Matt Smith is departing the iconic role; his replacement is yet to be announced
The BBC is today announcing that Matt Smith is to leave
Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit BBC One show.
Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave
the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary
in November and regenerating in the Christmas Special.
During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30
million unique UK
viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the
first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.
Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by Readers
of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season. He also received a nod for his
first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular
Male Drama Performance award in 2012.
Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77
million fans in the UK , USA and Australia alone!
Matt Smith says: "Doctor Who has been the most
brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down
to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast
and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show
and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends
and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.
"Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied,
funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most
rewarding challenges of my career. It's been a privilege and a treat to work
with Steven, he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world
for the Doctor.
"The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any
other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show
(and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen
before, your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for
supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is
not done yet, I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!
"It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the
legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger,
the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and
Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."
Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, says:
"Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised
me: the way he'd turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or
out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor
can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges
magnificently.
"And even better than that, given the pressures of this
extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have
ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him - sometimes
literally - his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor.
"But great actors always know when it's time for the
curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say
goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt - bow ties were never cooler.
"Of course, this isn't the end of the story, because
now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now - all unknowing, just
going about their business - is someone who's about to become the Doctor. A
life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50
years, that's still so exciting!"
Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy
Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara
Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Matt's Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well
as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting 'run' and 'Geronimo',
through Matt's Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination -
fish fingers and custard!
Matt's spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be
kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC One screens along with David Tennant, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Billie Piper and John Hurt in the unmissable
50th anniversary episode on Saturday 23 November 2013 - TUNE IN!
Check out our site for news about the 50th Anniversary Special
Check out our site for news about the 50th Anniversary Special
Source: BBC Media Centre
Comments
Post a Comment