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Doctor Who has been a sci-fi hit for decades, and is now in its 20th year since the reboot in 2005, with the 15th Doctor played by Ncuti Gatwa. But you may be wondering who played the previous 14 incarnations of The Doctor and where they are now. Take a trip back in time and take a look at every actor who has starred as the Time Lord.
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He died in 1987 in Georgia in the United States also aged 67. The third Doctor was played by Jon Pertwee from 1970 to 1974, but like Troughton he also returned for special episodes Pertwee died in May 1996 aged 76. Tom Baker was the Fourth Doctor (Image: PA) One of the most iconic and memorable actors in the role, Baker has been in the most episodes of Doctor Who, and played the role from 1974 to 1981.
During his period as the star, the original series received its highest viewing figures, and he appeared in the show after leaving the role, most notably in the 50th-anniversary special in 2013 alongside Matt Smith. Baker now lives in East Sussex at the age of 91 and was made an MBE for services to television in the 2025 New Year Honours. Davison played The Doctor from 1981 to 1984 and at age 29 was at the time the youngest actor to have played the lead role.
He has reprised his role as the Fifth Doctor and is notably the father-in-law of the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctor David Tennant, of whom he starred alongside in the Time Crash special for Children in Need. Davison, now 73, and his wife Elizabeth Morton live in Twickenham. Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor (Image: BBC) Baker starred in Doctor Who from 1984 to 1986.
He was removed after starring in just 11 stories and has reprised the role on TV only twice since, recently in the 2022 special The Power of the Doctor. Baker, now 81, lives in Buckinghamshire, and post Doctor Who notably appeared in the 12th series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity..
.Get Me Out of Here! McCoy's run as the Seventh Doctor from 1987 to 1989 marked the final Doctor of the original run. Like many of his predecessors he has also reprised the role on TV since, and like Baker was in the 2022 special The Power of the Doctor.
He has appeared in various films, with many recognising him as the wizard Radagast in The Hobbit franchise. McGann was the Eight Doctor in the television film Doctor Who in 1996. While successful in the UK, the film received low ratings in the US and Fox, who worked on it alongside the BBC and Universal Studios, did not pick it up as a series.
He reprised the role in a mini-episode The Night of the Doctor in 2013 and had a cameo in The Power of the Doctor in 2022. Now 65, his career spans across many other television shows and films, including Luther, Holby City and Alien 3. "We're falling through space, you and me.
.." 💫 Wishing a fantastic birthday to the Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston 🥳 pic.
twitter.com/JGeMsAG3wP Christopher Eccleston starred in the role in the 2005 reboot of the sci-fi hit with Russell T Davies. His role was loved but short, and it was revealed that he was leaving just a few days after the series aired.
In August 2020, Eccleston returned in audio dramas for Big Finish Productions, returning to the role for the first time in 16 years. However, the now 61-year-old has it is unlikely he will reprise the role on television as his relationship with the BBC "has not healed" . The iconic Scottish actor played the role of The Doctor between 2005 and 2010, and to many tops the poll as the favourite Doctor.
He appeared in more than 40 episodes during his regular run, as well as guest-starring in the spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures in 2009. Tennant has reprised the roles in various audio and TV forms, including in the 2013 50th anniversary special and more recently as the Fourteenth Doctor. He is married to Peter Davison's daughter Georgia and lives in London.
At 26, Smith was and still is the youngest actor to play The Doctor, and starred in the lead role from 2011 to 2013. A relatively unknown actor at the time, many issued concerns, but Smith went on to be nominated in the Outstanding Drama Performance Category of the National Television Awards. Smith has since expressed regret for not remaining on the show longer .
The now 42-year-old has been in various films and shows, including in the Game of Thrones and Marvel franchises. Capaldi at the time of taking on the role was the oldest since Hartnell at 56, and had previously appeared in the show as Lobus Caecilius episode The Fires of Pompeii in 2008. His performance as The Doctor between 2013 and 2017 received widespread praise, and he has reprised the roles in games and spin-offs.
Capaldi's career post-Doctor Who has been a variety of voice acting, as well as starring in films, TV shows and plays. That’s a wrap! Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill have finished filming 🎬❤️❤️ pic.twitter.
com/g8d1XpuKzK The first woman to play the role of The Doctor, she previously worked with then-showrunner Chris Chibnall in the ITV drama Broadchurch. Chibnall said at the time that he always wanted a woman for the part and that Whittaker was their first choice . She starred in the role until 2022 and is set to reprise the role in new audio dramas for Big Finish Productions.
After the show, Whittaker has starred in the Netflix series Toxic Town as well as the West End play The Duchess. Tennant returned to the show for its 60th anniversary special in 2023 alongside previous companion Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. He played a new regeneration of The Doctor, marking the only actor to have two incarnations of the Time Lord, and starred in three episodes between November and December.
A post shared by Ncuti Gatwa (@ncutigatwa) While Gatwa was announced as the new Doctor to replace Jodie Whittaker in 2022, it was revealed he was the Fifteenth Doctor after Tennant's return. He is the first black actor to lead the series and has had two full series so far. Gatwa, 32, rose to fame for his performance as Eric Effiong in the Netflix show Sex Education, and has also starred in the Hollywood smash hit Barbie.
Recommended reading: Alongside the main 14 actors to have played The Doctor, a number of other actors have played the role. John Hurt was known as the War Doctor, between the Eighth and Ninth Doctor during the fictional Time War. More recently, David Bradley replaced Hartnell as the First Doctor in specials recently and Jo Grant played previously unseen incarnation known as the Fugitive Doctor.
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