Doctor Who: 10 Best NuWho Guest Stars Ever
2. Tony Curran
Tony Curran played artist Vincent Van Gogh in the Series 5 episode VIncent and the Doctor. Despite the amount of time the Time Lord travels to the past, Van Gogh is the only historical figure on this list. Portraying a real person comes with its own challenges and Van Gogh was a complex person, thought to be struggling with depression and poverty while creating his artwork. But Curran manages a fantastic representation, encapsulating the many facets of the great artist.
Curran creates a nuanced and lonely figure, misunderstood and unable to connect with the world around him, abandoned by everyone. However, the will of the character to connect is also well realised and all these traits combine to make Curran's Van Gogh one of the most effective guest stars to date.
On top of that, Curran's sheer emotion in the climactic scene where the Doctor takes Van Gogh to the present day was enough to tear hearts in two. Added to that, the sheer enthusiasm with which the character described his artistic process helped lots of Whovians to see Van Gogh's art in a whole new light. In fact, the performance overall probably caused a few people to change who their favourite artist was.
But who's number one?