When asked in a previous interview who should play the role of Doctor Who, new show-runner Steven Moffat said the lead actor should be middle-aged and a little odd-looking.
Moffat and the BBC fulfilled half of those requirements with the surprise casting of 26-year-old Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor. Not surprisingly, Who's producers bypassed the list of usual suspects kicked around by British newspapers and odds-makers to pick an accomplished, up-and-coming British stage actor with a modest list of TV credits.
Seemingly taking a page from J.J. Abrams' May 2009 Paramount production of "Jim Henson's Star Trek Babies," Moffat and company cast the youngest actor ever to play the role in the show's 45-year history -- and a name outside the circle of actors previously rumored to be up for the part.
The decision is getting a very mixed reaction from fans and the media so far. But, considering the part can potentially typecast an actor, requires a grueling time commitment, and demands a production relocation to Wales, it's not an easy call for every actor to jump at the opportunity.
As for Smith's performance and public acceptance, time will tell. In Doctor Who, it always does.
Image courtesy BBC
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