10 Doctor Who Guest Stars Who Got Themselves Noticed
3. Carey Mulligan (Blink)
Many of the stars on this list were wasted by Doctor Who, having yet to prove they had the potential for a larger role. Carey Mulligan is a big old exception to this trend: she knocks it out of the park as the central protagonist in NuWho’s most famous and lauded episode, Blink.
This Doctor-lite story follows Mulligan’s Sally Sparrow as she encounters the now-iconic Weeping Angels in their first appearance on the show. It’s nail-biting and heart-pounding from start to finish, and a big part of this is owing to Mulligan's performance.
The actress proved so popular that she was offered the chance to return as a full-time companion, but refused (unsurprising, given some of the other offers on her table).
After starring in many other TV shows, her breakthrough came in 2009’s An Education, for which she received an Oscar nomination (and BAFTA win) for best leading actress. She went on to star in acclaimed films such as The Great Gatsby, Shame, and Drive, the latter of which saw her nab another BAFTA nomination.
Most recently, she appeared in 2020’s Oscar-winning thriller, Promising Young Woman, for which she received universal praise. She's come a long way from battling stone statues in that run-down old house.