Doctor Who: 10 Final Candidates For The 12th Doctor

By Edward Owen /

7. Chris Addison

Bit of a wild card this, but Addison€™s name keeps being brought up when people talk about Doctor Who casting so it felt only right to address him. At first glance, you might not believe that someone like Addison could take the part €“ after all, he€™s first and foremost a stand-up comedian, and he€™s very good at his job. Why would he look to leave the lucrative business of touring for something that could go spectacularly wrong? Well actually, it appears that Addison is making more and more forays into the world of acting. He€™s cameoed in Skins as David Cameron-channelling headmaster David Blood, and has been part of cult smash The Thick Of It€™s ensemble for as long as I can remember. His Ollie (or Toby, in film spin-off In The Loop) showcases a masterclass of perfect character acting €“ seemingly always out of control yet always surviving a crisis in a stronger position, some traits from Addison€™s political aide could easily be transferred onto an incarnation of the Doctor. Couple this with the occasional moment when you he actually has to engage with darker material, you€™ve got an actor who€™s deceptively well-rounded. If you want a light-hearted yet intellectual Doctor imbued with a bit of manic energy, Addison€™s most definitely your man. If you couple this with the fact he appears to be as ageless as a Timelord in real life €“ apparently the man€™s 41, which implies there€™s a portrait in his attic getting older €“ then you might just have a perfect bit of off-the-wall casting.