If he repeats to anyone who will listen that he didn’t enjoy making his new film Wonka, Hugh Grant is also an actor with regrets. The former king of romantic comedies, a specialist in dry and cynical humor, so popular with the English, could see his career in a new direction in the early 2000s.
At this time, while his career was still suffering from the effects of his media failure, the latter was offered a starring role in the series Doctor Who. Convinced that this revival (the program had not aired since 1989) would be a failure, Hugh Grant turned down the role, which eventually went to Christopher Eccleston.
In an interview with our colleagues in 2007 Digital Spy, the British actor, however, expressed regret given the success of the series. He also said he’s open to one day appearing in an episode as a villain in the roles “always more fun” on his eyes:
A few years ago I was offered the role of a doctor and I was very happy. The danger with this kind of thing is that only once you see the result on the screen you say to yourself: “Damn, this is really good, why didn’t I say?”. But hey, dating me would probably ruin everything.
Only the most dedicated fans know this, but it’s not entirely accurate to say that Hugh Grant has never played the Doctor. The latter actually appeared in a parody episode broadcast by the BBC in 1999, a hilarious sketch featuring Rowan Atkinson, Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent and the absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley played the Time Lords.
Also, after seeing this unofficial episode, screenwriter Russell T. Davies decided to offer the role to Hugh Grant for a revival of the series in 2005. Another noteworthy fact: this episode called Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death is written by Stephen. Moffat, the upcoming showrunner for seasons 5 through 10 of the new series.
Parody episode of Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death:
Three special episodes of Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary are now available exclusively on Disney+.
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Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
