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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 4:50:20 GMT
Some writers have this really interesting little process where if they can't visualise a character from scratch, they draw from the images of people around them, often from the appearances of actors and actresses they've seen in screen media. I thought it would be a really interesting exercise to see who people would have liked or would still like to see cast in recurring supporting roles for Doctor Who.
The two that immediately pop into mind immediately for me were Charles Dance as the Master and Gillian Anderson as the Rani.
Had the characters started off their lives in 1960s, I reckon Jean Marsh could have made a very good Rani and Derren Nesbitt who played the warlord Tegana in Marco Polo a very good Master.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 6:12:29 GMT
Some writers have this really interesting little process where if they can't visualise a character from scratch, they draw from the images of people around them, often from the appearances of actors and actresses they've seen in screen media. I thought it would be a really interesting exercise to see who people would have liked or would still like to see cast in recurring supporting roles for Doctor Who.The two that immediately pop into mind immediately for me were Charles Dance as the Master and Gillian Anderson as the Rani. Had the characters started off their lives in 1960s, I reckon Jean Marsh could have made a very good Rani and Derren Nesbitt who played the warlord Tegana in Marco Polo a very good Master. I like your 60s cast a lot. It fits in well with that Classic Who trope of reusing actors too,something they loved doing.  Not too keen on Dance or Anderson I must admit just because they feel kinda - and I don't mean this rudely - safe. They were names who were fancast a lot in the 90s when talk of a movie came up over and over. Dance in particular I really feel like I've almost seen him play The Master over decades of villainous roles. Who would I cast...hmm. Your idea to imagine casting in the 60s is great. For The Master, I think Robert Hardy (The Troubleshooters, All Creatures Great And Small) would be up there but Herbert Lom (The Ladykillers, Hell Drivers) would be my pick for a 60s Master. He was doing TV in that period with The Human Jungle so it's not a million miles away from possible though he was still a film star too. For The Rani, Rita Tushingham (The Knack And How To Get It, Doctor Zhivago) maybe, though she was still in her 20s. Rachel Kempson (Tom Jones, Georgy Girl) might have been a good choice for casting someone a bit older as would Mai Zetterling (Only Two Can Play) who was working in UK tv at the time and had a great offbeat screen prescence. As for contemporary actors who could still be considered for the roles...I think Ian Hart could play an interesting Master as could David Thewlis or Adrian Dunbar. Colin Salmon pops into my mind too, as does Adrian Lester. For The Rani...Emily Watson or Sally Hawkins spring to mind for actresses who are about the age we've seen and heard The Rani at though Antonia Thomas would be a good younger pick. All have done UK tv recently so wouldn't be too out-there. I know you said supporting actors but I often dream about what Marius Goring would have been like as The Doctor. He played Maxtible opposite Troughton later (funny as they both starred in The Scarlet Pimpernel together in the 50s) but Goring was a stunning screen prescence going right back to his work in the Powell and Pressberger films. He could have brought something unique to the role, I'm 100% sure. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 8:27:18 GMT
I like your 60s cast a lot. It fits in well with that Classic Who trope of reusing actors too,something they loved doing. Not too keen on Dance or Anderson I must admit just because they feel kinda - and I don't mean this rudely - safe. They were names who were fancast a lot in the 90s when talk of a movie came up over and over. Dance in particular I really feel like I've almost seen him play The Master over decades of villainous roles. Who would I cast...hmm. Your idea to imagine casting in the 60s is great. Thanks.  I have to confess that the reason why I thought of them was because of the characters that could spring out from their acting styles. Gillian Anderson went into my head wasn't so much because of Dana Scully, but Bedelia Du Maurier from Hannibal. I think the Rani would be a great deal more animated than her, but there's this very nice sense of detached irreverence which I think would serve rather well. An effortless contempt almost. Charles Dance popped immediately into my head when Capaldi was cast for the role because I would have liked to see what kind of dynamic they could have created between the two older actors as characters that have been at each other's throats for so long that it's become a different kind of friendship altogether. It's comfortable, natural, almost as if either one of them were to act out of character, the other would casually call him out on it. For The Master, I think Robert Hardy (The Troubleshooters, All Creatures Great And Small) would be up there but Herbert Lom (The Ladykillers, Hell Drivers) would be my pick for a 60s Master. He was doing TV in that period with The Human Jungle so it's not a million miles away from possible though he was still a film star too. For The Rani, Rita Tushingham (The Knack And How To Get It, Doctor Zhivago) maybe, though she was still in her 20s. Rachel Kempson (Tom Jones, Georgy Girl) might have been a good choice for casting someone a bit older as would Mai Zetterling (Only Two Can Play) who was working in UK tv at the time and had a great offbeat screen prescence. As for contemporary