suite. But with the original Avengers currently benefiting from a repeat run on British TV, is now the time to look for a new cinematic bowler-wearing man of action?

Patrick Macnee is forever Steed to the fans but when it comes to an English export who combines unflappability in the face of exotic threats with a quintessential eccentricity, then surely Matt Smith is a prime contender. He embodies Macnee's cosy quality in a funny sort of way, while at the same time bringing a youthful vigour and sense of danger to the part. To paraphrase the programme's key catchphrase... Mr Smith, you're needed!

Contributor
Contributor

I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.