This is a list of actors who have appeared in the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who .
The following tables are an overview of all the regular cast members that have appeared throughout the show since 1963.
William Hartnell, Carole Ann Ford, William Russell and Jacqueline Hill first appeared as the Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright respectively in the show's debut serial; An Unearthly Child . Ford departed in The Dalek Invasion of Earth in 1964 and was replaced by Maureen O'Brien playing a character called Vicki. Russell and Hill departed together the following year in The Chase and were subsequently replaced by Peter Purves as Steven Taylor. Adrienne Hill took over from O'Brien for a short period of time as Katarina. Jean Marsh subsequently played the character of Sara Kingdom also for a short period of time before being replaced by Jackie Lane as Dodo Chaplet in The Massacre in 1966. Purves and Lane stepped down from their roles at around the same time and were replaced by Anneke Wills and Michael Craze who played Polly and Ben Jackson.
Patrick Troughton took over from Hartnell in the fourth season as the Second Doctor and starred alongside Wills and Craze and, after they stepped down, Deborah Watling, Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury who respectively played Victoria Waterfield, Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot. At the end of The War Games , Troughton was replaced by Jon Pertwee who began his run as the Third Doctor alongside Caroline John as Liz Shaw in the 1970 serial; Spearhead from Space . John departed after Inferno and Katy Manning as Jo Grant, her replacement, appeared in the following serial Terror of the Autons . Throughout Pertwee's run, Nicholas Courtney, Richard Franklin and John Levene made regular appearances as The Brigadier, Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton respectively.
Katy Manning stepped down from the role of Jo Grant at the end of the tenth season in The Green Death . She was replaced by Elisabeth Sladen in The Time Warrior as Sarah Jane Smith. Jon Pertwee was subsequently replaced by Tom Baker at the end of Season 11 in Planet of the Spiders . Nicholas Courtney and John Levene reprised their roles as the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton numerous times during Baker's run. The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane were joined on their adventures by Harry Sullivan, played by Ian Marter, before he left them in Terror of the Zygons . After one more season, Sladen left the role of Sarah Jane Smith in the 1976 serial; The Hand of Fear . Louise Jameson debuted in The Face of Evil portraying a character called Leela. They were joined by K-9 in The Invisible Enemy , a robotic dog voiced by John Leeson and, on a few occasions; David Brierly.
Jameson was replaced by Mary Tamm, who played Romana, a Time Lady and one of the Doctor's own species. Tamm stayed on for just one season before her character regenerated in Destiny of the Daleks and was portrayed by Lalla Ward. Baker, Ward and Leeson were joined by Matthew Waterhouse, the actor who played Adric, in Full Circle . Romana and K-9 departed together in Warriors' Gate . The 1981 serial Logopolis was the first to introduce Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding as Nyssa and Tegan Jovanka respectively, but the last to star Tom Baker as the Doctor.
Actor | Character | Appearances | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season 11 (1973–74) | Season 12 (1974–75) | Season 13 (1975–76) | Season 14 (1976–77) | Season 15 (1977–78) | Season 16 (1978–79) | Season 17 (1979–80) | Season 18 (1980–81) | |||
Jon Pertwee | The Doctor | Third | Starring | |||||||
Tom Baker | Fourth | Guest | Starring | |||||||
Peter Davison | Fifth | Guest | ||||||||
Nicholas Courtney | The Brigadier | Starring | Guest | |||||||
John Levene | Sergeant Benton | Starring | Guest | Recurring | ||||||
Richard Franklin | Mike Yates | Starring | ||||||||
Elisabeth Sladen | Sarah Jane Smith | Starring | ||||||||
Ian Marter | Harry Sullivan | Starring | ||||||||
Peter Pratt | The Master | Guest | ||||||||
Geoffrey Beevers | Guest | |||||||||
Anthony Ainley | Recurring | |||||||||
Louise Jameson | Leela | Starring | ||||||||
John Leeson | K-9 | Starring | Starring | |||||||
David Brierly | Starring | |||||||||
Mary Tamm | Romana | I | Starring | |||||||
Lalla Ward | II | Starring | ||||||||
Matthew Waterhouse | Adric | Starring | ||||||||
Sarah Sutton | Nyssa | Starring | ||||||||
Janet Fielding | Tegan Jovanka | Starring |
Peter Davison starred as the Fifth Doctor starting in the nineteenth season alongside Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding, before Waterhouse departed when Adric was dramatically killed off in Earthshock . In Mawdryn Undead , a new companion called Vislor Turlough was introduced, played by Mark Strickson. Sutton stepped down from the role of Nyssa in Terminus and Kamelion, an unusual robotic character voiced by Gerald Flood, was introduced in The King's Demons .
