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Official – Matt Smith To Leave Doctor Who
Matt Smith To Leave Doctor Who
The BBC is today announcing that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit BBC One show.
Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas Special.
During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.
Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season. He also received a nod for his first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular Male Drama Performance award in 2012.
Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77 million fans in the UK, USA and Australia alone!
Matt Smith says: “Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I’m incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.
“Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It’s been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, he’s a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.
“The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I’ve never seen before, your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I’m back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!
“It’s been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with ‘the ginger, the nose and the impossible one’. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt.”
Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, says: “Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently.
“And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him – sometimes literally – his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor.
“But great actors always know when it’s time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt – bow ties were never cooler.
“Of course, this isn’t the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now – all unknowing, just going about their business – is someone who’s about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that’s still so exciting!”
Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Matt’s Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting ‘run’ and ‘Geronimo’, through Matt’s Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination – fish fingers and custard!
Matt’s spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC One screens in the unmissable 50th anniversary episode on Saturday 23 November 2013 – TUNE IN!
Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC One
The 14th Doctor
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:17amI wasn’t really that bothered when DT left, but I will truly miss Matt
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:14amShame he’s going was great. would like to see Damien Molony considered for the role
GingerDoctorMania
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:14amCompletly agree, he would be brilliant and i think he will make a quite a cool and dark doctor, kind of like Sylvester McCoy but a lot younger.
Still I am quite sad that Matts Leaving, because i didnt want him to go i want Moffat to go and hand it over to Mark Gatis.
TheWhomobile
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:13amI think Rupert Grint is a little too young for the role, and I don’t believe Moffat would ever be stupid enough to make a female Doctor
Jonny Scoones
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:12amNooooooooo :'( I don’t want him to go
GingerDoctorMania
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:11amBenedict Cumberbatch would be a fantastic doctor, but i guess hes to buisy doing Sherlock.
The Supreme Dalek
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:09amNO!!! Not my 2nd favourite Doctor! I’m probably going to dislike the 12th Doctor, just like I did with 10th regenerating to 11th. This Doctor will be remembered throughout the history of Doctor Who. From fish fingers and custard to the final moment. I’m sure everyone will miss that bow tie! 😥 🙁
GingerDoctorMania
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:08amTotaly Agree, all of gatis’ episodes have been like 10x better that maffats and T Davis’.
TARDIS DUDE RETURNS
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:06amNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! MATT SMITH DON’T GO!
MRULTIMATEWHOVIAN
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:01amGOODBYE MATT SMITH! YOUR ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE OF DOCTORS YOUR TENURE IS TRULY BRILLIANT AND INSPIRING!!
WILL JOHN HURT FOLLOW ON! I THINK HE WOULD BE GREAT ALREADY TO CONTINUE ON FROM AN LEGEND AS HIS ACTING IS POWERFUL!
GOODBYE MATT SMITH!!!!
STEVEN MOFFAT & JENNA LOUISE WILL RETURN AND MATT WILL IN 50TH AND XMAS SPECIAL!!!!!!!!!!!
olletsoc
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:51amand have the new doctor have only half a season? that wouldn’t work, not enough time for character development.
The Darke Horde
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:43amRupert grint who plays ron in harry potter – he’s a ginger ninger
The Darke Horde
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:42amthey should split series 8 in half and have matt for 6 and the new actor for the 2nd half with clara
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:41amBecause she is leaving corrie so she is free for acting roles
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:37amShe defiantly is confirmed for next series. She’s only been in 8 episodes anyway do she has to stay longer!
Professor When
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:36amOh No! Ugh, if only moffat had stopped ‘splitting the series’ we would have had a full series last year, a full series this year and more episodes with Matt!
ParadigmDalek1325
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:34amJust when my hopes were up for him returning to series 8… Well I guess it was finally time for him to leave. He’s been a wonderful Doctor and I hope he does well in the future!
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:24amyes he has to be ginger next but if its a female doctor i will never ever ever ever
watch doctor who again!
the impossible boy
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:13amSo sad that Matt is leaving, and annoyed that he was confirmed for series 8 :'( really hope that J-Lou is back as Clara Oswald though. I think she is amazing as a Doctor Who companion. If she does have to leave though, they should cast Sheridan Smith into it, I’ve only heard a couple of her Who audio stories with McGann, but I like the chemistry between them
Liason Ice
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:56amI want it to be Benedict Cumberbatch, I think he would be the one one to surpass Matt
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:46am12th doctor……Boris Johnson anyone??
Twelfth Cyber Legion
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:40amYes, that would be a brilliant idea, Us fans could vote for our favourite doctor! Love it! 🙂
TheWhomobile
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:36amIt’s been set up for a long time, next Doctor needs to be ginger!
The Monitor
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:24amI think it a terrible shame for both fandom and moreso the programme. Whilst Doctor Who had been getting better every season since 2005, season 7 was a huge backward step, and the one thing that stood out was Matt Smith’s brilliance as an actor.
For the programme to survive it needs another young brilliant actor to woo back lost viewers. It also needs writers to look at 2005-2012 and not try to reinvent too much else viewers (not fan) will switch off in droves.
Personally, I think the timing of Smith’s departure could be “risky” for the programme’s longevity; his contribution has been outstanding.
Daveroper00
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:18amI just hope they get better titles .
I wonder if themastercrevasse from YouTube should play the 12th Doctor?
DuckandGrouse
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:17amNo, its been announced that David is returning for the 50th.
Daveroper00
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:17amI feel really sad that he’s leaving, and a bit sorry for the guy. All the way through his time as The Doctor he has always received the criticizem that he is NGT. That stands for ”Not Good As Tennant”. I have finally now come to realise that my four favourite Doctors are now David Tennant, Matt Smith, Tom Baker , And Sylvester McCoy.
Thank you very much, Matt. You were a great person to play The Doctor.
🙂
tom-tit
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:07amPaul Kaye (Dennis Pennis, Pete Tong) would be good as he is quirky. Or Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood), wonder what he is up to now?
Booboo Jr
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:00amI’m very surprised to hear this, I think Matt was just starting to really get into this role brilliantly. It is a real shame he is leaving, I would have wanted to see him in a few more series. This will make me appreciate the 50th that little bit more.
But now attention turns to the next big question – Who will play the 12th (or 13th, whatever it is now) Doctor?
Dalek: the Supreme
June 2nd, 2013 - 6:38amI feel like an old friend is gonna die. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely hate the “I don’t want to go” stuff from The End of Time, but I’ve never been so attached to one incarnation of the Doctor since Patrick Troughton. Matt Smith is MY Doctor, and I hope he gets a good regeneration like Tom Baker or Peter Davison or Christopher Eccleston. I do not want an offscreen fall or another “I don’t wanna go” scenario. I hope the next Doctor can fill Smith’s shoes.