Top 10 Actors to Portray the Doctor

As of today, over 20 actors and actresses have portrayed this Gallifreyan. How do they size up to each other? Vote for your favorite Doctors to help move them to the top of this list.
The Top Ten
1 David Tennant David Tennant is a Scottish actor known for his roles as the Tenth Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who, Alec Hardy in Broadchurch, Giacomo Casanova in the TV serial Casanova, Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, and Barty Crouch, Jr. in the Harry Potter movie series.

David was my first Doctor, which means he'll always have a special place in my heart as every first Doctor does! He was funny, gorgeous, and just had the Doctor essence that made him amazing! Matt Smith has really grown on me, and I love him too (although I didn't watch him straight after David - David's departure was too much to bear). I would still have to say David is the Doctor for me!

Definitely David. He was smart, funny, and amazing - and so much like me! I remember watching the bloopers, and he accidentally knocked down something and then jumped back, covered his ears, and closed his eyes as it fell with a bang! That's my reaction every single time I knock something over, and it was riveting to see that David had the same reaction!

2 Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker is an English actor. He is best known as the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1981, a longer tenure than any other actor, and for the narration of the comedy series Little Britain.

I think the vote is dominated by a younger viewpoint. However, they have not really seen Tom Baker in action. He had a really dynamic on-screen presence. I have seen all the Doctors, and Tom has a unique voice and a vocabulary that surpassed every other Doctor. Don't take my word for it - watch three episodes from each Doctor, then you decide.

How amazing Tom Baker was. He perfectly balanced a fun, jelly-baby-loving eccentric with a dark, mysterious hero. With his trademark scarf and fedora, as well as the trusted K9 by his side, he is most certainly iconic.

David Tennant is nothing compared to him. He was the greatest.

3 Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith is an English actor. He is best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, for which he received a BAFTA Award nomination in 2011.

Matt Smith is awesome! My favorite Doctor! I love his innocent personality. He has tons of hilarious scenes and lines! I love every episode from this Doctor. His story arcs were brilliant and well-developed (cracks in space and time, The Doctor's name, the Pandorica, etc.).

His regeneration was really emotional, in my opinion. I loved his speech about how 'we all change' and 'I'll always remember when the Doctor was me' (my favorite line from the entire show). I cried during his regeneration. I didn't want to see him go, but I knew that his time was up.

Matt Smith will always be my Doctor.

4 Christopher Eccleston

The most realistically written Doctor in my opinion. He just came from the 'last great time war' that wiped out his planet and species, along with chunks of other races and parts of the universe.

He suffers from survivor's guilt with a hefty dose of PTSD and shell shock syndrome. Incredibly complex, multi-layered, and dark, he is able to portray all of it in just one look, reflecting his 900 years of pain, tragedy, and life.

Haunted, pained, tortured, and unstable, he hides underneath goofiness and mania, but you can see through the facade to the incredibly damaged Time Lord underneath.

He was the most fully rounded, developed, and psychological Doctor out of them all, and his journey towards peace, acceptance, and love was riveting to watch.

Nobody could have kicked open the doors to 'Nuwho' and made it the success that it has become but Eccleston. A very underrated Doctor who was only on the show for one season but made a very significant mark in my eyes.

5 Peter Capaldi

Wow. I hated him in series 8, but in series 9 he just dominated every episode. Under the Lake, The Zygon Inversion, Face the Raven, and Heaven Sent were all incredible performances for Capaldi. He easily beats Tennant, Smith, and Baker!

He is the rock star of Doctor Who. He showed badass-ness, smarts, and the absolute coolest guitar! Peter is a very talented man who can act, sing, draw, and play the guitar.

Peter Capaldi is by far the bravest Doctor. He's been through so much and yet still doesn't make a big show about it and still does the right thing. He's also a magician!

6 Jon Pertwee

Action adventurer. One of the most significant 'first' five Doctors that set the pace and legend for the modern series. Eccleston? Please no!

The Third Doctor. Had a "mane of white hair."

7 Patrick Troughton

If people watched the classics, this guy would be near the top. He's one of the fan favorites, along with Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, David Tennant, and Matt Smith. Patrick Troughton made bow ties cool, and he was more than a guy who 'wore plaid pants and played a musical instrument.'

The Second Doctor. He wore plaid pants and played a musical instrument.

My favorite. And did you see Tomb of the Cybermen? Best story ever.

8 Sylvester McCoy

Sylvester will always be my number one Doctor and here's why:

I know that he didn't have the best debut episode, but if I have to give 'Time and the Rani' credit, it would have to go to some of Sylvester's performance as the Doctor. I found it hilarious how he kept mixing up phrases and words.

I also love the transition from a comedic and kind Doctor to a manipulative and darker Time Lord. I find it absolute nonsense that he didn't get another season.

McCoy was a major success when it came to portraying the Doctor. A stylish and comedic touch fused with a darker and more manipulative side. What other Doctor would use reverse psychology to destroy a Dalek mothership?

9 William Hartnell

The man who started it all and had a passion for it.

The First Doctor. Had combed, white hair.

10 Paul McGann

His audio stories are fantastic. Big Finish deserves serious respect for giving us the 8th Doctor stories the BBC couldn't!

Peter Davison the nicest Doctor? Listen to the audio "Neverland" and tell me Paul isn't the kindest soul to ever pilot the TARDIS.

The Eighth Doctor. From the TV movie. Wore a green coat.

The Contenders
11 Peter Davison

Peter Davison really brought a new aspect to the role. He was more human-like and didn't always get things right. If he did get some things wrong, he would have to deal with the consequences. So he is by far my favorite actor to play the Doctor.

Underrated! He deserves the first spot. He always got into trouble and preferred to be honest and more human-like. A really great Doctor, and he mostly traveled with three companions at once. Sorry, I must dash now.

The Fifth Doctor. He wore a tannish white suit with red trim and a sprig of celery.

12 Colin Baker

I guess I have a soft spot for this Doctor since we share a first name (my parents actually came up with the name because my dad was a fan), but he really isn't that bad. Sure, his tenure was hurt by behind-the-scenes chaos, but most of the hate comes from people who haven't seen any of his episodes. The actor himself is actually really good as he has a Hartnell-esque style.

I love episodes like "Revelation of the Daleks" and "The Two Doctors," but my favorite Colin Baker performance would actually be "The Five-ish Doctors," a real-life set parody created for the 50th anniversary. Anyway, he's no Tom Baker, but he is a lot better than people say.

13 John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt, CBE (January 22, 1940 - January 25, 2017) was an English actor and voice actor whose career spanned six decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors; director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in the world".

Personally, I didn't like The Day of the Doctor, but this guy made it all worthwhile. He was just so good. He is a very good Doctor.

14 Jodie Whittaker

It's not fair to judge her yet. As of now, she's had one line: Oh brilliant.

15 Michael Jayston
16 David Warner

He's great in the Unbound and Bernice Summerfield audios. I wish Big Finish would do more "what if?" stories with Doctors from parallel universes.

17 Richard Hurndall

Five Doctors' 'Hartnell Replacement.' Great character actor. He did the impossible by playing the First Doctor in the special.

18 Peter Cushing

Grand Moff Tarkin. Yes, the Hammer star was the Doctor who was an inventor from Earth. Not included in the official screen canon though!

I actually really like the two Doctor Who films with him in them.

Why is Peter Cushing's Doctor Who film duology so underrated? I actually like him.

19 David Bradley
20 Frazer Hines
21 Tim Treloar
22 Adam Driver
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