For "The Five Doctors" – the show's 20th anniversary special – Carole Ann Ford, Nicholas Courtney, Elisabeth Sladen, Lalla Ward, Wendy Padbury, Caroline John, Richard Franklin, John Leeson and Frazer Hines reprised their roles as, respectively, Susan Foreman, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Sarah Jane Smith, Romana, Zoe Heriot, Liz Shaw, Mike Yates, K-9 and Jamie McCrimmon. [1] The special was broadcast between the twentieth and twenty-first seasons. [2]
Davison, Fielding and Strickson continued on until Fielding stepped down from the role in Resurrection of the Daleks . She was replaced in Planet of Fire by Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown, a serial which also marked the final appearance of Strickson and Flood. Davison was replaced by Colin Baker in The Caves of Androzani and Bryant was replaced with Bonnie Langford as Mel Bush, a few years later, after her character was killed off in Mindwarp . Sylvester McCoy took over from Baker in Time and the Rani and Langford was replaced by Sophie Aldred as Ace at the end of the twenty-fourth season. The series was axed in 1989, but a TV movie was made in 1996 which saw Paul McGann taking over from McCoy and Daphne Ashbrook making her first and only appearance as Grace Holloway. [3]
Upon the revival of Doctor Who, Christopher Eccleston would be the first actor to portray the newest incarnation of the Doctor. [4] Multiple actresses were considered to play the Doctor's next companion, with Billie Piper announced as the frontrunner to star as Rose Taylor. [5] The role ultimately went to Piper, with the characters name changed to Rose Tyler. [6] Eccleston and Piper made their debut in "Rose." [7] For the second half of the first series they were joined by John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. [8] Due to disagreements with the producers and network executives, Eccleston departed after a single series [9] [10] and was succeeded by David Tennant portraying the Tenth Doctor beginning at the end of "The Parting of the Ways." [11] Barrowman was also written off at the end of this series and would go on to lead his own spin-off series, Torchwood . [12] Tennant's first full episode was "The Christmas Invasion" which led into the second series with Piper continuing her role. [13] Elisabeth Sladen and John Leeson returned to Doctor Who in the series two episode "School Reunion" reprising their roles as Sarah Jane Smith and K-9, respectively. [14] The two would also go on to star in their own spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures . [15] [16] Piper left in the second series finale, "Doomsday." [17] Catherine Tate starred as Donna Noble, the Doctor's one off companion in "The Runaway Bride", and was briefly introduced in "Doomsday." [18] Freema Agyeman replaced Piper for the series three, [19] and appeared as Martha Jones from "Smith and Jones" to "Last of the Time Lords." [20] Agyeman had previously appeared in a separate role in "Doomsday" and was cast as Jones following positive reception from the producers; the two characters were later explained to be cousins. [19] Barrowman briefly re-joined the series for its three-part finale third series. [21] Derek Jacobi and John Simm portrayed new incarnations of the Master. [22]
Tennant was joined by Kylie Minogue portraying Astrid Peth in the 2008 Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned." [23] This episode also introduced Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott, later revealed to be Donna's grandfather, who would continue to recur across series four. [24] Cribbins was not originally expected to appear outside of the special, but was asked to return in place of Howard Attfield who had portrayed Donna's dad Geoff and died unexpectedly while filming was still underway. [25] [26] Despite having another actress and character lined up for the fourth series, the producers ultimately decided to ask Tate to return instead. [18] Piper returned for this series making a set of various cameo appearances. [27] [28] Ageyman also returned for three episodes mid-series. [29] Alex Kingston was introduced as a mysterious time-traveler called River Song in the later portion of the series during which her character was killed-off. [30] The series four two-part finale saw numerous cast members return including Piper, Barrowman, Agyeman, Sladen, and Leeson, [31] while also featuring the departure of Tate. [32] Tennant decided to leave the role following a series of specials [33] which featured David Morrissey, Michelle Ryan, and Lindsay Duncan as one-time companions in their respective episodes. [34] [35] [36] "The End of Time" saw the return of Cribbins, this time as the Doctor's companion. [37] This episode also saw brief cameo appearances from Piper, Tate, Agyeman, Barrowman, and Sladen ahead of Tennant's regeneration. [38]
Matt Smith was named as Tennant's replacement as the Eleventh Doctor and first appeared in "The End of Time". [39] In the fifth series premiere, "The Eleventh Hour", Karen Gillan joined Smith and played Amy Pond. [40] [41] Gillan previously played a soothsayer in the series four episode "The Fires of Pompeii" [42] Rory Williams was introduced as a recurring character portrayed by Arthur Darvill. [43] [44] Kingston was re-introduced in the fifth series and was revealed as another time traveler who meets with the Doctor out of order. [45] Darvill was then promoted to the main cast beginning with "The Impossible Astronaut", the series six opening episode. [46] Kingston continued to recur throughout the sixth series as well. [47]
