‘Doctor Who’ season 8: Bill Nighy was approached to be 12th Doctor

Was Peter Capaldi really the original choice to be the 12th Doctor? It’s possible, but it also appears as though Steven Moffat and the rest of the folks at “Doctor Who” were not going to be so silly as to not explore some of their options. They understand that this is not only one of the most-coveted roles in all of Britain, but it is also important to get it right in a TV industry that can be pretty unforgiving.

So to hear the news that Bill Nighy was at least approached about the possibility of becoming the 12th Doctor? Hardly surprising, but still very interesting nonetheless. Speaking in an new interview with the Daily Express, Nighy reveals that he promptly turned down the part (though he declined to say when he was approached), and was quick to explain why:

“No disrespect to Doctor Who or anything, I just think that it comes with too much baggage.”

Nighy is high on Capaldi as the ultimate choice, saying that he will bring a bit of “dry humor” to the role, which had a bit more of a manic presence under Matt Smith. Interestingly enough, there is a sort of physical similarity between the two actors, and Smith could almost be in some ways Peter’s son.

This news does confirm that the plan all along for season / series 8 was for it to feature an older doctor in the title role, just to ensure that we had a very different sort of character and presence to what Matt brought. Filming begins on the new episodes early next year, with the premiere coming a little bit later on in 2014. Meanwhile, there is still the 50th Anniversary Special coming on November 23, and the the Christmas special that marks Smith’s farewell and Capaldi’s first appearance.

Photo: BBC One