Matt Smith has revealed that he nearly turned down the chance to play Doctor Who, admitting that he had “a wobble” when he was first given the role.
Smith played the Doctor in the long-running BBC show from 2010 to 2014, taking over from David Tennant. The role launched his career, with the actor recently starring as Prince Philip in the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown.
Looking back on his days on Doctor Who, Smith admitted during his new Desert Island Discs interview that he initially wasn’t sure about taking on the titular role – revealing that he’d had “a wobble” when he was first told that he’d be succeeding Tennant as the Doctor.
“I was like, ‘I don’t think I’m going to do it’,” he told the BBC Radio 4 programme. “My agent said, ‘You’re going to do it.'” Smith then clarified that he “loved every minute” of playing the Doctor.
Asked about Jodie Whittaker’s casting as the Doctor, Smith said she was “a brilliant choice” for the role.
“The show relies on big, broad, creative brushstrokes,” the actor said. “It’s brilliant, it’s high time and she’ll be sensational.”
Last month, Smith was surprisingly cast as Charles Manson in the upcoming film Charlie Says, which will reportedly focus on “the three young women who were sentenced to death following the infamous murder case of Manson”.