14 Tales From The History Of Doctor Who From William Hartnell To Jodie Whittaker
With so many years of history under the show's belt, here are just a selection of what's out there!
Fourteen actors have currently held the title of The Doctor, without counting those in specials, those as a result of a body swap or frankly - the entire Fugitive of the Judoon/Timeless Children arc (these will be covered in another post!)
Each of these actors have brought their own unique take on The Doctor, while also becoming the source of incredible behind the scenes stories. From run ins with famous directors to vastly different career paths, these fourteen Doctors have their own history and their own stories, all combining to make The Doctor the most incredible character there is.
This list will take one fantastic fact from each as we trace the long and winding road that the series has taken from the single child of a hardworking nurse to the current incarnation - hailing from Huddersfield!
14. Nearly Booted Out Of Showbusiness By Noël Coward
Before originating the role of the eponymous alien, William Hartnell was a struggling actor before and after the Second World War. He suffered a nervous breakdown during his time in the Royal Armoured Corps, requiring him to leave the service.
This may have had a lasting effect on him, as he was very publically berrated by Noël Coward, the famous author, playwright and director. Hartnell had held up filming on the movie by being very late, and he was summarily dismissed. To have such a figure in the industry give him such a dressing down was a hard pill for the young actor to swallow.
He was run-down, the costumes were giving him a terrible reaction and he had caught scarlet fever along the way, all contributing to his ill health (and highly uncharacteristic lateness).
He managed to get by and in 1963, he appeared in a supporting role in the film This Sporting Life. It was this performance that was spotted by Verity Lambert....and the rest is history.