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List of actors who have played the Doctor

Since the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who began in 1963, many actors have played the title character of the Doctor on television, and in various BBC licensed spin-offs on television, stage, radio, film, audio plays and webcasts. The character's ability periodically to regenerate his appearance and personality has facilitated the ability of new actors to take over the role — in both official and unofficial productions — while in most cases maintaining continuity with the television series. However, as noted below, some actors have played versions of the Doctor (including a fully human variant whose name - unlike that of the canonical version - really is Doctor Who) that depart from the canon.

This list does not include stand-ins, stunt men, most actors featured in sketch comedies and send-ups or Doctors who have appeared in fan films, amateur stage shows or audios.

Actors who have played an official Doctor in television series

Name	Tenure	First appearance	Last appearance	Other appearances
William Hartnell (The First Doctor)	23 November 1963 to 29 October 1966	An Unearthly Child Episode 1	The Tenth Planet Episode 4	Television: The Three Doctors - 30 December 1972 to 20 January 1973 Television: The Five Doctors (archive footage) - 23 November 1983
Patrick Troughton (The Second Doctor)	29 October 1966 to 21 June 1969	The Tenth Planet Episode 4	The War Games Episode Ten	Television: The Three Doctors - 30 December 1972 to 20 January 1973 Television: The Five Doctors - 23 November 1983 Television: The Two Doctors - 16 February to 2 March 1985
Jon Pertwee (The Third Doctor)	3 January 1970 to 8 June 1974	Spearhead from Space Episode 1	Planet of the Spiders Part Six	Television: The Five Doctors - 23 November 1983 Stage: Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure - 23 March to 3 June 1989 Radio: The Paradise of Death - 27 August to 24 September 1993 Television: Dimensions in Time - 26 November to 27 November 1993 Radio: The Ghosts of N-Space - 20 January to 24 February 1996 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors (archive recordings of voice) - 5 December 1997 Audio: Zagreus (archive recording) - November 2003
Tom Baker (The Fourth Doctor)	8 June 1974 to 21 March 1981	Planet of the Spiders Part Six	Logopolis Part Four	LP: The Pescatons - July 1976 Radio: Exploration Earth, Episode 3: "The Time Machine" - 4 October 1976 LP: Genesis of the Daleks - October 1979 (audio version of serial with new narration performed in-character) Television commercials: Keep Australia Beautiful - 1979 Television commercials: Prime Computers - 1979 to 1980 Television: The Five Doctors (archive footage) - 23 November 1983 Television: Dimensions in Time - 26 November to 27 November 1993 Television commercial: New Zealand Superannuation Services - 1996 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors - 5 December 1997
Peter Davison (The Fifth Doctor)	21 March 1981 to 16 March 1984	Logopolis Part Four	The Caves of Androzani Part Four	Television: Dimensions in Time - 26 November to 27 November 1993 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors - 5 December 1997 Audio: Big Finish Productions - 19 July 1999 onwards (first story The Sirens of Time) Television: Children in Need special episode, Time Crash - 16 November 2007
Colin Baker (The Sixth Doctor)	16 March 1984 to 6 December 1986	The Caves of Androzani Part Four	The Trial of a Time Lord Part Fourteen (The Ultimate Foe Episode 2) (not played by Colin Baker for regeneration in Time and the Rani; Sylvester McCoy played the part for this scene)	Television: Jim'll Fix It - A Fix with Sontarans - 23 February 1985 Radio: Slipback - 25 July to 22 August 1985 Stage: Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure - 5 June to 19 August 1989 Television: Dimensions in Time - 26 November to 27 November 1993 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors - 5 December 1997 Audio: Big Finish Productions - 19 July 1999 onwards (first story The Sirens of Time) Webcast: Real Time - 2 August to 6 September 2002
Sylvester McCoy (The Seventh Doctor)	7 September 1987 to 6 December 1989 27 May 1996 in the Doctor Who television movie	Time and the Rani Part One	Doctor Who: The Movie	Television: Search Out Science - Search Out Space - 21 November 1990 Television: Dimensions in Time - 26 November to 27 November 1993 Computer game: Destiny of the Doctors - 5 December 1997 Audio: Big Finish Productions - 19 July 1999 onwards (first story The Sirens of Time) Webcast: Death Comes to Time - 12 July 2001 to 30 May 2002
Paul McGann (The Eighth Doctor)	27 May 1996 in the Doctor Who television movie	Doctor Who: The Movie	Doctor Who: The Movie	Audio: Big Finish Productions - 22 January 2001 onwards (first story Storm Warning) Webcast: Shada - 2 May to 6 June 2003 Radio: BBC7 plays - 31 December 2006 to 18 February 2007
Christopher Eccleston (The Ninth Doctor)	26 March to 18 June 2005	Rose	The Parting of the Ways	Television: Children in Need special (Reprise from 'Parting of the Ways') - 18 November 2005.
David Tennant (The Tenth Doctor)	18 June 2005 to Present	The Parting of the Ways		Television: Children in Need special - 18 November 2005. Interactive game: Attack of the Graske - 25 December 2005 Television: The Infinite Quest - 2 April to 30 June 2007 Television: Children in Need special episode, Time Crash - 16 November 2007 Stage/Radio: Music of the Spheres - 27 July 2008