Actor | Character | Appearances | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Series 1 (2005) | Series 2 | Series 3 | Series 4 | Specials (2008–10) | Series 5 (2010) | Series 6 | |||||||
Special (2005) | Series (2006) | Special (2006) | Series (2007) | Special (2007) | Series (2008) | Special (2010) | Series (2011) | ||||||
Christopher Eccleston | The Doctor | Ninth | Main | ||||||||||
David Tennant | Tenth | Guest | Main | ||||||||||
Matt Smith | Eleventh | Guest | Main | ||||||||||
Billie Piper | Rose Tyler | Main | Main | Guest | |||||||||
Catherine Tate | Donna Noble | Guest | Main | Main | Guest | ||||||||
Freema Agyeman | Martha Jones | Main | Main | Guest | |||||||||
John Barrowman | Jack Harkness | Recurring | Main | Main | Guest | ||||||||
Kylie Minogue | Astrid Peth | Main | |||||||||||
Elisabeth Sladen | Sarah Jane Smith | Guest | Main | Guest | |||||||||
John Leeson | K-9 | Guest | Guest | ||||||||||
David Morrissey | Jackson Lake | Main | |||||||||||
Michelle Ryan | Christina de Souza | Main | |||||||||||
Lindsay Duncan | Adelaide Brooke | Main | |||||||||||
Derek Jacobi | The Master | Guest | |||||||||||
John Simm | Recurring | Main | |||||||||||
Bernard Cribbins | Wilfred Mott | Guest | Recurring | Main | |||||||||
Alex Kingston | River Song | Guest | Recurring | Recurring | |||||||||
Karen Gillan | Amy Pond | Main | |||||||||||
Arthur Darvill | Rory Williams | Recurring | Main |
Smith continued his role throughout the entirety of the seventh series and the following specials. [48] Claire Skinner starred as Madge Arwell in the Christmas special that preceded series seven. [49] This special also saw Gillan and Darvill make guest appearances. [50] The two then returned for the first part of the series before departing in "The Angels Take Manhattan". [51] Jenna-Louise Coleman was announced as a new companion, Clara Oswald, to succeed Gillan and Darvill. [52] Coleman made an unannounced guest appearance (as Oswin Oswald) in the series opener, "Asylum of the Daleks", [53] before joining the main cast from "The Snowmen". [54] [55] Alex Kingston continued to recur in the series. [56] Beginning with the subsequent specials Coleman dropped "Louise" from her acting name. [57] The first special celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the series was titled "The Day of the Doctor" and saw the return of David Tennant and Billie Piper. [58] Christopher Eccleston was initially set to return in the special as well but was later replaced by John Hurt, who played an incarnation of the Doctor not previously known. [59] Gillan made a brief cameo appearance in the second and final special, "The Time of the Doctor". [60] This episode also saw the departure of Smith. [61]
Peter Capaldi took over as the Twelfth Doctor following Smith's departure and debuted his first full episode in "Deep Breath". [62] [63] Capaldi made a cameo appearance in "The Day of the Doctor" and a guest appearance at the end of "The Time of the Doctor" after being cast in the role. [64] [65] He had also previously appeared in the Doctor Who episode "The Fires of Pompeii" and in the third series of spin-off series Torchwood, roles which were later connected to the Twelfth Doctor. [66] Smith also held a minor role in "Deep Breath" in an appearance that was filmed prior to his departure. [67] Coleman returned once more for the eighth and ninth series before exiting in "Hell Bent". [68] [69] Michelle Gomez appeared throughout the eighth series as an unknown character that was later revealed to be the next incarnation of the Master, this time going by Missy. [70] Gomez also appeared in the two-part ninth series premiere. [71] The Christmas special that bridged the two series featured an appearance by Nick Frost as Santa Claus, [72] a role that was introduced through a cameo in the eighth series finale. [73]
Coleman's departure was followed by two Christmas specials ahead of the tenth series, the first of which featured a final appearance by Kingston [74] and the second featuring the return of Matt Lucas as Nardole from the first, but this time in a starring role. [75] [76] Lucas continued this role through the end of the tenth series which also saw the introduction of Pearl Mackie portraying Bill Potts. [77] Gomez recurred once more in the series [78] and Simm reprised his role alongside Gomez in the tenth series finale. [79] The "Twice Upon a Time" Christmas special included the departure of both Capaldi and Mackie from the series. [80] [81] It also saw one-off appearances by David Bradley who had been cast as the First Doctor and Mark Gatiss as The Captain. [82] [83] Bradley was first introduced in the final episode of the tenth series. [84] Coleman and Lucas both made guest appearances in the special as well. [85] The Thirteenth Doctor, portrayed by Jodie Whittaker, was introduced at the end of the episode. [86]
Actor | Character | Appearances | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Series 7 | Specials (2013) | Series 8 (2014) | Series 9 | Series 10 | |||||||||||
