Black Actor turned down the role of The Doctor

[hammard]

An interesting little tidbit on casting from Gaiman.

The Radio Times is reporting (via Gaiman's tumblr) that a black actor was approached to the play The Doctor but turned it down. He refuses to say who it was as he was told in confidence.

Comments

[pinguthegreek]

I wonder why they didn't try harder to cast someone really different?

[jeffxandra]

Wait.. he did? Where?

(googles)

Damn.. I was wanting him when we were waiting to see who'd replace Tennant.

Ejiofor for 13!

[pinguthegreek]

Surely there are enough good BME actors in the UK to render the lack of availability of one particular actor to be irrelevant? Why should it still be a big deal that they had Martha and her family? Why couldn't they have had a semi open casting for the Doctor? I am, in one sense all for The Best Person For The Job. But why not take the opportunity to reflect the ethnic diversity of most of the countries that take Who?

[that_therapist]

Patterson Joseph or David Harewood come to mind. Both were his Marquis de Carabas in Neverwhere. The first on TV and the second on radio a few months ago.

[revengerv]

Well, looks like not everybody want be the Doctor. How strange.

[misterandersen]

A lot of people don't. Robson Green for instance has quite strongly stated his desire never to have anything to do with the role.

[andystarr]

Really? I read where he was offered the role of the Master but turned it down because he doesn't like to play 'bad guys.' I hadn't heard anything regarding his opinion about becoming the Doctor.

[pure_trance]

He could be saying that just to defend Moffatt's casting too...pretty vague "there was a black actor that was approached once, he didn't take it" absolutely nothing telling us here that it definitely happened...@_@

[viomisehunt]

If that is the case; silence would have better response. If Moffat has to defend choosing a white, male actor then anyone he chose would have seemed a force choice out of PC concerns-and the casting more a gimmick or token than casting the best actor for the role

[misterandersen]

I'm 3/4 through DW&R btw, an while it's generally ben a good read a couple of places have been a bit of a tough slog. It's a little disappointing that it wasn't able to look at both season 7 and the end of Eleven but such is the nature of physical publishing I guess.

[hammard]

I doubt he was trying to defend Moffat as he's being pretty critical in his statements and expressing his disappointment.

[boji]

Over in the interesting pit that is Digital Spy someone mentioned that Patterson Joseph was offered the role - for Eleven - but turned it down because he didn't want a three year contract. He would have agreed to a one year contract, but no longer.

Is Gaiman talking about now? or then? His tumblr doesn't make it very clear.

[hammard]

I can't imagine he's referring to Patterson Joseph as he explicit names him in the first comment then refuses to name who it was that turned down the role in the second.

[boji]

No one in the thread has mentioned Adrian Lester. Is he in the US? Goes off to google.

Comes all face-palming Was having stupid moment as he is currently on stage in a play I am seeing next month!

[trobadora]

It wouldn't make sense to say he was disappointed Paterson Joseph didn't get the role if PJ had actually turned it down.