Hugh Grant Rejected the Role That Could've Made Him Britain's National Treasure
Looking back at 60-year-long Doctor Who history, we can say that it wasn’t his best decision.
If you know anything about British TV shows, you've probably heard of Doctor Who. It began as a childhood fantasy story about a time-traveling alien who looked suspiciously like a human called the Doctor, and it helped millions of parents raise and educate their children and make them curious about space.
But in 1989, the famous BBC series hit a pit stop. Although the network was always keen on the idea of rebooting Doctor Who, as the years went by, fewer and fewer people believed it would be possible.
The news that another season of Doctor Who was in production was a real sensation among the general public, and whoever was cast as the next Doctor would forever be remembered as the actor who brought back childhood memories for so many viewers.
No wonder Hugh Grant, who was personally invited to play the Doctor by showrunner Russell T. Davies, regretted turning down such an iconic role. Grant spoke candidly about the missed opportunity in an interview with Digital Spy a few years after the reboot premiered and Christopher Eccleston was cast as the Ninth Doctor.
“I was offered the role of the Doctor a few years back and was highly flattered. The danger with those things is that it's only when you see it on screen that you think, 'Damn, that was good, why did I say no?' But then, knowing me, I'd probably make a mess of it,” the actor said.
The funny thing is, although Grant didn't get to play the Ninth Doctor in Russell T. Davies' 2005 reboot of the beloved sci-fi series, he did turn up to play a version of the Twelfth Doctor in 1999's The Curse of Fatal Death, a Comic Relief special written by Steven Moffat. If that's not the definition of timey-wimey, we don't know what is!
Stay tuned for all the latest Doctor Who news and updates as the show celebrates its 60th anniversary with three special episodes, starring Doctor Who veteran David Tennant and guest starring Neil Patrick Harris. The first episode will premiere in November 2023.
Source: Digital Spy