Doctor Who 12th Wishlist - 13 Probable, Plausible And Impossible Replacements For Matt Smith
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2. Gene Wilder
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Theres been a lot of talk lately about the possibility, or even the likelihood, of a stateside Doctor Who reboot. As I sit here, campaigning at my keyboard, for a black Doctor, or a female Doctor, I must confess that there is one kind of Doctor that I never want to see: An American Doctor. I have heard all the names tossed around: Johnny Depp Robert Downey Jr. Even (yipes!) Nicholas Cage
I remain unconvinced.
For my money, there is one, and only one, American who could ever have played the Doctor and, all things considered, theyd need to find themselves a real TARDIS to make it happen. Gene Wilder is 80 years old and retired from acting, but in his prime, I would have welcomed him as the American incarnation of the Time Lord.
WHY HIM: Two words: Willy Wonka. While Wilders wizard of chocolate wasnt exactly the Willy Wonka Roald Dahl had envisioned, place him at the TARDIS console - velvet frock coat, top hat and all and its a perfect fit. Wilders inherently gentle screen presence enabled him to dig into the mystery and menace of the character without ever losing his audience. Like a candy-coated Pied Piper leading a group of children, one by one, to their just desserts (Ha Sorry), Wilders Wonka would beam with wide-eyed wonder at the candy land he created, and then treat the children in his care with condescension, impatience, detached amusement, disappointed rage and, occasionally, warm affection. He would excitedly invite them to try his latest concoction and then scare the hell out of them with an increasingly frenzied chant during a nightmarish boat ride. And through it all, he somehow maintained an air of innocence and joy Alien, enigmatic, childlike, ancient, literate, playful and a little bit scary If America was going to try their hand at Doctor Who, theyre about 30 to 40 years too late
SEE HIM IN: Funny About Love.