List of actors who have played the Doctor

Since the beginning of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who in 1963, many actors have played the title character of The Doctor on television and in various BBC-licensed spin-offs on television, stage, radio, film, audio plays and webcasts. The character's ability to periodically regenerate his appearance and personality has facilitated the ability of new actors to take over the role – in both official and unofficial productions – while in most cases maintaining continuity with the television series.

This list does not include Doctors who have appeared in fan films or amateur stage shows and audios. Nor does it include rare occasions where a companion or other character has impersonated the Doctor (such as Mawdryn in the story arc Mawdryn Undead or Clara Oswald in the TV episode "Death in Heaven").

The incumbent is Peter Capaldi, who succeeded Matt Smith in the role at the conclusion of the 2013 Christmas special, "The Time of the Doctor".

Television

Series leads

Actor (role)	Tenure	First regular appearance	Last regular appearance
William Hartnell (First Doctor)	23 November 1963 – 29 October 1966	An Unearthly Child Episode 1	The Tenth Planet Episode 4
William Hartnell also played the Doctor in an initial version of "An Unearthly Child". This was the first attempt at the first episode of the original series, filmed in September 1963 and first released on The Hartnell Years VHS in 1990. Other appearances Television: The Three Doctors – 30 December 1972 – 20 January 1973
Patrick Troughton (Second Doctor)	29 October 1966 – 21 June 1969	The Tenth Planet Episode 4	The War Games Episode 10
Other appearances Television: Viewer advisory announcement for The Web of Fear – 27 January 1968 Television: The Three Doctors – 30 December 1972 – 20 January 1973 Television: The Five Doctors – 23 November 1983 Television: The Two Doctors – 16 February – 2 March 1985
Jon Pertwee (Third Doctor)	3 January 1970 – 8 June 1974	Spearhead from Space Episode 1	Planet of the Spiders Part Six
Other appearances Stage: Seven Keys to Doomsday (filmed regeneration sequence) – 16 December 1974 – 7 January 1975 Television: The Five Doctors – 23 November 1983 Stage: Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure – 23 March – 3 June 1989 Radio: The Paradise of Death – 27 August – 24 September 1993 Television: Dimensions in Time – 26–27 November 1993 Radio: The Skivers (appeared as the Doctor in three sketches) – 23 February 1995 Radio: The Ghosts of N-Space – 20 January – 24 February 1996
Tom Baker (Fourth Doctor)	8 June 1974 – 21 March 1981	Planet of the Spiders Part Six	Logopolis Part Four
Tom Baker appeared as the Curator in The Day of the Doctor. It was implied that he was a future incarnation of the Doctor revisiting "a few of the old favourites" of his past faces, and who had retired from adventuring and was now the curator of the National Gallery in London. Other appearances LP: The Pescatons – July 1976 Radio: Exploration Earth, Episode 3: "The Time Machine" – 4 October 1976 Television commercial: Doctor Who Season 17 Trailer – August 1979 LP: Genesis of the Daleks – October 1979 (audio version of serial with new narration performed in-character) Television commercials: Keep Australia Beautiful – 1979 Television commercials: Prime Computers – 1979–1980 Cassette: The Evil of the Daleks – 6 July 1992 (audio version of serial with new narration performed in-character) Cassette: The Power of the Daleks – 2 August 1993 (audio version of serial with new narration performed in-character) Cassette: Fury from the Deep – 4 October 1993 (audio version of serial with new narration performed in-character) Television: Dimensions in Time – 26–27 November 1993 Television commercials: New Zealand Superannuation Services – 1996 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors – 5 December 1997 Audio: Hornet's Nest – 3 September 2009 – 3 December 2009 Audio: Demon Quest – 2 September 2010 – 2 December 2010 Audio: Serpent Crest – 8 September 2011 – 8 December 2011 Audio: Big Finish Productions – 9 January 2012 onwards (first story Destination Nerva)
Peter Davison (Fifth Doctor)	21 March 1981 – 16 March 1984	Logopolis Part Four	The Caves of Androzani Part Four
Other appearances Television: Dimensions in Time – 26–27 November 1993 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors – 5 December 1997 Audio: Big Finish Productions – 19 July 1999 onwards (first story The Sirens of Time) Television: Children in Need special episode, "Time Crash" – 16 November 2007
Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor)	16 March 1984 – 6 December 1986	The Caves of Androzani Part Four	The Ultimate Foe Part Two
Other appearances Television: Jim'll Fix It – A Fix with Sontarans – 23 February 1985 Radio: Slipback – 25 July – 22 August 1985 Stage: Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure – 5 June – 19 August 1989 Television: Dimensions in Time – 26–27 November 1993 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors – 5 December 1997 Audio: Big Finish Productions – 19 July 1999 onwards (first story The Sirens of Time) Webcast: Real Time – 2 August – 6 September 2002
Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor)	7 September 1987 – 6 December 1989 27 May 1996	Time and the Rani Part One	Doctor Who
Sylvester McCoy also briefly played the Sixth Doctor in Time and the Rani, during the regeneration scene, wearing a curly blond wig. Other appearances Television: Search Out Science – Search Out Space – 21 November 1990 Pinball machine: Doctor Who – September 1992 Television: Dimensions in Time – 26–27 November 1993 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors – 5 December 1997 Audio: Big Finish Productions – 19 July 1999 onwards (first story The Sirens of Time) Webcast: Death Comes to Time – 12 July 2001 – 30 May 2002
Paul McGann (Eighth Doctor)	27 May 1996	Doctor Who
Other appearances Audio: Big Finish Productions – 22 January 2001 onwards (first story Storm Warning) Webcast: Shada – 2 May – 6 June 2003 Radio: BBC7 plays – 31 December 2006 – 18 February 2007 (first story Blood of the Daleks Part 1, last story Human Resources Part 2) Web and Television: "The Night of the Doctor" (mini-episode prequel to The Day of the Doctor) – 14 November 2013 (via BBC red button service 16 November 2013 – 23 November 2013)
Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor)	26 March – 18 June 2005	"Rose"	"The Parting of the Ways"
Other appearances Television commercial: Doctor Who (series 1) Trailer "A trip of a lifetime" – 15 March 2005 Video: "Dr. Who Proposal" – 21 April 2014 Video: "Video message from Christopher Eccleston to #drwhodaniel" – 14 December 2015
David Tennant (Tenth Doctor)	18 June 2005 – 1 January 2010	"The Parting of the Ways"	The End of Time Part Two
David Tennant also played the Doctor's half-human clone in "Journey's End" – 5 July 2008 Other appearances Television: Children in Need special – 18 November 2005 Interactive game: "Attack of the Graske" – 25 December 2005 Television commercial: Doctor Who (series 2) Trailer – 1 April 2006 Television: The Infinite Quest – 2 April – 30 June 2007 Television: Children in Need special episode, "Time Crash" – 16 November 2007 Television: Extras episode, "The Extra Special Series Finale" – 16 December 2007 Television Commercial: Doctor Who (series 4) Trailer – 2008 Stage/Radio: "Music of the Spheres" – 27 July 2008 Television: The Sarah Jane Adventures serial, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith – 29 and 30 October 2009 Red Button Service/Television: Dreamland – 21–26 November 2009 Television commercials: BBC One 2009 Christmas ident – 2 December 2009 Film: "The Day of the Doctor" cinema introduction – 23 November 2013 Television: "The Day of the Doctor" – 23 November 2013 Audio: Big Finish Productions – 16 May 2016 onwards (first story Technophobia) Television: Family Guy episode "Inside Family Guy" – 23 October 2016
Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor)	1 January 2010 – 25 December 2013	The End of Time Part Two	"The Time of the Doctor"
Other appearances Online/Television commercial: Doctor Who (series 5) "3D Vortex" trailer – 20 February 2010 Television commercial: ABC1 (Australia) coming up next spot – 18 April 2010 Video games: "Doctor Who: The Adventure Games" – 5 June 2010 – 31 October 2011 (first story City of the Daleks, last story The Gunpowder Plot) Stage/Radio: Doctor Who Prom – 24–25 July 2010 Stage/Arena: Doctor Who Live (filmed sequences) – 8 October – 7 November 2010 Television: The Sarah Jane Adventures serial Death of the Doctor – 25 and 26 October 2010 DVD Extras: Meanwhile in the TARDIS (two scenes set between The Eleventh Hour & The Beast Below and "Flesh and Stone" & "The Vampires of Venice" included in the Complete Fifth Series box set) – 8 November 2010 Video game: Nintendo DS Evacuation Earth – 12 November 2010 Video game: Nintendo Wii Return to Earth – 19 November 2010 Video game: iPod The Mazes of Time – 16 December 2010 Television/online commercial: BBC America Series 6 Promo – 25 December 2010 Television: ITV1 16th National Television Awards opening scene – 26 January 2011 Exhibition/3D Video: Doctor Who Experience (filmed 3D sequences) – 20 February 2011 Television: Comic Relief special episodes "Space" and "Time" – 18 March 2011 Stage: The Crash of the Elysium (filmed sequences) – 1–17 July 2011 (appeared live in character on 16 July 2011) Web: "Let's Kill Hitler" Prequel – 15 August 2011 Television: Doctor Who Confidential: "Death Is the Only Answer" – 1 October 2011 Children in Need auction promotional video – 18 November 2011 DVD Extras: Night and the Doctor, five mini-episodes included in the Complete Sixth Series box set – 21 November 2011 Web: "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" prequel – 6 December 2011 Web: Promotion for Blue Peter-sponsored Script to Screen competition – 12 January 2012 Video game: PlayStation Network The Eternity Clock – May 2012 Television: Blue Peter special mini-episode, "Good as Gold" – 24 May 2012 Web: Pond Life five-part prequel – 27–31 August 2012 Web: "Asylum of the Daleks" prequel – 2 September 2012 Television: Children in Need The Great Detective – 16 November 2012 Television commercial: It's Showtime! with Rob Brydon (Episode Two trailer) – 11 December 2012 Television: Red Nose Day 2013: Call the Midwife: One Born Every Minute – 15 March 2013 Web and Television: "The Bells of Saint John": A Prequel – 22 March 2013 Television: BAFTA Doctor Who 50th anniversary tribute message – 12 May 2013 Web and Television: She Said, He Said: A Prequel – 11 May 2013 Stage/Radio: Doctor Who Prom – 13–14 July 2013 Television commercial: The Day of the Doctor trailer – 19 October 2013 DVD Extras: The Inforarium and Rain Gods, two of three special scenes included in the Complete Seventh Series Box Set – 28 October 2013 Online advertising: #SaveTheDay marketing campaign – 7 November 2013 Television commercial: "The Day of the Doctor" BBC One ident interruption: The Clock's Ticking – 10 November 2013 Television commercial: "The Day of the Doctor" BBC One ident interruption: It's all been leading... – 11 November 2013 Television: The Science of Doctor Who – 14 November 2013 Television: Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide – 18 November 2013 Television: An Adventure in Space and Time (cameo) – 21 November 2013 Television commercial: The Day of the Doctor BBC One ident interruption: "The moment is here." – 23 November 2013 Film: "The Day of the Doctor" cinema introduction – 23 November 2013 Television: "Deep Breath" – 23 August 2014
Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor)	25 December 2013 – present	"The Time of the Doctor"	N/A
Other appearances Television: "The Day of the Doctor" (cameo) – 23 November 2013 Online game: The Doctor and the Dalek – 22 October 2014 Exhibition/3D Video: Doctor Who Experience (filmed 3D sequences) – 24 October 2014 Video: "From The Doctor to my son Thomas" – 6 November 2014 Web: "The Magician's Apprentice" prologue – 11 September 2015 Video: "Home Invasion" – 30 November 2015 Cinema: "The Doctor’s Meditation" – 15 September 2015 Video game: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One: Lego Dimensions – 27 September 2015 Television commercial: Sprout Boy meets a galaxy of stars (voice) – 1 December 2015 Television: "Friend from the Future" – 23 April 2016 Television: Class episode "For Tonight We Might Die" – 22 October 2016 Television: Children in Need Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sketch – 18 November 2016

