Doctor Who 12th Wishlist - 13 Probable, Plausible And Impossible Replacements For Matt Smith
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5. Ian McShane
You cant really see him as anyone other than Deadwoods Al Swearengen, can you? Added to which, the man is 70 years old, which, yes, would make him the oldest actor ever to play the Doctor (anniversary specials, notwithstanding). In light of those facts, I fully expect McShane to be the least popular nomination on this list. But remember when you first saw photos of Matt Smith, after hed been cast, and you thought to yourself, Too young. Too hip. And who the hell is he, anyway? And now, here we all are, four years later, crying into our keyboards because hes leaving us too soon So, hear me out
WHY HIM: McShane is quite vigorous for his age, as anyone whos seen him wield a knife on Deadwood can attest. And remember that, before he cemented himself in our heads and hearts as Swearengen, he charmed us as the almost preternaturally gifted and charismatically roguish antiques dealer, Lovejoy. Watch a couple of scenes of McShanes Lovejoy explaining how he knows this or that particular antique is authentic or a forgery, and its difficult not be reminded of the Doctor explaining transdimensional engineering to one of his companions. Like Armitage, he can bring a dark aura to the Doctor if they choose to pursue the Valeyard mythos. And most importantly, remember that Al Swearengen earned not just our awe but our sympathy. Because, for all his ruthless Machiavellian calculations, McShane gave Swearengen the soul of a lost child who learned too many hard lessons at too tender an age. How many times did we see his icy glare momentarily melt into wells of fear and pain as he internally revisited some past wound that never quite healed? And how many times have we seen that same look on the Doctors face? Yes, McShane would be a risky choice, I agree. But as the Doctor gets on in years, should Moffat choose to bring him back to his roots and force him to confront some of his most closely-guarded secrets, he could also be a very rewarding one.
--> -->SEE HIM IN: You can never see too much Deadwood, can you?