10 Doctor Who Guest Stars Who Got Themselves Noticed
Our Spidey-Sense is tingling...
Despite its long and storied history as a staple of British television, Doctor Who is still, at the end of the day, one of many BBC dramas, and as such rarely manages to pull in A-list stars.
Of course, that’s not to say some of the finest British actors of this generation haven’t starred in the show, but alas, the show very rarely attracts Hollywood giants.
It has, however, proven a very effective springboard for many actors and actresses over the years, catapulting them into the UK mainstream and sometimes beyond.
In this list, we’ll be looking at people who had bit-parts in the show, who went on to become silver-screen royalty. For this list, we are not including those who were already famous before starring in Who (so don’t expect the likes of Michael Gambon, Ian McKellen and John Hurt).
Let’s take a look at some of Doctor Who’s finest rising talent...
10. Harry Lloyd (Human Nature/The Family Of Blood)
Harry Lloyd certainly wasn’t wasted during his two-episode stint on Doctor Who, in both Human Nature and The Family of Blood. Cast as Son of Mine, an alien hunter possessing the body of 1910s schoolboy Jeremy Baines, Lloyd put in a spine-tingling performance, and will be remembered as one of the best one-time villains of NuWho. Never has a humanoid villain on this show felt so alien.
From the get-go, it was clear that the scene-stealing Lloyd was one to keep an eye on, and audiences would be proven right, as he landed major roles in Jane Eyre, The Iron Lady, and The Theory of Everything. He would also be nominated for a BAFTA for his performance in The Fear.
He is most widely recognised, however, for his short-lived but excellent performance as Viserys Targaryen in season one of Game of Thrones, in which he plays a character that is somehow even more nasty than Son of Mine.
Impressive going.
Oh, and here’s a fun, vaguely Who-related bonus fact for you: Lloyd is the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, which is pretty cool.