Other

Actor	Title	Dates	Role
Adrian Gibbs	Logopolis	28 February – 21 March 1981	The Watcher
	Castrovalva	4 January 1982
Richard Hurndall	The Five Doctors	23 November 1983	Hurndall replaced William Hartnell, who had died in 1975, as the First Doctor for the show's 20th anniversary special.
Michael Jayston	The Trial of a Time Lord	6 September – 6 December 1986	The Valeyard (an evil version of the Doctor, existing somewhere between his twelfth and final incarnations).
Geoffrey Hughes	The Ultimate Foe	29 November – 6 December 1986	Mr Popplewick (a disguise used by The Valeyard)
Toby Jones	"Amy's Choice"	15 May 2010	The Dream Lord
John Guilor	Planet of Giants DVD	20 August 2012	The First Doctor's re-dubbed voice work in the reconstruction of the original 3rd and 4th episodes
	"The Day of the Doctor"	23 November 2013	The First Doctor's vocal cameo.
John Hurt	"The Name of the Doctor	18 May 2013	The Doctor's incarnation known as the War Doctor, whose actions in the Time War were so drastic that he deemed himself unworthy of the name "Doctor".
	"The Night of the Doctor"	14 November 2013
	"The Day of the Doctor"	23 November 2013
	"The Day of the Doctor" cinema introduction	23 November 2013