Special (2011) | Part 1 (2012) | Special (2012) | Part 2 (2013) | Special (2014) | Series (2015) | Special (2015) | Special (2016) | Series (2017) | Special (2017) | ||||||
Matt Smith | The Doctor | Eleventh | Main | Guest | |||||||||||
David Tennant | Tenth | Main | |||||||||||||
John Hurt | War | Guest | Main | ||||||||||||
Peter Capaldi | Twelfth | Guest | Main | ||||||||||||
David Bradley | First | Guest | Main | ||||||||||||
Jodie Whittaker | Thirteenth | Guest | |||||||||||||
Claire Skinner | Madge Arwell | Main | |||||||||||||
Karen Gillan | Amy Pond | Guest | Main | Guest | |||||||||||
Arthur Darvill | Rory Williams | Guest | Main | ||||||||||||
Jenna Coleman | Clara Oswald | Guest | Main | Guest | |||||||||||
Alex Kingston | River Song | Guest | Guest | Main | |||||||||||
Billie Piper | Rose Tyler | Main | |||||||||||||
Michelle Gomez | The Master / Missy | Recurring | Guest | Recurring | |||||||||||
John Simm | Guest | ||||||||||||||
Nick Frost | Santa Claus | Guest | Main | ||||||||||||
Matt Lucas | Nardole | Guest | Main | Guest | |||||||||||
Pearl Mackie | Bill Potts | Main | |||||||||||||
Mark Gatiss | The Captain | Main |
Whittaker's first series as the Thirteenth Doctor began its broadcast in late 2018. [87] Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill replaced Mackie and Lucas as the companions for the show. [88] The twelfth series saw the reintroduction of the Master, this time played by Sacha Dhawan who recurred across the series. [89] Meanwhile, Barrowman briefly returned to Doctor Who as Harkness in "Fugitive of the Judoon", after a ten year absence from the series, and starred in the 2021 New Year's Day special, "Revolution of the Daleks". [90] "Fugitive of the Judoon" also introduced a new, previously unknown, incarnation of the Doctor referred to as the Fugitive Doctor portrayed by Jo Martin, a role that carried over into the thirteenth series and subsequent specials. [91] [92]
Walsh and Cole left the series following "Revolution of the Daleks", and were succeeded by John Bishop for the thirteenth series. [93] Whittaker, Gill, and Bishop continued their roles through the 2022 specials; Whittaker then departed [94] alongside Gill, [95] and Bishop. [96] The final special, "The Power of the Doctor", commemorating the BBC's centenary, saw the return of David Bradley, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann as the First, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth doctors, respectively. [97] Sophie Aldred and Janet Fielding also starred in the episode, reprising their roles as Ace and Tegan Jovanka. [98] Walsh briefly returned in the episode as well, [99] with William Russell, Katy Manning, and Bonnie Langford portraying former companions Ian Chesterton, Jo Grant, and Mel Bush. [100] With his appearance, Chesterson broke the Guinness World Record for "longest gap between TV appearances as the same character" with over 57 years since his last appearance in 1965. [101]
On 8 May 2022, Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the Fourteenth Doctor. [102] David Tennant and Catherine Tate were also announced to be returning to the series in a similar set of specials airing in 2023 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the series. [103] Following Tennant's re-introduction to the series at the end of "The Power of the Doctor" it was revealed that Gatwa would actually be playing the Fifteenth Doctor while Tennant would hold the role of the Fourteenth. [104] Bernard Cribbins appeared in the 2023 specials as Wilfred Mott in a posthumous role because of Cribbins' death after completing filming. [105] Langford also reprised her role once more in the final special, "The Giggle." [106] Gatwa was first introduced in this episode, [107] before his first full episode in the 2023 Christmas special, [108] with the fourteenth series screening in 2024. [109] This series is also set to see Langford make further guest appearances. [110] In May 2024, it was revealed that Nicola Coughlan would star as the Doctor's one-off companion in the 2024 Christmas special. [111] Gatwa and Gibson will both continue their roles into the fifteenth series, [112] [113] and are set to be joined by Varada Sethu, [114] who first appeared in the episode "Boom" (2024) as an unrelated character. [115]
Actors with roles which they have reprised over multiple episodes or stories without being part of the main cast.
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Chris Addison | Seb | "The Caretaker" (2014) [122] |
"Dark Water" / "Death in Heaven" (2014) [123] | ||
Ronke Adekoluejo | Penny | "Extremis" – "The Pyramid at the End of the World" (2017) [124] [125] |
Nadia Albina | Diane | "The Halloween Apocalypse" (2021) [126] |
"Once, Upon Time" (2021) [127] | ||
"Survivors of the Flux" – "The Vanquishers" (2021) [128] [129] | ||
"Legend of the Sea Devils" (2022) [130] | ||
Jacob Anderson | Vinder | "The Halloween Apocalypse" – "The Vanquishers" (2021) [131] |
"The Power of the Doctor" (2022) [132] | ||
Samuel Anderson | Danny Pink | "Into the Dalek" (2014) [133] |
"Listen" – "Last Christmas (2014) [134] | ||
Adjoa Andoh | Francine Jones | "Smith and Jones" (2007) [135] |
"The Lazarus Experiment" – "42" (2007) [136] [137] | ||