Other Doctors

Actor	Medium	Title	Dates	Role
Peter Cushing	Film	Dr. Who and the Daleks	25 June 1965	Dr. Who
Peter Cushing	Film	Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD	22 July 1966	Dr. Who
Trevor Martin	Stage	Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday	16 December 1974 to January 1975	The Fourth Doctor (shown on stage to be regenerated from the Jon Pertwee Third Doctor)
Trevor Martin	Audio	Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday	October 2008	The Fourth Doctor
Adrian Gibbs	Television	Logopolis	28 February 1981 to 21 March 1981	The Watcher (Nyssa comments, "he was the Doctor all the time.")
Richard Hurndall	Television	The Five Doctors	23 November 1983	The First Doctor (standing in for the late William Hartnell)
Sylvester McCoy	Television	Time and the Rani	7 September 1987	The Sixth Doctor (standing in for Colin Baker during the regeneration scene)
Michael Jayston	Television	The Trial of a Time Lord	6 September to 6 December 1986	The Valeyard (said to be an evil version of the Doctor, existing somewhere between his twelfth and final incarnations)
Michael Jayston	Audio	He Jests at Scars...	September 2003	The Valeyard
David Banks	Stage	Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure	29 April 1989	The Doctor (understudy for Jon Pertwee; performed as the Doctor for two performances when Pertwee fell ill)
Nick Scovell	Stage	The Planet of Storms	1996	The Doctor
	Stage	The Web of Fear	June 2000	The Second Doctor
	Stage	Fury From the Deep	27 to 30 March 2002	The Second Doctor
	Stage	Evil of the Daleks	25 to 28 October 2006	The Second Doctor
	Stage	The Dalek Masterplan	24 to 27 October 2007	The First Doctor
Rowan Atkinson	Television	Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Ninth Doctor (spoof version... modelled on the style of the then-current Paul McGann's Doctor)
Richard E. Grant	Television	Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Tenth Doctor (spoof version)
Richard E. Grant	Webcast	Scream of the Shalka	13 November to 18 December 2003	The unofficial Ninth Doctor
Jim Broadbent	Television	Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Eleventh Doctor (spoof version)
Hugh Grant	Television	Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Twelfth Doctor (spoof version)
Joanna Lumley	Television	Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death	12 March 1999	The Thirteenth Doctor (spoof version)
Mark Gatiss	Television	The Web of Caves	13 November 1999	The Doctor (spoof version)
Geoffrey Bayldon	Audio	Auld Mortality	May 2003	Alternative Doctor (possibly first)
Geoffrey Bayldon	Audio	A Storm of Angels	January 2005	Alternative Doctor (possibly first)
David Warner	Audio	Sympathy for the Devil	June 2003	Alternative Doctor (possibly third)
David Warner	Audio	Masters of War	December 2008	Alternative Doctor (possibly third)
David Collings	Audio	Full Fathom Five	August 2003	Alternative Doctor
Ian Brooker	Audio	Full Fathom Five	August 2003	Alternative Doctor (uncredited)
Derek Jacobi	Audio	Deadline	September 2003	A possibly delusional writer who believes he is the Doctor
Nicholas Briggs	Audio	Exile	September 2003	The previous incarnation of Arabella Weir's Doctor (possibly second)
Arabella Weir	Audio	Exile	September 2003	Alternative Doctor (possibly third)
Jon Culshaw	Audio	The Kingmaker	April 2006	The Fourth Doctor
David Tennant	Television	Journey's End	5 July 2008	A part-human, part-Time Lord version of the Tenth Doctor.
Catherine Tate	Television	Journey's End	5 July 2008	Companion Donna Noble became the part-Time Lord "DoctorDonna" when her mind was infused with the knowledge and memories of the Doctor.