TheBBC announcedon Saturday that Matt Smith is leavingDoctor Who, sparking speculation on which actor will replace him in the legendary role.
An overwhelmingly popular choice is none other than our very own Mr Molony! The interwebs are buzzing with support for Damien to be the twelfth Timelord, and he is a top favourite with online media and the wider audience – onSkybethe is currently in second place, with odds of 10/1.
Damien looks utterly the part in the fan vision above and having played the complex, multifaceted, ancient vampireHalinBBC Being Human– a character who has lived many lifetimes and carries the private burden of his own secret histories and mysteries, with an enigmatic energy and a powerfully magnetic combination of darkness and lightness; charming, awkward, angsty, eccentric with compelling amounts of quirk – he has all the credentials to play the next regenerated timelord.
So….. would he be interested in playing the role if asked? Damien’s response to a fan question in a Q & A on theBBC Being Human Blogearlier this year suggests so:
"The Doctor is one of the most iconic parts for an actor to play, up there with Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, it is such an epic series. Following in the footsteps of so many great actors, it would be an honour to play The Doctor…”
Damien is highly suited and at the right point in his rapidly expanding career to become the next Doctor – and one thing is for certain, a rising star of his calibre will be snapped up soon.
But WHOever picks up the mantle (see what we did there?) it is heartening to see the mass championing and recognition of Damien and his talent for such a coveted role, surely hastening his regular return to our TV screens.
Would you like to see Damien as the Twelfth Doctor? share your thoughts with other fans here
After writing the above I came away with a very strong feeling ... Usually I am trepidatious to make a big deal about role rumours, but this one is very significant, because even if he doesn't end up in the role ( it may well have already been decided!) Damien does deserve the recognition for his talent in connection with world renowned television - and doctor Who is one of the most revered and well known tv characters there is!
By the way, you would tell me if there were typos or errors in the above wouldn't you guys? It has been up all week and no one has commented....
It is great that Damien's name has been thrown in the hat so to speak. And seeing the fan art on the front page of the site makes me think he'd be a great asset.
Logistically he'd be perfect for the role. He's not super well known unless you're a Being Human fan. That may change after Ripper Street of course but right at this moment, like Matt Smith prior to his casting, Damien has only one television role under his belt. He's young but not too young (he's only a year younger than Matt i've discovered), and he's talented. He's also available (that we know of, we still don't know about his Ripper Street role)
Realistically, as i've said before, does he want this role? I know he said via the Blog that it would be an honour but is he speaking truthfully or being polite? If he wants it and he gets it then it will change his life, no doubt about it. The press will want to know every single thing about him whether he wants it or not. I remember when Matt was in every single newspaper and magazine. I'm sure Damien is completely aware of this. It would be massive for him, playing the Doctor will get him noticed and there will be us Being Human fans who will sit back and smile and tell everyone 'well we knew he was something special ages ago!'
There are quite a few names being bandied around and i'm not going to say 'I want Damien, Damien for Doctor!' because more than likely the producers have someone already in their sights, he may already be cast and it won't be Damien. It won't be Damien because i want it to be him, if that makes sense. But if he does get it, then i will quite happily celebrate his good fortune.
I think if it was down to fan boys and girls and a few magazine/genre websites then Damien would have the job. But sadly it's not down to them and i'm just hoping that the Doctor Who folk cast someone worthwhile.
After writing the above I came away with a very strong feeling ... Usually I am trepidatious to make a big deal about role rumours, but this one is very significant, because even if he doesn't end up in the role ( it may well have already been decided!) Damien does deserve the recognition for his talent in connection with world renowned television - and doctor Who is one of the most revered and well known tv characters there is!
By the way, you would tell me if there were typos or errors in the above wouldn't you guys? It has been up all week and no one has commented....
You seriously expect us to spell check your work when you have THAT photo directly above it?
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I hope to God Dominic Cooper isn't named as Twelve because i do not get the fuss about him. I think i'd stop watching if he were cast. I haven't heard of Daniel but Domhnall is known from the Harry Potter franchise and is the son of Brendan Gleeson, a respected Irish actor...yeah, Domhnall is Irish...and he's a redhead...and looking at him, i kind of can see him being the Doctor, he has that look about him. Of the three listed on the site, i'd be okay with him in the role. Just not Dominic Cooper...please!!
