query: What actor currently plays Doctor Who?
passage: List of actors who have played the Doctor
The incumbent is Jodie Whittaker, who succeeded Peter Capaldi in the role at the conclusion of the 2017 Christmas special.[1]
passage: Christopher Eccleston
Eccleston garnered widespread attention and acclaim for portraying the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the 2005 revival of the BBC science fiction series "Doctor Who", becoming the first actor to play the role since 1996. He departed the role after a single series, winning a National Television Award and receiving Broadcasting Press Guild Award and BAFTA Cymru Award nominations for his performance. Eccleston has since appeared in the television series "Heroes", "The Shadow Line", "Blackout", "Lucan", "The Leftovers", "Safe House", "Fortitude" and "The A Word" and films including "", "" and "Legend". He won an International Emmy Award for his performance in an episode of the anthology series "Accused". Onstage, Eccleston has played the title roles in productions of "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" as well as starring in productions of "Miss Julie", "A Doll's House" and "Antigone". Since 2017, Eccleston has narrated the documentary series "Ambulance".