When Doctor Who tried for a transatlantic co-production revival in the 90s, there were those who thought that a show largely unknown to an American audience would need a big name to help grab their attention. It therefore fell to Oscar nominated Eric Roberts to portray the latest incarnation of the Doctor's iconic rival, The Master. Although his appearance in such a British show may be somewhat surprising, Roberts had previously spent his career appearing on both the small and big screens. His Oscar nomination came in 1986 thanks to his supporting role in Runaway Train, although he also had staring roles in films such as the oddly titled (but nothing to do with Matt Smith) Raggedy Man. The list of the TV series which he has guest starred in since includes the likes of Frasier, CSI, and Glee, although it is perhaps his recurring role in Heroes (in which Eccleston also appeared) for which British viewers are more likely to recognise him. In recent years Roberts' high profile big screen roles have generally been nefarious types, and came courtesy of computer game adaptation DOA: Dead Or Alive, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, and Sylvester Stallone's testosterone fuelled The Expendables.
