10 Behind The Scenes Secrets From Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child
8. William Hartnell Was Not The First Doctor, Long Before We Ever Met Ruth
While William Hartner would portray the First Doctor on-screen in both versions of An Unearthly Child, he was not the first actor that was sought after for the role. While Hartnell's age would lend him to Webber's version of Dr. Who a little more closely, Rex Tucker wanted something altogether different. He wanted a younger actor who could play the part in old-age make-up.
He sought out, and offered the part to, an actor named Hugh David. He was only in his late-30s when An Unearthly Child was in production, which was a stark difference from Hartnell, who was in his mid-50s.
When Lambert took over as producer, she had an entirely different idea for the Doctor, one that skewed a little more closely to Sydney Newman's view that he should be a father figure. In addition to this, David turned down the role as he had just spent a year working on the Granada Television project Knight Errant, and he had no wish to be tied to another series. He was also not the only person to turn down the role. Several other high-profile actors were approached before Lambert and director Warris Hussein picked their man.
The role was then offered to Hartnell.