"The Sound of Drums" / "Last of the Time Lords" (2007) [138] | ||
"The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End" (2008) [139] [140] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Eve De Leon Allen | Angie Maitland | "The Bells of Saint John" (2013) [161] |
"The Crimson Horror" – "The Name of the Doctor" (2013) [162] [163] [164] | ||
Alexander Devrient | Colonel Christofer Ibrahim | "The Giggle" (2023) |
"The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" (2024) | ||
Richard Dillane | Carter | "Let's Kill Hitler" (2011) [144] |
"The Wedding of River Song" (2011) [142] | ||
Shaun Dingwall | Pete Tyler | "Father's Day" (2005) [159] |
"Rise of the Cybermen" / "The Age of Steel" (2006) [156] | ||
"Doomsday" (2006) [150] | ||
Jonny Dixon | Karl | "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (2018) [158] |
"Eve of the Daleks" (2022) [165] | ||
Anita Dobson | Mrs. Flood | "The Church on Ruby Road" (2023) |
"73 Yards" (2024) | ||
"The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" (2024) | ||
Valentine Dyall | The Black Guardian | The Armageddon Factor (1979) [166] |
Mawdryn Undead – Enlightenment (1983) [166] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Barnaby Edwards | Dalek Operator | "Dalek" (2005) [148] |
"Bad Wolf" / "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) [149] | ||
"Army of Ghosts" / "Doomsday (2006) [150] | ||
"Daleks in Manhattan" / "Evolution of the Daleks" (2007) [151] | ||
"The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End" (2008) | ||
"Victory of the Daleks" (2010) [152] | ||
"The Pandorica Opens" / "The Big Bang" (2010) [143] | ||
"The Magician's Apprentice" / "The Witch's Familiar" (2015) [146] | ||
"Revolution of the Daleks" (2021) [153] | ||
"Eve of the Daleks" (2022) [154] | ||
"The Power of the Doctor" (2022) [155] | ||
Craige Els | Karvanista | "The Halloween Apocalypse" – "Once, Upon Time" (2021) [167] [168] [169] |
"Survivors of the Flux" – "The Vanquishers" (2021) [170] [171] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Stuart Fell | Body of Alpha Centauri | The Curse of Peladon (1972) |
The Monster of Peladon (1974) | ||
Simon Fisher-Becker | Dorium Maldovar | "The Pandorica Opens" (2010) [143] |
"A Good Man Goes to War" (2011) [141] | ||
"The Wedding of River Song" (2011) [142] | ||
Yasmin Finney | Rose Noble | "The Star Beast" (2023) [172] |
"The Giggle" (2023) [173] | ||
"The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" (2024) | ||
Barbara Flynn | Awsok/Tecteun | "Once, Upon Time" (2021) [169] |
"Survivors of the Flux" (2021) [170] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Ravin J Ganatra | Hakim Khan | "Arachnids in the UK" (2018) |
"Demons of the Punjab" (2018) | ||
"Spyfall" (2020) | ||
Ellis George | Courtney Woods | "Deep Breath" – "Into the Dalek" (2014) |
"The Caretaker" – "Kill the Moon" (2014) | ||
David Graham | Voice of the Daleks | The Daleks (1963–1964) |
The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) | ||
The Chase (1965) | ||
"Mission to the Unknown" (1965) | ||
The Daleks' Master Plan (1965–1966) | ||
Thaddea Graham | Bel | "Once, Upon Time" − "The Vanquishers" (2021) [169] [171] |
Richard E. Grant | Doctor Simeon / The Great Intelligence | "The Snowmen" (2012) |
"The Bells of Saint John" (2013) [161] | ||
"The Name of the Doctor (2013) [174] | ||
Jaye Griffiths | Jac | "The Magician's Apprentice" (2015) [146] |
"The Zygon Invasion" (2015) | ||
Michelle Greenidge | Carla Sunday | "The Church on Ruby Road" (2023) |
"Space Babies" (2024) | ||
"73 Yards" (2024) | ||
"Rogue" – "Empire of Death" (2024) | ||
Shobna Gulati | Najia Khan | "Arachnids in the UK" (2018) |
"Demons of the Punjab" (2018) | ||
"Spyfall" (2020) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Barry Jackson | Jeff Garvey | Galaxy 4 (1965) |
"Mission to the Unknown" (1965) | ||
Paul Jerricho | The Castellan | Arc of Infinity (1983) |
"The Five Doctors" (1983) | ||
Robert Jewell | Dalek Operator | The Daleks (1963–1964) |
The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) | ||
The Chase (1965) | ||
"Mission to the Unknown" (1965) | ||
The Daleks' Master Plan (1965–1966) | ||
The Power of the Daleks (1966) | ||
The Evil of the Daleks (1967) | ||
Kassius Carey Johnson | Artie Maitland | "The Bells of Saint John" (2013) [161] |
"The Crimson Horror" – "The Name of the Doctor" (2013) [162] [163] [164] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Paul Kasey | Cybermen | "Rise of the Cybermen" / "The Age of Steel" (2006) [156] |
"Army of Ghosts" / "Doomsday" (2006) [150] | ||
"The Next Doctor" (2008) | ||
"Closing Time" (2011) | ||
Ood | "The Impossible Planet" / "The Satan Pit" (2006) | |
"Planet of the Ood" (2008) | ||
"Waters of Mars" (2009) | ||
"The End of Time" (2009–2010) | ||
Judoon | "Smith and Jones" (2007) | |
"The Stolen Earth" (2008) | ||
"The Pandorica Opens" (2010) [143] | ||
"Fugitive of the Judoon" (2020) | ||
Asif Khan | Sgt. Ramesh Sunder | "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (2018) [158] |
"Spyfall" (2020) | ||
Jacqueline King | Sylvia Noble | "The Runaway Bride" (2006) |
"Partners in Crime" (2008) | ||
"The Sontaran Stratagem" / "The Poison Sky" (2008) | ||
"Turn Left" – "Journey's End" (2008) | ||
"The End of Time" (2009–2010) | ||