Outside the show

Actor	Title	Dates	Role
Clive Dunn	It's a Square World	31 December 1963	First Doctor
Bernie Winters	Big Night Out	1964	First Doctor
Gerry Grant	Ice Ray Lollies Advert	1967	Second Doctor
Don Maclean	Crackerjack's Ello My Dalek	1974	Fourth Doctor
Tony Hughes	Mathshow	1975	Doctor How
Rod Hull	Emu's Broadcasting Company's Day of the Dustbins	1977	Doctor Emu
Fred Harris	End of Part One	1979	Fourth Doctor/Doctor Eyes
Ron Bain	A Kick Up the Eighties	1981	Fifth Doctor
Lenny Henry	The Lenny Henry Show	1986	The Doctor
Ronnie Barker	The Two Ronnies	1986	Third Doctor
Ian Krankie	The Krankie's Elektronik Komik	1986	Seventh Doctor
George Layton	French and Saunders deleted scene	1987	Fourth Doctor
Jim Broadbent	Victoria Wood As Seen On TV	18 December 1987	The Doctor
John Philpott	The Corridor Sketch	1991	First Doctor
Rob Sitch	"The Late Show (Australian TV Series)" Sketch	1992	The Doctor
Peter Russell-Clarke	"The Late Show (Australian TV Series)" Sketch	1992	The Next Doctor
Paul Barber	U.F.O.	10 December 1993	The Doctor
Jeremy Beadle	Beadle's Hotshots	1996	Doctor What
Steve Vizard	Fast Forward	1996	Fourth Doctor/Doctor Hewson
Paul O'Grady	The Lily Savage Show	1996	Female Doctor
Bob Mortimer	Shooting Stars	1996	The First Doctor
Matt Lucas	Shooting Stars	1996	The Second Doctor
Vic Reeves	Shooting Stars	1996	The Third Doctor
Mark Lamarr	Shooting Stars	1996	The Fourth Doctor
Gary Bleasdale	Harry Enfield and Chums	1996	Scouse Doctor
Pauline Quirke	BBC Choice Advert	1998	The Fourth Doctor
Rowan Atkinson	The Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Doctor
Richard E. Grant	The Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Quite Handsome Doctor
Jim Broadbent	The Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Shy Doctor
Hugh Grant	The Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Handsome Doctor
Joanna Lumley	The Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Female Doctor
Mark Gatiss	The Web of Caves	13 November 1999	Eighth Doctor
Jon Culshaw	Dead Ringers	2000–07	Fourth Doctor, both radio and television
Les Hubb	Hububb: "Dr Woo and the Kelads"	22 February 2001	Dr Woo
John Field	Gene Genius	August 2004	Third Doctor
Ethan McKinley	The Charlotte Church Show	2006	Tenth Doctor
Todd Carty	The Charlotte Church Show	2006	Eleventh Doctor
Seth Green	Robot Chicken	2006	Fourth Doctor
James Hurn	Gina's Laughing Gear	2007	Tenth Doctor
Justin Lee Collins	Saturday Night Project	2007	Tenth Doctor
Sylvester McCoy	Doctors	2008	Lollipop Man
Catherine Tate	Sunday Night Project	2009	Tenth Doctor
Mark Perry	Dead Ringers	December 2009	Second Doctor
Kevin Connelly	Dead Ringers	December 2009	Seventh Doctor
Phil Cornwell	Dead Ringers	December 2009	Ninth Doctor
Jon Culshaw	Dead Ringers	December 2009	Tenth Doctor
Harry Enfield	Harry and Paul	2010	Reg Varney Doctor
Brian Drummond	My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	2011	Doctor Whooves
Ian Hislop	Have I Got News for You Promo	2013	Fourth Doctor
Paul Merton	Have I Got News for You Promo	2013	Fourth Doctor
Lewis Macleod	Toast of London	2013	Fourth Doctor
Will Friedle	Mad	2 September 2013	Tenth Doctor
Nolan North	Mad	2 September 2013	Eleventh Doctor
Tim Roth	Robot Chicken's Doctor Who Meets the Nerd	2014	Twelfth Doctor
Phil Vischer	VeggieTales' Veggies in Space: The Fennel Frontier	2014	Doctor Who
Lewis Macleod	Newzoids	2015	Twelfth Doctor
Peter New	My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic	2015	Doctor Whooves
Tim Dann	OOglies	2015	Doctor Rhubarb
Richard McCourt	Diddy TV	2016	Twelfth Doctor

