Just who is this Matt Smith, playing the eleventh Doctor in BBC’s “Doctor Who”? How will he own the role after following a tough act like David Tennant’s performance as the Doctor? From an interview Smith has with the British Guardian, Smith is described as “bouncy and playful – the type of hyperactive puppy you find presenting children’s TV shows on Saturday mornings” with “gosh” as his favourite expletive as he doesn’t swear.
Smith’s goofy grin and lanky physicality lends an air of comedic lightness about him. This combined with his tender age of twenty-seven is causing some speculation of how he will handle the mantle of the Doctor. Smith has, of course, been a fan of the Doctor for years:
“There’s something irreverent or wreckless or mad or brilliant. Don’t we all hope that we could be the Doctor, somewhere? Isn’t that what makes him great?”
From what Smith has told the British Guardian, it sounds like his Doctor will be a bit on the mad and reckless side with a handful of a companion:
“He’s a little reckless. He’ll walk into a room and have a million things to do. And, as opposed to knowing exactly how to get out, he’ll take it up to the precipice: don’t know, don’t know, don’t know, and boom, there’s the idea. And it’s a bit mad and reckless. It’s very doof, doof, doof. And he’s got a companion who I think is the hardest to handle. And she’s quite mad. But the Doctor’s quite mad as well.”
Smith’s comment makes it easy to draw similarities between Smith’s Doctor and David Tennant’s Doctor, but how will he make his mark on the role? The actor was an unknown as little as a year ago with minor roles in the British television series “Party Animals” and Royal Court theater production of “That Face”.
Would it surprise you that Smith’s first dream was to be a footballer? He was signed on at the youth level to play with Northampton Town, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester City until injury and a loss of passion for playing closed that run. Smith credits his drama teacher, Mr. Hardingham, for cultivating the actor within him. With his teacher’s encouragement, Smith attended the University of East Anglia where he studied drama and creative writing and discovered the similarities that acting had with football, saying:
“There are great disciplines from being a sportsman that you can transfer into being an artist. The preparation, the sacrifice, the constant desire to improve.”
Starring in “Doctor Who” is a life-changing experience to say the least! Smith talks being cast in this dream role:
“There aren’t many jobs that change the fabric of your life in the same way – where you go from being a working actor who is pretty anonymous, to being thrust into what is one of the most popular shows, if not the most popular, in Britain.”
Following the most popular Doctor in history must be daunting. Smith did seek advice from former Doctors like Peter Davison and David Tennant:
“I spoke briefly to David. He was just very lovely and gave me encouragement, but I think you have to cleave it out yourself. It’s your own journey.”
“I guess you’ve got to approach it with your own take or spin. No, spin is the wrong word. Identity. How can you not be aware of the rich heritage and legacy? Over Christmas it was everywhere. It was the big thing, David leaving the show. But it only intimidates you as much as you allow it to.”
What is life like as the Doctor? Smith gives an inside look at what his days (or nights) look like while filming “Doctor Who”:
“By the end, we’ll be filming from 11pm till nine in the morning… then they need to shoot in the mornings because of the light. D’you know what? It is exhausting. We’ve been shooting for seven and a half months now, and the line-learning is quite immense for the Doctor because he’s in pretty much every scene, and he says the majority of stuff because his brain is the coolest and the biggest.”
Critics and fans alike have showed some anxiety over Smith’s ability to take the role of the Doctor. Some think the actor is too young or too emo-looking. Smith tries to laugh that apprehension off:
“What is my retort to them? Thank you for your kind and considered comments… hehehehe. Everybody’s entitled to an opinion. But an emo? Maybe it’s my hair.”
All criticism aside, Smith acknowledges the gravity within the role of the Doctor with his history of loss:
“I think it’s impossible to escape that with the Doctor. He’s lost so many people and devastated so much… bad or good, he’s brought whole empires down. He’s seen a lot, and that’s part of his personality. But that’s also what gives him such joy and effervescence.”
Matt Smith won the role of the eleventh Doctor over such names as James Nesbitt and David Morrissey. Something about Smith even prevailed over the notion that there might even be a first black Doctor (Paterson Joseph aka Rodrick in the series) or even the first female Doctor (former companion, Billie Piper).
“Doctor Who” returns on April 3rd in the UK and April 17th in the US.
[Source] Guardian