"The Star Beast" (2023) | ||
"The Giggle" (2023) | ||
Tommy Knight | Luke Smith | "The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End" (2008) |
"The End of Time" (2010) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Trevor Laird | Clive Jones | "Smith and Jones" (2007) [135] |
"The Sound of Drums" / "Last of the Time Lords" (2007) [138] | ||
Bruno Langley | Adam Mitchell | "Dalek" – "The Long Game" (2005) [148] [175] |
Oscar Lloyd | Toby Avery | "The Curse of the Black Spot" (2011) [147] |
"A Good Man Goes to War" (2011) [141] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Matthew Needham | Old Swarm | "The Halloween Apocalypse" (2021) [176] |
"Once, Upon Time" (2021) [169] | ||
Chris Noth | Jack Robertson | "Arachnids in the UK" (2018) [177] |
"Revolution of the Daleks" (2021) [178] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Samuel Oatley | Tim Shaw | "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (2018) [158] |
"The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos" (2018) | ||
Patrick O'Kane | Ashad | "The Haunting of Villa Diodati" – "The Timeless Children" (2020) |
"The Power of the Doctor" (2022) [155] | ||
Sophie Okonedo | Liz 10 | "The Beast Below" (2010) |
"The Pandorica Opens" (2010) [143] | ||
Ingrid Oliver [179] | Osgood | "The Day of the Doctor" (2013) |
"Death in Heaven" (2014) | ||
"The Zygon Invasion" / "The Zygon Inversion" (2015) | ||
Kate O'Mara | The Rani | The Mark of the Rani (1985) |
Time and the Rani (1987) | ||
Steve Oram | Joseph Williamson | "The Halloween Apocalypse" – "Once, Upon Time" (2021) [176] [169] |
"Survivors of the Flux" – "The Vanquishers" (2021) [170] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Craig Parkinson | Grand Serpent | "Once, Upon Time" (2021) [127] |
"Survivors of the Flux" – "The Vanquishers" (2021) [170] | ||
Bhavnisha Parmar | Sonya Khan | "Arachnids in the UK" (2018) |
"Demons of the Punjab" (2018) | ||
"Spyfall" (2020) | ||
"Can You Hear Me?" (2020) | ||
"Once, Upon Time" (2021) [127] | ||
Bill Paterson | Professor Edwin Bracewell | "Victory of the Daleks" (2010) [152] |
"The Pandorica Opens" (2010) [143] | ||
Nicholas Pegg | Dalek Operator | "Bad Wolf" / "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) [149] |
"Army of Ghosts" / "Doomsday" (2006) [150] | ||
"Daleks in Manhattan" / "Evolution of the Daleks" (2007) [151] | ||
"The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End" (2008) | ||
"Victory of the Daleks" (2010) | ||
"Asylum of the Daleks" (2012) | ||
"The Day of the Doctor" – "The Time of the Doctor" (2013) | ||
"The Magician's Apprentice" / "The Witch's Familiar" (2015) [146] | ||
"Revolution of the Daleks" (2021) [153] | ||
"Eve of the Daleks" (2022) [154] | ||
"The Power of the Doctor" (2022) [155] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Jemma Redgrave | Kate Lethbridge-Stewart | "The Power of Three" (2012) |
"The Day of the Doctor" (2013) | ||
"Death in Heaven" (2014) | ||
"The Magician's Apprentice" (2015) [146] | ||
"The Zygon Invasion" / "The Zygon Inversion" (2015) | ||
"Survivors of the Flux" – "The Vanquishers" (2021) [170] [171] | ||
"The Power of the Doctor" (2022) [155] | ||
"The Giggle" (2023) | ||
"73 Yards" (2024) | ||
"The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" (2024) | ||
Sheila Reid | Clara's Gran | "The Time of the Doctor" (2013) |
"Dark Water" (2014) | ||
Struan Rodger | Voice of Face of Boe | "New Earth" (2006) |
"Gridlock" (2007) | ||
Lenny Rush | Morris Gibbons | "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" (2024) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Buom Tihngang | Tibo | "Spyfall" (2020) |
"Can You Hear Me?" (2020) | ||
Russell Tovey | Alonso Frame | "Voyage of the Damned" (2007) [180] |
"The End of Time" (2010) [181] | ||
Cy Town | Dalek Operator | Frontier in Space (1973) |
Planet of the Daleks (1973) | ||
Death to the Daleks (1974) | ||
Genesis of the Daleks (1975) | ||
Destiny of the Daleks (1979) | ||
Resurrection of the Daleks (1984) | ||
Revelation of the Daleks (1985) | ||
Remembrance of the Daleks (1988) | ||
Susan Twist | Mrs Merridew | "Wild Blue Yonder" (2023) [182] |
Woman | "The Church on Ruby Road" (2023) [182] | |
Gina Scalzi | "Space Babies" (2024) [182] | |
Tea Lady | "The Devil's Chord" (2024) [182] | |
Villengard Ambulance AI | "Boom" (2024) [183] | |
Hiker | "73 Yards" (2024) [184] | |
Penny Pepper-Bean | "Dot and Bubble" (2024) [185] | |
The Portrait | "Rogue" (2024) [186] | |
Susan Triad | "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" (2024) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Marnix van den Broeke | Silent | "The Impossible Astronaut" / "Day of the Moon" (2011) |
"Closing Time" – "The Wedding of River Song" (2011) [142] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Reggie Yates | Leo Jones | "Smith and Jones" (2007) |
"The Lazarus Experiment" (2007) [136] | ||
"The Sound of Drums" / "Last of the Time Lords" (2007) [138] |
This is a list of actors who have made guest appearances in Doctor Who . These actors were well-known names at the time of their appearance in the series, which frequently caused interest in the media towards the latest story. Actors who became famous after their Doctor Who appearance are not present in this list.
