10 Doctor Who Guest Actors Who Also Played The Doctor

8. David Banks

Doctor Who Lenny Henry
BBC

David Banks is best known as the 1980s Cyberleader, but he also played the Doctor for two performances of the stage show Doctor Who: The Ultimate Adventure. As well as starring as the snarling mercenary Karl, Banks was an understudy for Third Doctor Jon Pertwee, who was touring the show around the UK.

Pertwee fell ill, and so Banks had to take on the role of the Doctor for two nights. His Doctor has later been dubbed "The Greenpeace Doctor", owing to his choice of costume - a Greenpeace t-shirt, beige coat, trousers and a brown hat. Which were very likely Banks' own clothes on the nights in question. As it was a live show, it's hard to tell what unique spin Banks brought to the role, which was clearly written with Pertwee in mind.

The Ultimate Adventure, written by Terrance Dicks, is a strange mixture of Doctor Who, pantomime and a West End musical. It also has some accidental nods to future Doctor Who. Of particular note is Madam Delilah, a slightly criminal, slightly untrustworthy woman who falls for the Doctor and sacrifices her life to save him. Hello sweetie indeed!

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Citizen of the Universe, Film Programmer, Writer, Podcaster, Doctor Who fan and a gentleman to boot. As passionate about Chinese social-realist epics as I am about dumb popcorn movies.