Doctor Who: 15 Real Historical Characters The Doctor Has Met
6. Vincent Van Gogh
Never before or since this meeting with the maligned artist has Doctor Who been quite so touching. The heartbreaking life and vivid talent of Vincent Van Gogh is brought to life with all the delicacy and imagination of one of his paintings, in a brilliantly written piece by guest writer Richard Curtis. Tony Curran is the star here in a phenomenal powerhouse portrayal of Van Gogh that is simply breathtaking in its depth and complexity.
'Vincent and the Doctor' begins with Matt Smith's incarnation attempting to placate a mourning Amy by taking her to a Van Gogh exhibit, when he notices a lurking figure in one of the painting that looks out of place. This rather flimsy excuse to visit the famous artist takes a backseat to the real focus of the plot, the genius and lack of acceptance of a man named Vincent.
With an alien threat thwarted in a rather downbeat manner, the Doctor takes Van Gogh forward in time to show him just how successful he really was. It is simply a beautiful moment, the outpouring of emotion from Vincent as he finally realises that he is worthwhile contrasting with the viewer's heartbreaking realisation that this never actually happened.
Like McNiece's Churchill, Curran returns in a short cameo as Van Gogh in 'The Pandorica Opens', but it proves no more than a plot device that adds nothing to the brilliant exploration of the character that worked so well in 'Vincent and the Doctor'.