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Robert Beatty [188] | General Cutler | The Tenth Planet (1966) |
George Coulouris [189] | Arbitan | The Keys of Marinus (1964) |
Julian Glover | Richard the Lionheart | The Crusade (1965) |
Stephanie Bidmead | Maaga | Galaxy 4 (1965) |
Max Adrian | King Priam | The Myth Makers (1965) |
Barrie Ingham | Paris | The Myth Makers (1965) |
Andre Morell | Marshal Tavannes | The Massacre (1966) |
Michael Gough | Celestial Toymaker | The Celestial Toymaker (1966) |
Kenneth Kendall | Himself | The War Machines (1966) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Bernard Bresslaw [188] | Varga | The Ice Warriors (1967) |
Pauline Collins OBE | Sam Briggs | The Faceless Ones (1967) |
Joseph Furst | Zaroff | The Underwater Menace (1967) |
Marius Goring , CBE [190] | Theodore Maxtible | The Evil of the Daleks (1967) |
Emrys Jones | The Master of the Land of Fiction | The Mind Robber (1968) |
Esmond Knight | Dom Issigri | The Space Pirates (1969) |
Ronald Leigh-Hunt | Radnor | The Seeds of Death (1969) |
Victor Maddern | Robson | Fury from the Deep (1968) |
Wolfe Morris | Padmasambhava and the Voice of the Great Intelligence | The Abominable Snowmen (1967) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
June Brown | Lady Eleanor | The Time Warrior (1973–1974) |
Ingrid Pitt [191] | Queen Galleia | The Time Monster (1972) |
Aubrey Woods | Controller | Day of the Daleks (1972) |
Helen Worth | Mary Ashe | Colony in Space (1971) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
George Baker | Login | Full Circle (1980) |
Eleanor Bron [192] | Art Gallery Visitor | City of Death (1979) |
John Cleese [193] | Art critic | City of Death (1979) |
Adrienne Corri | Mena | The Leisure Hive (1980) |
Julian Glover [194] | Count/Scaroth | City of Death (1979) |
Emrys James | Aukon | State of Decay (1980) |
Beatrix Lehmann [195] | Prof. Emilia Rumford | The Stones of Blood (1978) |
Pamela Salem | Toos | The Robots of Death (1977) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Lynda Baron | Captain Wrack | Enlightenment (1983) |
Isla Blair | Isabella | The King's Demons (1983) |
Peter Gilmore | Brazen | Frontios (1984) |
Leee John [196] | Mansell | Enlightenment (1983) |
Burt Kwouk [197] | Lin Futu | Four to Doomsday (1982) |
Ingrid Pitt | Dr Solow | Warriors of the Deep (1984) |
Beryl Reid [198] | Briggs | Earthshock (1982) |
Richard Todd | Sanders | Kinda (1982) |
Peter Wyngarde [196] | Timanov | Planet of Fire (1984) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Maurice Denham OBE [199] | Azmael/Professor Edgeworth | The Twin Dilemma (1984) |
Faith Brown [200] | Flast | Attack of the Cybermen (1985) |
Martin Jarvis | The Governor | Vengeance on Varos (1985) |
Terence Alexander | Lord Ravensworth | The Mark of the Rani (1985) |
Jacqueline Pearce | Chessenne | The Two Doctors (1985) |
Paul Darrow | Tekker | Timelash (1985) |
Eleanor Bron | Kara | Revelation of the Daleks |
Alexei Sayle [201] | D.J. | Revelation of the Daleks (1985) |
Joan Sims [202] | Katryca | The Mysterious Planet (1986) |
Brian Blessed [203] | Yrcanos | Mindwarp (1986) |
Patrick Ryecart | Crozier | Mindwarp (1986) |
Honor Blackman [204] | Professor Lasky | Terror of the Vervoids (1986) |
Geoffrey Hughes | Popplewick | The Ultimate Foe (1986) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Richard Briers [205] | Chief Caretaker | Paradise Towers (1987) |
Ken Dodd [206] | Tollmaster | Delta and the Bannermen (1987) |
Dolores Gray | Mrs. Remington | Silver Nemesis (1988) |
Hale and Pace [207] | Len and Harvey | Survival (1989) |
Sheila Hancock | Helen A | The Happiness Patrol (1988) |
Nicholas Parsons | Rev. Wainwright | The Curse of Fenric (1989) |
Pamela Salem | Professor Jensen | Remembrance of the Daleks (1988) |
Sylvia Syms | Mrs Pritchard | Ghost Light (1989) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Eric Roberts [208] | The Master | Doctor Who (1996) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Jo Joyner [187] | Lynda Moss | "Bad Wolf" / "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) |
Davina McCall [187] | Davinadroid | "Bad Wolf" (2005) |
Simon Pegg [187] | The Editor | "The Long Game" (2005) |
Anne Robinson [187] | Anne Droid | "Bad Wolf" / "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) |
Richard Wilson | Doctor Constantine | "The Empty Child" / "The Doctor Dances" (2005) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Bill Bailey [222] | Droxil | "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" (2011) |
Lynda Baron [160] | Val | "Closing Time" (2011) |
David Bradley [223] | Solomon | "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" (2012) |
Brian Cox | Himself | "The Power of Three" (2012) |
Sir Michael Gambon [224] | Kazran Sardick / Elliot Sardick | "A Christmas Carol" (2010) |
Katherine Jenkins [225] | Abigail Pettigrew | "A Christmas Carol" (2010) |
Sir Ian McKellen [207] | Voice of the Great Intelligence | "The Snowmen" (2012) |
David Mitchell [226] | Voice of Robot 1 | "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" (2012) |
Bill Nighy [207] | Dr. Black | "Vincent and the Doctor" (2010) |
David Walliams [227] | Gibbis | "The God Complex" (2011) |
Robert Webb [226] | Voice of Robot 2 | "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" (2012) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Foxes [228] | Singer | "Mummy on the Orient Express" (2014) |
Frank Skinner [228] | Perkins | "Mummy on the Orient Express" (2014) |
Greg Davies | King Hydroflax | "The Husbands of River Song" (2015) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Aisling Bea | Sarah | "Eve of the Daleks" (2022) |
Alan Cumming | King James | "The Witchfinders" (2018) |
Stephen Fry [229] | C | "Spyfall" (2020) |
Lenny Henry [230] | Daniel Barton | "Spyfall" (2020) |
Julie Hesmondhalgh [231] | Judy Maddox | "Kerblam!" (2018) |
Lee Mack [232] | Dan Cooper | "Kerblam!" (2018) |
Art Malik [233] | Ilin | "The Ghost Monument" (2018) |
Pauline McLynn | Mary | "Eve of the Daleks" (2022) |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Neil Patrick Harris | The Toymaker | "The Giggle" (2023) [234] |
Miriam Margolyes | Voice of The Meep | "The Star Beast" (2023) [235] |
Actor | Role | Stories |
---|---|---|
Jonathan Groff | Rogue | "Rogue" (2024) [236] |
Davina McCall | Herself | "The Church on Ruby Road" (2023) [237] |
Jinkx Monsoon [238] | Maestro | "The Devil's Chord" (2024) [239] |
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called the Doctor, part of a humanoid species called Time Lords. The Doctor travels in the universe and in time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, which externally appears as a British police box. While travelling, the Doctor works to save lives and liberate oppressed peoples by combating foes. The Doctor often travels with companions.
