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

9. Peter Capaldi

OK, so Peter is the Doctor (and oh, what a splendid Doctor he has turned out to be!), but it turns out that he could've been assigned as the universe's coveted defender much sooner. As a self confessed life long fan of the series (he wrote letters to the writers and everything!), it must've been a dream come true for Peter when he was invited to audition for the role of the Eighth Doctor in the TV movie back in the 90s. The prospect of stepping aboard the TARDIS in the shoes of his childhood hero was ultimately too overwhelming at the time, however, as he pulled out at the last minute citing that he knew he "didn't stand a chance". You should never have doubted yourself, Peter, but something tells us that Paul McGann is particularly thankful that you got a case of cold feet at the last minute. He would've been out of a job otherwise!