Film

Actor	Title	Dates	Role
Peter Cushing	Dr. Who and the Daleks	23 August 1965	Dr. Who
	Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.	5 August 1966
Kenneth Williams	Carry on Screaming!	1966	Dr Watt (Parody of the Doctor however stated as cousin)

Theatre

Actor	Title	Dates	Role
Trevor Martin	The Seven Keys to Doomsday	16 December 1974 – 7 January 1975	Alternative Fourth Doctor (shown on stage to be regenerated from the Third Doctor)
Michael Sagar	The Seven Keys to Doomsday	24 November – 8 December 1984	The Doctor (alternate version, possibly Fourth)
David Banks	Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure	29 April 1989	The Doctor (understudy for Jon Pertwee; performed as the Doctor for two performances when Pertwee fell ill)
Nick Scovell	The Planet of Storms	October 1996	The Doctor
	The Web of Fear	June 2000	The Second Doctor
	Fury From the Deep	27–30 March 2002
	Evil of the Daleks	25–28 October 2006
	The Dalek Masterplan	24–27 October 2007	The First Doctor
Nicholas Briggs	The Dalek Masterplan	24–27 October 2007	The Doctor (regenerated from Nick Scovell's Doctor)

Audio

Actor	Title	Dates	Role
Steve Hill	The Nightmare Fair	May 2003	Sixth Doctor
Michael Jayston	He Jests at Scars...	September 2003	The Valeyard (alternate reality version)
	Trial of the Valeyard	December 2013	The Valeyard
	The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure	August 2015
Geoffrey Bayldon	Auld Mortality	May 2003	Alternative Doctor
	A Storm of Angels	January 2005
David Warner	Sympathy for the Devil	June 2003	Alternative Doctor
	Masters of War	December 2008
	The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield. Volume Three: The Unbound Universe	24 August 2016
David Collings	Full Fathom Five	August 2003	Alternative Doctor
Ian Brooker	Full Fathom Five	August 2003	Alternative Doctor (uncredited)
Arabella Weir	Exile	September 2003	Alternative Doctor
Nicholas Briggs	Exile	September 2003	The previous incarnation of Arabella Weir's Doctor.
	The Seven Keys to Doomsday	23 October 2008	The Third Doctor
Joe Bassett	Master	October 2003	Child version of the First Doctor heard briefly in a flashback; credited only as "Child".
Jon Culshaw	The Kingmaker	April 2006	The Fourth Doctor
Trevor Martin	The Seven Keys to Doomsday	23 October 2008	Alternative Fourth Doctor
India Fisher	Solitaire	June 2010	The Eighth Doctor speaking through Charley Pollard
David Troughton	Serpent Crest: The Hexford Invasion/Survivors in Space	December 2011	Clone of the Second Doctor
Terry Molloy	The Curse of Davros	January 2012	The Sixth Doctor in the body of Davros
Damian Lynch	Ghost in the Machine	October 2013	The Third Doctor
Katy Manning			The Third Doctor in Jo's body
William Russell	The Light at the End	23 October 2013	The First Doctor
	The Doctor's Tale	October 2014
	The Age of Endurance	September 2016
	The Fifth Traveller	October 2016
Frazer Hines	The Light at the End	23 October 2013	The Second Doctor
	The Yes Men	September 2015
	The Forsaken	October 2015
	The Black Hole	November 2015
	The Ios Network	January 2016
Tim Treloar	The Light at the End	23 October 2013	The Third Doctor
	Prisoners of the Lake	September 2015
	The Havoc Empire
John Banks	Trial of the Valeyard	December 2013	The Hermit / The Thirteenth Doctor (a disguise used by the Valeyard)
Nicola Bryant	The Widow's Assassin	30 October 2014	The Sixth Doctor in the body of Peri Brown
Peter Purves	An Ordinary Life	December 2014	The First Doctor
	The Ravelli Conspiracy	November 2016
	The Sontarans	December 2016
Anthony Howell	The End of the Line	August 2015	Tim Hope (a disguise used by the Valeyard)
John Hurt	The War Doctor series	December 2015-	The War Doctor

Webcast

Actor	Title	Dates	Role
Richard E. Grant	Scream of the Shalka	13 November – 18 December 2003	A previously official Ninth Doctor prior to the show's 2005 revival

See also

• List of actors considered for the part of the Doctor
• Doctor Who spoofs
• The "Morbius Doctors"