Doctor Who: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The Day Of The Doctor

19. John Hurt Didn't Audition For His Role

Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston The Day of the Doctor
BBC Studios

Any actor's dream is to become so well-established that they are offered roles on the spot, without the need to audition.

Of course, this is not usually the case, and those audition processes are key to discovering breakout talent - Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, for example.

But when showrunner Steven Moffat planned to introduce a brand-new incarnation of the Doctor for the 50th anniversary, he knew that he needed someone remarkable to embody the role.

In fact, the script for The Name of the Doctor simply ended with the words:

"...and the most famous actor in the world turns round."

John Hurt was always on Moffat's mind for the role, and so it was offered to him outright.

Thankfully, with very little time to decide, the legendary actor accepted the part, and within days of finishing a play, he was in Wales ready to get started.

 
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Sometimes you hear my voice, sometimes you see my face and sometimes you read my words! But I’m usually away with the faeries and timelords! ?‍♀️

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.