Karen Gillan Reveals Who She Believes Is The Best Doctor Who Lead

Former Doctor Who companion Karen Gillan breaks down which Time Lord actor stands out the most to her. Gillan first portrayed Amy Pond, the first face the Eleventh Doctor met and his first companion, in 2010, going on to develop a close but somewhat complicated relationship with the Time Lord. While Gillan would depart the series in season 7 partway through Matt Smith’s run two years later, she would return in his final story, “The Time of the Doctor,” in the fall of 2013 to say farewell to the eleventh incarnation of the Time Lord.

RadioTimes reports that Gillan recently opened up about why Smith stands out as one of the best actors to ever take on the role of Doctor Who. The former companion states that despite the pressure of being cast after David Tennant’s departure, Smith managed to fully encapsulate the Time Lord, bringing his own eccentricities and expertise to properly capture the character. Check out Gillan’s explanation below:

He definitely was feeling pressure, but it never showed in any way. To me, he is the best actor that’s ever played the Doctor, because he has an otherworldly quality. He’s naturally eccentric, and he reels off technical jargon like it’s a shopping list.

How Matt Smith’s Doctor Proved Doctor Who’s Longevity

Smith Joined The Show At A Pivotal Time

Smith faced an incredible amount of pressure following Tennant and showrunner Russell T Davies’ incredible tenure on Doctor Who, as the pair helped solidify the series as a television hit once more following the classic era’s fall into disrepute and cancelation in 1989. With its celebrated lead actor and showrunner leaving, there was reluctance from the BBC about seeing whether the series could continue to thrive after, leading to the BBC considering canceling Doctor Who in 2009. As such, both Smith and new showrunner Steven Moffat had to prove it could regenerate once more.

One of the youngest actors to take on the role of the Doctor, Smith’s debut in “The Eleventh Hour” was a showcase of everything that viewers would come to love about his Doctor Who run. Despite his youthful appearance and energetic eccentricities, his incarnation of the Time Lord carried a weariness that hinted at him carrying centuries of knowledge and experience, and a brave ability to face down any enemy. As such, Smith’s Eleventh Doctor was quickly able to prove that there was still life in the Time Lord yet.

Despite his age and inexperience, Smith dedicated his all to playing the Doctor, finding particular inspiration in Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor and even helping craft his now iconic ensemble. As such, Gillan’s praise is well deserved, as Smith proved fearful BBC executives wrong and saw that the series would remain on air into its 50th anniversary and beyond. With Doctor Who now airing season 14, Smith’s impact cannot be understated.

Source: RadioTimes

Doctor Who

Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.

Release Date

November 23, 1963

Seasons

14

Franchise(s)

Doctor Who

Writers

Mark Gatiss , Toby Whithouse , Neil Cross , Steven Moffat , Chris Chibnall

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