How Every Doctor Who Got Cast

When Steven Moffat took over Doctor Who in 2010, he was keen to cast an older Doctor to differentiate the character from David Tennant. A reverse Peter Davison manoeuvre, if you will.

Instead, he cast the youngest actor to ever play the Doctor.

Matt Smith had previously auditioned for the role of Watson in Moffat and Mark Gatiss' Sherlock, but was turned down because he was more of a Holmes figure than a Watson. Smith proved this when he turned up to audition for the Doctor and completely won over Moffat, convincing him that this young actor could still embody the Doctor's centuries-worth of experiences.

It's said that Steven Moffat and his producers had their hearts set on one particular actor before Matt Smith walked into the room, leading to much speculation over the years.

Peep Show's Paterson Joseph and Voyage of the Damned's Russell Tovey also auditioned for the role of the Eleventh Doctor, eventually losing out to Smith.

It's even been rumoured that Chiwetel Ejiofor was offered the part, but turned it down. It's certainly a tantalising "what-if", though who can deny that Smith was utterly perfect casting.