The "oldest" Doctor Who depends on if you mean in-character age, the actor who played the oldest-looking, or the oldest actor. Chronologically, the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) lived over 1,000 years, potentially the oldest, while the First Doctor (William Hartnell) appeared oldest, but actors like Tom Baker (playing The Curator) are the oldest actors in the role, with Tom Baker currently being the oldest living Doctor actor as of late 2025.
First Doctor. The First Doctor is the original incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor William Hartnell in the first three series from 1963 to 1966 and the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors from 1972 to 1973.
As of Cameron's death in 2020, the oldest living Doctor Who cast member was Arnold Yarrow.
Despite coming into being while the Fourteenth Doctor still existed, the Fifteenth Doctor was still older than his preceding incarnation, with Donna commenting it was "because [he] came after him", and the Fifteenth Doctor also had knowledge of events yet to come for the Fourteenth Doctor.
Ncuti Gatwa left Doctor Who because the role was physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding, and he felt it was time to move on after finding the schedule exhausting, though rumors suggest Disney's slow renewal process for Season 3 and conflicting career opportunities also played a role. He described the role as a dream job but one that takes a significant toll, leading to his decision to hand over the TARDIS keys.
Yes, Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who, Sex Education) has publicly come out as queer, sharing his truth in interviews, emphasizing that while he hasn't been "in the closet," he waited to define his sexuality publicly, inspired by his experiences and finding community, making him a significant figure for LGBTQ+ representation, especially as the first openly gay actor to play Doctor Who.
Deadline has analyzed official seven-day viewing figures for the first half of Season 15, and it does not make easy reading for those involved in Doctor Who. The first four episodes have averaged 3.1M viewers, which was 800,000 viewers down from last year's season, which was Gatwa's first as the Doctor.
A common anatomical variation is being born with more than ten fingers or more than ten toes. Former Doctor Who actor David Tennant this week confirmed he has 11 toes. He says he was born with an extra toe on his right foot, meaning he has polydactyly.
Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who. The last season of the venerable British science fiction series Doctor Who brought a lot of change. The Doctor is now played by Ncuti Gatwa, who is Black and openly queer. And it marked the return of the showrunner who birthed the modern era of Doctor Who.
The first Doctor lived to around 450 before dying of apparent old age. The 11th Doctor has spent around 300 years in his current body, the longest since the first. Most classic Doctors had 1 to 2 centuries each. 9 and 10 were the shortest, just a few years each.
A transgender woman who hails from Texas in the far future, Cassandra underwent many plastic surgery operations, eventually being reduced to a single stretched piece of skin on a metal frame. Cassandra is driven by a sense of vanity, desiring beauty above all else, which is why she constantly undergoes surgeries.
Known as one of the best doctors in the world, Hippocrates stands as a foundation of modern medicine. Practicing in ancient Greece, he was the first to suggest that diseases had natural causes rather than being punishments from the gods—a groundbreaking notion for his time.
While appearing on The One Show, via ScreenRant, he was asked about Doctor Who. Gatwa said he regretted never getting to face off against the Doctor's most iconic enemies. "I never got to fight a Dalek. A Dalek or a Cyberman," he said.
Two reasons, one is a reason you'll see later. The other is as Vastra said, “the veil is lifted”. We saw so often throughout 11's run how old he can truly feel and be. After 7-900 years on Trenzalore, he feels no point in maintaining the youthful mask, so he lets himself be physically older, to reflect his age.
Δ17, better known as Lady Cassandra, is a minor antagonist in the Whoniverse. She claims to be the last pure human alive but is actually just—due to numerous surgeries—a prejudiced flap of skin with a face that's stretched on a frame.
Worst Doctor Who Episodes
In a recent Instagram video interview with costar Millie Gibson, actor Ncuti Gatwa revealed the proper pronunciation of his name. My name is pronounced N-shoo-tee. It's like a n (pause) shoo-tee.
The Sixth Doctor was considered asexual and aromantic by his actor Colin Baker. In 2011, Eleventh Doctor actor Matt Smith also went on the record stating his Doctor is asexual.
Someone who is asexual doesn't experience sexual attraction and/or doesn't desire sexual contact. Asexuals may also use shorthand like “Ace” to describe their sexual orientation. An asexual person can be straight, gay, bisexual or queer because sexual attraction is only one kind of attraction.
Geoffrey Bayldon declined the role of the Doctor as Doctor Who was scheduled for 52 weeks and required him to play an old man. He told his agent, "Tell them: Too long, too old".
David Tennant is a strong LGBTQ+ ally, viewing support for the community as "common sense," criticizing the "demonization" and "weaponization" of trans issues by some politicians, and telling anti-trans bigots to "fuck off" and let people be themselves. He's spoken out against those who create division, comparing their tactics to historical homophobia, and has personally shown support through actions like wearing trans flag pins and accepting ally awards, often noting that supporting people's right to live authentically is simply about humanity.
Tearfully uttering his last words, "I don't want to go," the Tenth Doctor violently regenerates into the Eleventh Doctor, causing severe damage to the console room and sending the TARDIS crashing back down to Earth.
Worst to Best: Ranking the Doctor Who Doctors
Deadline has spoken with multiple sources in Doctor Who's orbit who say the Disney deal fell apart for a variety of reasons, including concerns over the Ncuti Gatwa show's failure to break out from its established fan base and its big-ticket budget.
The episode was seen by 13.8 million watching at its peak, according to consolidated ratings, when it was first broadcast on Christmas Day on BBC One. The ratings success of "Voyage of the Damned" has been partially and fully attributed to Minogue's casting in the role of Astrid.