Who would you cast in the new Doctor Who Origins biopic?

[Si Hunt]

Hartnell, Russell (edited to add in Jacqui Hill - oops sorry!) and Anne-Ford all need to be cast!

Not to mention Verity, Waris and Eileen Way, key players in the origins of our favourite series all.

Who would you cast?

Si.

[Rob McCow]

The only one I can think of at the moment would be to have Ben Whishaw as William Russell. He's always in these sorts of things!

Mark Gattiss will probably be playing one of the parts, but which? Unless he plays the guy holding up the Dalek plunger at the end of The Daleks Episode 1. That'd be just his style.

[SiHart]

I would cast Jared Harris who plays Lane in Mad Men as William Hartnell



Mark Gattis would be a great Donald Wilson!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

The only one I can think of at the moment would be to have Ben Whishaw as William Russell. He's always in these sorts of things!

He's not quite old enough (and he looks even younger) to play the 40 year old Russell. He only got away with Richard II because he had a beard (plus he played Hamlet at the NT when he was about 22 so he had the acting chops!)
Maybe Benedict Cumberbatch?

I noticed you missed Jacquie Hill off your list Si? How about Suranne Jones?

[SiHart]

Keeley Hawes for Barbara!

[J.R. Southall]

http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsA/541-26339.gif

For... well, you guess who.

[Andrew Curnow]

Tricky isn't it - although with the Corrie drama, there wasn't really that much of a visual similarity to most of the actors, it was more the performance and of course the wardrobe & make-up. On the one hand, it would be fun to, say, cast Matt Smith as William Hartnell, and Karen Gillan as Verity Lambert, etc, etc - but that would almost certainly work against the programme, and water down the 'reality' of the drama.

What about Timothy Spall for Sydney Newman? To go really far out, I'd like to see Tommy Lee Jones as David Whitaker! Oh, and Keeley Hawes not as Barbara but as Verity Lambert.

[Dave Tudor]

Here are a few thoughts I've had on casting:

Sydney Newman - Timothy Spall
Verity Lambert - Jodhi May
Donald Wilson - Douglas Henshall
William Russell - Rupert Penry-Jones
Jacqueline Hill - Lara Pulver
Carole Ann Ford - Kaya Scodelario
Waris Hussein - Jimi Mistry
Delia Derbyshire - Miranda Hart (seriously!)
Brian Hodgson - Chris Driscoll

Just a few ideas. As you can see, I haven't cast William Hartnell. That would be a tough one.

[SiHart]

You no longer sound very confused Dave

[Dave Tudor]

Oh. Do I sometimes sound confused, Si....?

[SiHart]

Your original version of that last post did!

[Dave Tudor]

Ah. I see. So it slipped through did it? People actually saw it, did they..?


Blame Mrs. T...

[Dave Tudor]

Anyway I hope my main post sounds not-so-confused and that I've put a little bit of thought into it!

[SiHart]

Oh yes, that actual post was very good- some interesting choices there. For some reason though, I keep seeing Mark Gattis as Donald Wilson and I'm liking the idea of Pooky Quesnal as Jackie Hill...

[Dave Tudor]

Pooky Quesnal as Jackie Hill...

Oh yes, I can see that!

[Dave Tudor]

I think there's the temptation to cast older than the actors originally were at the time - people seemed to look older in the 1960s. For instance, William Hartnell was only 55 when he was cast as Doctor Who, which is no age today, but he looked far older at the time. An actor in his mid-fifties these days would look relatively young. So the casting process would be incredibly difficult.

[SiHart]

Hartnell is going to be the tough one isn't it? the whole thing is going to revolve around who they decode to cast for him and it'll be make or break casting.

[brandynigma]

David Suchet as Sydney Newman.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

David Suchet as Sydney Newman.

[Larry]

Hartnell is going to be the tough one isn't it? the whole thing is going to revolve around who they decode to cast for him and it'll be make or break casting.

I suppose Richard Wilson, could be a possible choice for Hartnell .I agree with Dave about Rupert Penry-Jones as William Russell - and Robert Glenister I reckon wouldn#t make a bad Sydney Newman.

[brandynigma]

Call me crazy... But what about Rowan Atkinson as Hartnell?

[Anthony Williams]

Call me crazy... But what about Rowan Atkinson as Hartnell?

Put a white wig on him, and by Jove, I think you might be onto something!

[SiHart]

Apparently Carole-Ann favours this delight to play her in this...

[Dave Tudor]

Is that 'favours' or 'demands'...?

Where did you hear that, Si?

[SiHart]

Demands might be accurate, but you didn't hear it from me!

Apparently she was interviewed on satuirday by a friend of mine and this was what he reported back.