Doctor Who: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Eleventh Doctor
9. He Was Inspired By Indiana Jones
What inspired the Eleventh Doctor? There was clearly a hint of Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor with the whole bow tie thing, and Tomb of the Cybermen is also one of Matt Smith's favourite stories too. Elsewhere, Albert Einstein has also been cited as a key influence.
Discussing his costume on Doctor Who Confidential, Smith identified another unlikely reference point in the form of Hollywood’s greatest archaeologist. He said:
“I think [my costume] sort of manages a bit of… god do I say this… a bit of Indiana Jones, and a bit of a professor, and a bit of an explorer.”
Steven Moffat described the Eleventh Doctor as “a cross between Indiana Jones and Stan Laurel”, so this was clearly more than just a passing thought.
Although the comparison might seem strange at first, there’s definitely something of the whip-wielding adventurer about Smith’s outfit, particularly with its tan colour scheme. Its resemblance to the bow tie/tweed suit worn by Indy in Temple of Doom is uncanny, and nowhere are the comparisons more on the nose than in Series 6, when the Doctor dons a Stetson hat.
Certain Eleventh Doctor stories have an Indiana Jones aesthetic too – in fact, the torch-lit ‘Underhenge' from The Pandorica Opens was directly inspired by the caves and tunnels seen in the movie franchise.
And hey, if Smith is still playing the Doctor at the same age Harrison Ford just played Indy, that means he can appear in Doctor Who's 100th anniversary in 2063. Just imagine.