{"id":12507,"date":"2022-03-20T13:00:57","date_gmt":"2022-03-20T12:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1609401"},"modified":"2022-03-20T13:16:12","modified_gmt":"2022-03-20T12:16:12","slug":"doctor-who-could-hugh-grant-be-the-next-doctor","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/doctor-who-could-hugh-grant-be-the-next-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Who: Could Hugh Grant be the next Doctor?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Patrick Cremona\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 20 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Unsurprisingly, all sorts of big names have been linked to the soon-to-be-vacant lead role in Doctor Who<\/a> in recent months \u2013 and the latest star to be mentioned is none other than Hugh Grant.<\/p>\n

According to The Mirror<\/a>, an insider on the sci-fi juggernaut is quoted as saying that returning showrunner Russell T Davies wants the Notting Hill star to \u201cbring a fresh feel\u201d to the role, claiming that \u201cconversations are in progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

This chimes with the fact that Davies actually asked Grant to play the role once before, offering him the gig when he first took over the show in 2005.<\/p>\n

\u201cI literally offered him Doctor Who in 2004.\u201d Davies told the i in 2018. \u201cI told him that and he was like, \u2018Really?!\u2019 He knew nothing about that. I love him. I think he\u2019s one of Britain\u2019s finest actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was offered the role of the Doctor a few years back and was highly flattered,\u201d Grant noted in 2007.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s only when you see it on screen that you think, \u2018Damn, that was good, why did I say no?’\u201d<\/p>\n

So, how likely is it that an A-lister like Grant could really be about to pick up a sonic screwdriver and head into the TARDIS for some adventures in time and space?<\/p>\n

Well, while it\u2019s too early to say for sure, at this point it\u2019s probably best to take the rumours with a pinch of salt \u2013 and it\u2019s worth noting that when contacted by\u00a0RadioTimes.com<\/a>, the BBC declined to comment.<\/p>\n

There is a lot<\/em> of speculation flying around at the moment, and many conflicting reports as to who is most likely to take over from current Doctor Jodie Whittaker.<\/p>\n

Fady Elsayed, Olly Alexander, and Lydia West are among the most prominent names said to be in the running, while most sensational of all are rumours about a return for David Tennant<\/a> \u2013 with some claiming that the former star could be set to play a new incarnation of the Time Lord who looks and sounds the same as the Tenth Doctor.<\/p>\n

\""Hugh\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Hugh Grant in Russell T Davies\u2019 A Very English Scandal<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

As for Grant, any deal to see him play the Doctor would mark a major career move for him, given that the role is one that requires a lot of commitment and makes it rather difficult to pick up other big roles.<\/p>\n

Grant is currently slated to appear in upcoming films Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and Dungeons & Dragons, while recent credits have included The Undoing, The Gentlemen, and his now-iconic villainous turn in Paddington 2.<\/p>\n

If he was<\/em> to take on the role, he would be the most high-profile star to ever start playing the Doctor \u2013 and it would be seen as a real statement of intent from Davies and the production team. Given that Grant was<\/em> reportedly in the frame back in 2005 and has since worked with the screenwriter on A Very English Scandal, it\u2019s not completely out of the question that Davies would think of him for the role.<\/p>\n

But for now, it\u2019s probably best just to treat these reports simply as rumours, at least until some more concrete information comes to light.<\/p>\n