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

5. Hugh Grant

Doctor Hugh? Here's another actor who received - and subsequently declined - an invitation to play the Ninth Doctor but, unlike a previous entry on this list, this one has regretted his decision ever since. Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant, whose breakthrough role was in the 1994 romcom Four Weddings and a Funeral, could've easily been at the coveted helm of the show's critically acclaimed comeback had he not... you know, flat out refused to relinquish the eminent offer because he thought the show would be a ratings flop. Oh, how wrong he was! He has since revealed that he's disappointed he let the opportunity pass him by but at least he's had a brush - of sorts - with the Time Lord having played his unofficial twelfth incarnation in the 1999 Comic Relief sketch Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death. It's not the real deal, but it's certainly the next best thing. Besides, Hugh's films have now surpassed a total of $2.4 billion at the box office, so something tells us he's far too busy sunbathing on his yacht to dwell too much on what - or who - could've been. You win some, you lose some.