10 Doctor Who Actors Who Have Gained Recognition In The US

9. Catherine Tate

Catherine Tate is a household name in the UK for her popular array of comedic characters - most notably Lauren "Am I bovvered?" Cooper - and now she's also started to gain recognition in the US for appearing in the NBC remake of The Office. The Donna Noble actress joined the cast as misguided special projects manager Nellie Bertram during the sitcom's penultimate eighth season when fans called for her to return after she made a brief appearance in the Season 7 finale. Producers responded to this by bringing her back with bells on (not literally - it's a figure of speech) the following year and she went on to appear in a total of 37 episodes, proving that there's definitely an American appetite for the unequivocally British dry sense of humour. Perhaps they just don't get it, though, which is why they find it so funny. The sitcom was fronted, for the most part anyway, by Steve Carell and you'll often find it at the top of critics' TV series lists for its unique interpretation of an American workplace and its mix of larger than life characters. It even won an Emmy for being an Outstanding Comedy Series in 2006 and, while Catherine Tate joined the show just after at the time which is widely regarded as the start of the show's quality decline, it was excellent exposure for her across the pond nonetheless.