Doctor Who: 10 Actors Who Came Very Close To Playing The Doctor

1. Paterson Joseph

Paterson Joseph is no stranger to the Whoniverse and he apparently left a lasting impression on the producers after he guest starred as Rodrick in the climactic Series 1 finale (Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways) because he's been an unrivalled frontrunner for the role of each new Doctor ever since. In fact, he was such a popular candidate when David Tennant left that it was almost a dead cert that he was about to be reinstated into the show's mythology as its titular Time Lord himself. The prestigious accolade went to Matt Smith instead, of course, but Paterson's name was the first to reenter the race when Matt's departure was announced in 2013. So, why hasn't he been the Doctor yet, then? Well, according to Neil Gaiman, a black actor - widely believed to be Paterson - has been repeatedly offered the leading role but has turned it down each time, so it might just be that he just doesn't actually want to be the Doctor, which is fair enough. That won't stop the bookies taking bets on him, though, so he might as well just put us all out of our misery and take the damned role the next time it's free, whether he wants to or not. It's the only way. What did you think of this list? Are there any other actors who came close to playing the Doctor? Join the conversation in the comments section below.