Peter Capaldi : from spin doctor to the new Doctor Who
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Peter Capaldi : from <m> spin doctor </m> to the new Doctor Who
http : / / www . theguardian . com / tv - and - radio / 2013 / aug / 04 / peter - capaldi - doctor - who
Peter Capaldi : from <m> spin doctor </m> to the new Doctor Who
Scottish actor best known for his role as Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It revealed as 12th actor to play the Doctor
Monday 5 August 2013 08 . 33 BST
Peter Capaldi , best known for playing foul - mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in political satire The Thick of It , has been named as the 12th actor to play the Doctor in the TV series Doctor Who .
The 55 - year old Glasgow - born actor , a self - confessed lifelong Doctor Who fan , is the oldest actor to play the Time Lord since the first Doctor , William Hartnell , in 1963 .
He will replace Matt Smith , the youngest ever Doctor at 26 when he was introduced in 2009 .
The new Doctor was announced in a special live broadcast on BBC1 on Sunday night .
Capaldi had been firmly installed as the bookies' favourite ahead of contenders including Luther's Idris Elba , Ben Whishaw and Daniel Rigby , despite a cloak of secrecy surrounding the identity of the new Doctor .
Internally the BBC referred to the selection process as project Houdini , with reportedly only 10 people knowing Capaldi had been chosen .
"It is so wonderful not to keep this secret any more , " he said .
"For a while I couldn't even tell my daughter .
Being asked to play the Doctor is an amazing privilege .
Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight .
I can't wait to get started . "
Capaldi admitted that it would be tricky to throw off the spectre of his most famous on screen persona , the wily and unscrupulous spin doctor Malcolm Tucker for the hit BBC show .
"I think Malcolm has been banished from the mirror by the new Doctor who wouldn't put up with Malcolm's attitude to the world , " said Capaldi in an interview with Zoe Ball .
Capaldi , who described himself as a "full anorak" Doctor Who fan who once wrote a letter aged 15 about Doctor Who to the Radio Times , admitted he was yet to get his head around being named as one of British TV's most enduring and best loved characters .
"He's not me yet , " he said .
"But he is reaching out and hopefully we will get it together .
Even though I am a lifelong Doctor Who fan I've not played him since I was nine .
I downloaded old scripts and practised those in front of the mirror . "
Capaldi is not completely new to Doctor Who , having appeared in the programme playing Caecilius in the episode "The Fires of Pompeii" in 2008 with David Tennant .
Steven Moffat , lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who , said : "It's an incendiary combination : one of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television . " he said .
" Peter Capaldi is in the Tardis . "
Capaldi said he had his phone on silent when he received the call that he had got the role - he was in Prague shooting a BBC remake of the Three Musketeers , where he plays Cardinal Richelieu .
An assistant delivered the good news by saying : "Hello Doctor" .
Moffat said Capaldi had been thought of before but that the timing had not been right .
"We all had an idea , we all had the same idea , it was quite a different idea , " he said .
"We got the notional 12th Doctor around to my house and made a home video .
"Everyone said 'yes' that is the Doctor .
There comes a right time for the right person to play it .
That moment has arrived . "
The live announcement was broadcast simultaneously on BBC America , highlighting the increasing popularity of the franchise internationally and growing importance of the world's biggest TV market for the BBC franchise .
In Doctor Who lore Capaldi is the 12th Doctor , leaving just one left and raising the long - held question of how the script writers will overcome the problem to keep the franchise going .
"We're getting towards the end of the incarnation cycle and everyone always remembers that bit of the overall plot , " said Tom Spilsbury , editor of the official Doctor Who magazine .
"The question is probably a few years away now for Doctor Who fans , I don't think they will be worried about it just yet .
Doctor Who is popular so [ the BBC ] will invent away to get around it when the time comes , won't they ? "
The hope of a first female Doctor has once again been dashed , though Moffat tantalisingly hinted that the prospect remained for the future .
"Time Lords can change gender , so it is not against the rules , " he said .
Jenna Coleman , who will remain as the Doctor's companion when Capaldi takes over the role next year , said : "With Steven's writing and his talent I know we'll be making an amazing show with an incredible incarnation of number 12 .
I can't wait to start this new adventure . "
The decision was welcomed by Smith who pre - recorded a message to Capaldi , saying : "I just want to wish my successor all the best and just say good luck and good on you for getting it , because I know he is both a huge fan of the show and a really nice guy .
"The casting of it made me really excited genuinely , and as a fan I think it's a really canny choice , so good luck mate , it's going to be a thrill . "
Smith added : "If I had to pick someone , I'd pick him , because I think he's great .
And weirdly enough , after the 11th hour , he came up to me in the street and said , 'Ah mate , well done .
I watched your episode last night , it was brilliant , I think you're really good' .
And I really needed that , I needed a sort of boost and I never forgot it . "
Capaldi has appeared in more than 40 films and TV shows , including Dangerous Liaisons , Shooting Fish , Minder , The Vicar of Dibley , Peep Show and Waking the Dead , since being cast as Danny Oldsen in the 1983 film Local Hero .
He is also playing Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger in the forthcoming film about the WikiLeaks affair .