Doctor Who: 11 Actors Who Might Have Been The Doctor

7. Harry Van Gorkum Is... The Eighth Doctor! (1996)

Harry Van Gorkum Going through another round casting and reviewing audition tapes, Segal had hit upon a fresh-faced Paul McGann €“ who had only recently missed out on bringing Sharpe to the television due an on-set injury early into production €“ in a particularly impressive screen test. Segal even went so far as to personally promise McGann the role was his; however, this was nearly scuppered when Fox expressed the same objections to McGann as they had with Cunningham taking the role. Instead, the Fox Network bizarrely suggested Harry Van Gorkum as a more suitable choice in terms of profile. Segal was facing a losing battle in casting McGann €“ until the team cast Eric Roberts as the Master. With an Oscar-nominated movie star on-board the now green-lit Doctor Who TV Movie (serving as a "back-door pilot" for a future series), the pressure for a "high-profile" name like Van Gorkum was off and suddenly, Paul McGann signed for five years, should the movie find a US audience... which it didn't.
Contributor
Contributor

Freelance actor, writer, director and in-house producer at the award-winning Wireless Theatre Company. Also co-creator of the acclaimed audio series, The Springheel Saga. Also likes cats.