Countdown: 10 Oscar-Nominated Actors Who Have Appeared In Doctor Who

Few television shows are as iconic or as culturally dominant as Doctor Who. Even if you're not a fan, you know about the TARDIS, the Daleks, K9. Its influence is felt all over the world and- much like the Harry Potter franchise- it's seen as a bit of a mark of street cred to appear in it. This goes for actors just starting in their careers as well as established stars.

So, here are ten Oscar-nominated actors that have appeared in Doctor Who. They are listed in the order in which they appeared on the show.

1. Pauline Collins

Pauline Collins is not only one of a small group of Oscar nominees who have appeared in Doctor Who, but she's also one of a small group of actors who have appeared in both the classic and revived series too. She played Samantha Briggs in the Patrick Troughton story The Faceless Ones and then appeared as Queen Victoria opposite David Tennant in Tooth And Claw. She was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Shirley Valentine.

2. Richard Todd

Todd's Oscar nomination came in 1950 for his lead role in The Hasty Heart. It would be more than 30 years later before he would appear in Doctor Who, appearing as Sanders in the rather trippy and philosophical Peter Davison story Kinda.

3. Eric Roberts

Few roles in Doctor Who are as iconic as the Doctor's nemesis, The Master. Roberts (nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Runaway Train) took the role in the 1996 TV Movie opposite Paul McGann. He doesn't quite fit the role but seems to be having an absolute ball, especially with lines as camp as 'I always dress for the occasion'.

4. Andrew Garfield

One of this year's Best Actor nominees for his stunning turn in Hacksaw Ridge, Garfield appeared as Frank in the 2007 two-part story Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks.

5. Carey Mulligan

The 2007 episode Blink (which introduces the Weeping Angels) is widely thought of as one of the best episodes of the revived series. That's in no short measure to the brilliant performance by Carey Mulligan as substitute companion Sally Sparrow. Mulligan would go on to be nominated for Best Actress for her role in An Education.

6. Felicity Jones

Eight years before her Best Actress nomination for playing Jane Hawking in The Theory Of Everything, Felicity appeared as socialite-with-a-secret Robina Redmond in the very fun Agatha Christie inspired episode The Unicorn And The Wasp.

7. Sophie Okonedo

Sophie Okonedo was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Hotel Rwanda. She played kick-ass future monarch Liz Ten in The Beast Below (Matt Smith's second story as the Doctor). Whilst it's not very good, Okonedo is excellent. She reprises her role in a later episode, The Pandorica Opens.

8. Imelda Staunton

Imelda Staunton was nominated for Best Actress for her role in Vera Drake in 2005 (the same year as Sophie Okonedo). In 2011, she appeared as the Voice of the Interface in the Matt Smith story The Girl Who Waited. Her soothing tones help companion Amy Pond survive alone on an alien planet.

9. Ian McKellen

Acting legend Sir Ian McKellen has been nominated for two Oscars: Best Actor for playing film director James Whale in Gods And Monsters and Best Supporting Actor for playing Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring. In 2012, he provided the Voice of the Great Intelligence in the Christmas special The Snowmen.

10. John Hurt

The late, great John Hurt was nominated for two Oscars- for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Midnight Express and Best Actor for The Elephant Man. In 2013, he appeared as The War Doctor, a previously hidden incarnation of the Time Lord, for the 50th anniversary story The Day Of The Doctor and went on to reprise his role for audio dramas for Big Finish.


BONUS: Peter Capaldi

The incumbent Time Lord- who will sadly be leaving the series at the end of this year- is not only an Oscar nominee but an Oscar winner! In 1995, Peter won the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar for writing and directing Franz Kafka's It's A Wonderful Life. Here he is, with his award:

The Theory of Everything (UK Cert: 12A)

It’s a horrible thing to say, and might just get the blog taken down, but I’ve never thought about Professor Stephen Hawking’s life before he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease; I never realised that he was married, had three children, or that he is now seventy-two years old. For most of its running time, The Theory of Everything, directed by James Marsh (Man on Wire, Project Nim), subtly and compassionately depicts the professor’s life, his marriage to Jane Wilde, as well as his struggles with ALS.

This year’s Oscar nominations have yet to be announced, but it’s going to be a tough call as to who wins Best Actor. In a category that’s going to be the most contested in years, Eddie Redmayne (My Week with Marilyn, Les Misérables), in his first lead role, may well take home the prize, and no one could argue that he doesn’t deserve it. Starting off with a twitch of the hand, or a stumble, Redmayne gives a faultless and heartrending performance as Hawking’s body slowly deteriorates, eventually resembling the hunched figure who we all recognise. Redmayne never forgets the tragic irony surrounding Hawking, a supremely intelligent, funny, and compassionate man trapped inside his own body; his eyes revealing the loneliness and frustration he feels, as well as the odd mischievous glance accompanied by a playful smile.

While Redmayne is getting all the column inches, Felicity Jones (Cemetery Junction, The Invisible Woman) also does some excellent work as Jane, much of the film’s power coming from her hurting to see the man she loves being taken away from her, but realising that inside that brittle body, her husband is still there. Jane expected the disease to take her husband quickly, for him not to suffer, she never expected the ALS to break down his body so cruelly and slowly, that Stephen would still be alive decades later.

The main reason that the film works so well is down to the rapport between Redmayne and Jones. There’s plenty for couples to recognise: laughing through the tough times, how stubborn they both are, hurting each other by not saying how they’re feeling. Redmayne and Jones convincingly put across how much Stephen and Jane love each other, as well as how different they are as people, their marriage lasting for so long when other couples would have given up.

The Theory of Everything isn’t quite the flawless weepie, Marsh once-or-twice putting the point across with a sledgehammer, whereas the rest of the film is gentle and thoughtful. The worst offender is one of the final scenes where, at a conference, Hawking is asked how he feels, looking back at his life. We cut to Hawking daydreaming, everything and everyone around him frozen as he gets out of his wheelchair and picks a pen up off the floor. This feels at odds with the rest of the film, which shows Hawking’s ever-worsening condition in a frank and modest way; you don’t feel like you’re being manipulated into shedding a tear. It’s as if this scene was thrown in for audiences who want nuance put across in slow motion, orchestral score blaring.

This only happens in a couple of scenes, and doesn’t ruin things. Probably the best word to describe The Theory of Everything is how eloquent it is. Eloquent in how it portrays Hawking overcoming his illness, fighting to communicate what is going on inside his head, both his incredible mind as well as his love for Jane; eloquent in showing how Jane was also struggling along with her husband, pushed and tested for over twenty years; and eloquent in how complex marriage can be, two people fighting for the same thing in different ways, usually getting things right, but not always. Like Hawking, The Theory of Everything is smarter than its peers, funny, and unashamedly hopeful.

4 out of 5

Matt