Bernard Joseph Cribbins was an English actor and singer whose career spanned over eight decades.
Doctor Who is a British television science fiction series, produced and screened by the BBC on the BBC TV channel from 1963 to 1964, and on BBC1 from 1964 to 1989 and since 2005. A one-off television film, co-produced with Universal Pictures was screened on the Fox Network in the United States in 1996.
The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant in three series and nine specials. The character has also appeared in other Doctor Who spin-offs. In 2023, Tennant returned to the role, this time as the fourteenth incarnation of the Doctor.
"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2005. This episode features the first full-episode appearance of David Tennant as the Doctor. It is also the first specially produced Christmas special in the programme's history, commissioned following the success of the first series earlier in the year, to see how well the show could do at Christmas. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies and was directed by James Hawes.
Wilfred "Wilf" Mott is a recurring fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Bernard Cribbins. He is the grandfather of the Tenth Doctor's companion Donna Noble, and father of her mother, Sylvia Noble. As companion to the Doctor, an alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, Donna travelled through space and time in the show's 2008 series, having numerous adventures. A believer in extraterrestrial life himself, Wilfred was proud of his granddaughter's adventures and helped to keep them a secret from her overbearing mother. He later became the Tenth Doctor's final companion in "The End of Time".
"Journey's End" is the thirteenth and final episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC One on 5 July 2008. It is the second episode of a two-part crossover story featuring the characters of spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, preceded by "The Stolen Earth", which aired on 28 June.
An Adventure in Space and Time is a 2013 British biographical television film, starring David Bradley, Brian Cox, Jessica Raine and Sacha Dhawan. Directed by Terry McDonough, and written by regular Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss, it premiered on BBC Two on 21 November 2013, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the science fiction television series. Further, international broadcasts of the television film were made after its premiere on British television.
Clara Oswald is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She was created by series producer Steven Moffat and portrayed by Jenna Coleman. Clara was introduced in the seventh series as a new travelling companion of the series protagonist, the Doctor, in his eleventh and twelfth incarnations.
The 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who are three additional episodes that follow the programme's thirteenth series. The specials aired on BBC One on 1 January, 17 April and 23 October respectively. They are the final episodes to be overseen by Chris Chibnall as showrunner. Chinball wrote all three specials, co-writing the second with Ella Road. They were directed by Annetta Lauger, Haolu Wang, and Jamie Magnus Stone, respectively.
"Eve of the Daleks" is the first of three special episodes that followed the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 January 2022 as Doctor Who's annual holiday special. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Annetta Laufer. It is the third and final part of a loose trilogy that developed in previous festive specials.
The fourteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who premiered on 11 May 2024, and aired through to 22 June. The marketing for the series refers to it as "Season One", following the production changes and the acquisition of Doctor Who's international broadcasting rights by Disney+. It is the fifth series led by Russell T Davies as head writer and executive producer and the first since his return to the show, having previously worked on it from 2005 to 2010. This series is the fourteenth to air since the programme's revival in 2005, and the fortieth season overall. The fourteenth series was announced with Davies' return for its 60th anniversary in 2023 and beyond, with Bad Wolf becoming a co-producer.
"The Power of the Doctor" is the third and final story of three special episodes that follow the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The episode was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 23 October 2022. The special was commissioned to air during the British Broadcasting Corporation's centenary celebrations.
The Fifteenth Doctor is the current incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa. His first series companion is Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.
The 2023 specials of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who are three special episodes that aired between 25 November and 9 December 2023, to celebrate the programme's 60th anniversary. They were written by Russell T Davies and marked the start of his second tenure as showrunner, having served in the role from the start of Doctor Who's revival in 2005 until leaving in 2010. The specials were broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and on Disney+ internationally.
The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor and the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who for the 2023 specials. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor and was last seen on the programme in that role in 2013.
"The Giggle" is the third and final of the 60th anniversary specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies, directed by Chanya Button and broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 December 2023. It features the final regular appearances of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, introduces Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and guest stars Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker, a character last seen in The Celestial Toymaker (1966). The episode also features the return of Jemma Redgrave and Bonnie Langford as UNIT commander Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Mel Bush, respectively.