Many of the actors who have taken up long time positions on Doctor Who have made guest appearances in previous episodes. Freema Agyeman, who played Martha Jones the companion to the Tenth Doctor, first appeared the previous year as an office worker attacked by Cyberman. Similarly Karen Gillian had a minor part in The Fires of Pompeii in 2008 before returning permanently as companion Amy Pond. Peter Capaldi who is set to be the Twelfth Doctor also appeared in the episode in a small role. This phenomenon isnt exclusive to the revived series either. Classic Doctor who regulars such as Ian Marter, Lalla Ward and Nicholas Courtney had one-off roles before taking up their more well-known characters of Harry Sullivan, Romana and the Brigadier. It is almost as if the producers dont like doing auditions and prefer to just thrown people in to see how they do. As strange as this practice is it seems to be working pretty well and has produced some of the most loved characters in the shows history. The lesson to learn here is that if you get a chance to make an appearance on Doctor Who, take it up. It might just end up being a repeat gig.