Apparently the Mail on Sunday have found out who Twelve will be and are planning to reveal all on Sunday hence the rumour of an early announcement by the BBC Doctor Who bods.
I know it's probably a long shot, but just the thought of Damien as The Doctor makes me go crazy! I NEED IT!!! I'm glad they're announcing it sooner rather than later. I wouldn't normally care (even though I am a Doctor Who fan, I've never gotten caught up in the casting), but this time around I absolutely NEED an answer!
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Reading around it seems that Damien taking over the role would ease the pain of the WHO fans. The idea of Damien as the doctor does meet their approval!
The official BBC Doctor Who twitter account clarified that there would not be any announcement on the new doctor made today - contrary to the suggestion in Starburst magazine.
I noticed. To be honest, i thought that Starburst jumped the gun a little bit but it's going to be interesting to see whether any of the Sunday newspapers have an 'exclusive' on the subject. I'm sure Twitter will be buzzing about any such story before long
There seems to be just more and more names being added to the pot - and Lilie, now you mention it, Steven Robertson is another fine addition to the list. So, no one really knows anything do they. Same old, same old.
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That's a great article, domino...it deserves to be on the fansite - although I do understand why it isn't. I agree absolutely that it is wonderful to see Damien mentioned as a contender by so many different sources. Obviously he would be fantastic!
I'm still very much in two minds about how I would feel if it were to happen. I loved Christopher Eccleston and enjoyed David Tennant, who gave us a very different doctor. I've always felt that Matt Smith was just a bit too similar to David Tennant's doctor - not his fault, more to do with the writing of the character. And I'd like to see the doctor become a little less....clownish again - a bit less arm wavey. It's just possible that Damien as the Doctor is exactly what the show needs......and it would undoubtedly be huge for him - although I think it may need a new showrunner too!
To be honest, (and totally selfish!) though, my biggest hesitation comes from the interview with Matt Smith which I have previously mentioned in another thread. I've managed to find the google link, but the article itself seems to have been deleted. But the link gives the flavour of the interview:
Sep 1, 2012 – Matt Smith as Doctor Who in the new series Photo: BBC ... He said the schedule - which sees him work 12 hour days for 10 months of the year ...
Whoever gets the part will be totally committed to it until they leave the show. It may mean a lot of tv time, but that's it - just the Doctor, for however long..... and I so want to see him do other things, both on and off tv (can I mention Toby Whithouse's The Game again?! - surely a spy thriller written by Toby has got to be perfect?) So, as I said before - maybe just for one series!
I agree completely with everything you say Fifi. It's such a commitment to a role, not just the filming itself, but having to deal with all the press and hype surrounding it - conventions and the like. I think the nearest comparison (barring the amazing reception towards Sherlock and Benedict Cumberbatch) is Bond. Once you become Bond, that's it, you're Bond forever, regardless of what else you do.
And I'd like to see the doctor become a little less....clownish again - a bit less arm wavey. It's just possible that Damien as the Doctor is exactly what the show needs......and it would undoubtedly be huge for him - although I think it may need a new showrunner too!
Yes! I agree with all of that. I'm so tired of manic doctors. I want someone I can halfway follow again. Also, the writing needs to improve if I'm going to stick around. If Damien isn't the Doctor and the writing doesn't improve I will not be watching for much longer.
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Another name that has appeared is Rory Kinnear. Apparently bookies are no longer taking bets on his name (which could also be down to people believing the news article that put his name forward and creating a sudden flurry of bets)
Now do not get me wrong, he is a wonderful actor, loved him in The Hollow Crown (he was Bolingbroke) but i think i would have to be convinced that he'd be suitable for the role of The Doctor. Right now i'm not.
This could just be speculation (it most likely is), it came from the Sunday Telegraph and was on page seven. I think if it had been a cert, it would've been front page and mentioned in more than one newspaper. I'm wondering whether this was the hinted at 'big news' that would prompt an early announcement from Moffat & co. but didn't. The fact that they haven't responded to it says it's either true and they're a bit annoyed their thunder has been stolen or alternatively it's so ridiculous that it doesn't deign to be addressed. So i'm going to wait and see how it all unfolds.
I was pleasantly surprised when this all first broke and Rory Kinnear was topping the betting odds. I have no trouble seeing it myself, but I can accept nearly all the actors who have been mentioned. Most of them have an aspect that I can see that would work.
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