6. Doctor Who Actor's Other Gigs
All of our favorite Doctor Who actors have of course appeared in many other things before. So why not spend some of the time between now and November checking out the other acting gigs they've had? Here's a few highlights to get you started.
Christopher Eccleston: Eccleston is a busy guy, with regular appearances in television, stage, and film. One of his earliest lead roles in a film was 1996's Jude, in which he co-starred with Kate Winslet (and also had David Tennant in a minor role). He followed this up with another lead role in 1998's Elizabeth, which proved to be a stellar success, garnering 7 Academy Award nominations and a staggering twelve BAFTA nominations. Since then, he has stayed consistently busy, with his next big role being Malekith, the villain in Thor: The Dark World.
David Tennant: While having had a successful career before taking on the role of the Tenth Doctor, Tennant has reached higher heights than ever before in his career. Some of his most notable roles post-Doctor Who have been voice work in Dreamworks' 2010 film How To Train Your Dragon, followed by Aardman Animations' 2012 film The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists. Of course, both of those roles (and nearly everything else he's done) pale in comparison to what is regarded as being his single finest role yet - that of Hamlet in the version staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The best part is it was filmed for television broadcast, so any of us can watch it. It stars Tennant as Prince Hamlet, and Patrick Stewart in a dual role as King Claudius and the ghost of Hamlet's father. For a hardcore fan of science fiction and a casual fan of Shakespeare, it's a dream come true.
Matt Smith: Despite being rather unknown at the time of his being cast as the Eleventh Doctor, there is still a good amount of stuff to watch Matt Smith in. Perhaps two of his best known works are starring in the BBC2 series Party Animals (which only lasted eight episodes) and a film in 2010 titled Womb, in which Smith co-starred with former Bond girl Eva Green. And of course on the horizon, Matt Smith will be appearing alongside Saoirse Ronan and Eva Mendes in Ryan Gosling's directorial debut How To Catch a Monster.