10 Things Doctor Who Fans Can Thank Steven Moffat For

4. He Cast Matt Smith As The Doctor

What better decision could a man make than casting Matt Smith in the role of the Doctor? At 26 years old, he was the youngest actor to ever play the iconic role, a very controversial move which was seen by many fans as a huge mistake at the time. Naysayers were instantly silenced the moment he first appeared on screen. It soon became apparent that Matt was the sort of casting decision that comes along once in a lifetime. There will always be a good actor to play the next Doctor but to cast someone so antithetical to the character's established image, and for it to still work so well, is something rarely seen (Heath Ledger and Hugh Jackman notwithstanding). Matt Smith used his youth to his advantage and brought so much energy into his portrayal of the Eleventh Doctor with his use of physical comedy and mannerisms. Most of time fans couldn't help but laugh at what he was doing, even though they don't know exactly why it was funny. On the flip side, despite his youthful appearance, he felt like a person who really had been through 900 years of wisdom. When he talked to people they really did feel like children compared to him and he always looked at them as children who had so much promise for their days to come. From day one Matt was extruded confidence and he was already committed to the kind of Doctor he needed to play. His performance throughout his four years in the TARDIS speaks for itself. Everyone pretty much agrees that he's one of the best actors to ever bare the name of the Doctor, and Steven Moffat is to thank for that.