actors who could still be considered for the roles...I think Ian Hart could play an interesting Master as could David Thewlis or Adrian Dunbar. Colin Salmon pops into my mind too, as does Adrian Lester. For The Rani...Emily Watson or Sally Hawkins spring to mind for actresses who are about the age we've seen and heard The Rani at though Antonia Thomas would be a good younger pick. All have done UK tv recently so wouldn't be too out-there. I know you said supporting actors but I often dream about what Marius Goring would have been like as The Doctor. He played Maxtible opposite Troughton later (funny as they both starred in The Scarlet Pimpernel together in the 50s) but Goring was a stunning screen prescence going right back to his work in the Powell and Pressberger films. He could have brought something unique to the role, I'm 100% sure. Those are some really stellar choices, completely unexpected and marvellously appropriate. Watson and Salmon never crossed my mind, but upon reflection they both seem like really natural choices for the role. Mai Zetterling has this almost doll-like quality and very magnetic eyes, perfect for a science fiction story. Same with Rita Tushingham, the most fascinating set of eyes, almost like they were made of glass. I don't think we would've gotten anything close to the cosmic hobo that Troughton created, he'd may have been a bit closer to the autocratic Sherlock Holmes character written down in the original Power of the Daleks. Peter Woodward is whiskeybrewer and I's favourite choice for Doctors that never were. Similar to Richard O'Brian or Nicol Williamson, I'd have been fascinated to see what any of the four men would have brought to the role. Edward Woodward could have stood in for Jon Pertwee's Doctor if they'd done any films of his stories like The Daemons or The Curse of Peladon. |
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Post by dalekbuster523finish on Feb 28, 2017 9:33:17 GMT
Chris Pratt as the Doctor would be great
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Feb 28, 2017 11:39:28 GMT
I've always wanted to see David Collings as the Doctor, and as more than we heard in Full Fathom Five. He has an incredible voice and is a very unassuming looking person who manages to blend into scenes until he's required to suddenly "appear". Kenneth Branagh is an actor I'd like to see have a stab at The Master, if not as the Doctor. I've also said elsewhere that I think Josette Simon would be great on the show as either a companion (a la Evelyn) or as the Doctor herself. But, I really, really, really would love Christopher Guest to be the Doctor.
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Post by whiskeybrewer on Feb 28, 2017 12:20:47 GMT
Did somebody say Peter Woodward? lol  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 12:23:02 GMT
Did somebody say Peter Woodward? lol And he shall appear. Any ideas for alternate castings? |
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Post by whiskeybrewer on Feb 28, 2017 12:30:23 GMT
Hmmm well
I think back in the 70's if they could have got him Leonard Nimoy could have made a great Master as a regeneration after Delgado, leading into Beevers
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 12:39:38 GMT
Hmmm well I think back in the 70's if they could have got him Leonard Nimoy could have made a great Master as a regeneration after Delgado, leading into Beevers I'm not sure they could even have afforded his plane fare over in the 70s. Still, fan-casting is a bit of fun and a Nimoy Master would be cool. He was on board for directing the potential 90s film for a while. If I remember rightly from Jean-Marc Lofficier's Nth Doctor book, Nimoy's one was further into development than most of the mooted Who films at the time. Maybe Nimoy could have directed himself like he did in Search For Spock and Voyage Home? Love the suggestion above for Nicol Williamson. Imagine a cross between his Merlin in Excalibur, his Hamlet, his Gnome King from Return To Oz and his Sherlock Holmes from The Seven Per Cent Solution....he'd have been terrifying as either Doctor or Master! |
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Post by constonks on Feb 28, 2017 13:24:22 GMT
Bill Bailey as the Meddling Monk.
But also I'd love to see Rowan Atkinson (in full sarcastic Blackadder 2-4 form) take a stab at the Master. If he played it mostly straight, I think he'd bring back the Delgado aristocratic condescension while also adding a real fun twist to the role.
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Post by dalekbuster523finish on Feb 28, 2017 13:44:59 GMT
I think Rowan Atkinson would make a better part-time companion like Captain Jack or Mickey Smith.
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Post by Sir Wearer of Hats on Feb 28, 2017 22:08:54 GMT
Miranda Raison as the Doctor.
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Post by whiskeybrewer on Mar 1, 2017 12:18:58 GMT
If Doctor Who had continued into the 90's, i would have loved to have seen a young Kate Winslet as a companion, especially after he performance in stuff like Dark Season
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Post by charlesuirdhein on Mar 1, 2017 18:07:33 GMT
A Black Books era Dylan Moran as The Doctor  "Doctor! Doctor! Doctor! Doctor! "What now?! "I'm a robot prostitute from the future! "Again?" |
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Post by muckypup on Mar 1, 2017 19:37:28 GMT
mark hamill should be the master,
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Not too keen on Dance or Anderson I must admit just because they feel kinda - and I don't mean this rudely - safe. They were names who were fancast a lot in the 90s when talk of a movie came up over and over. Dance in particular I really feel like I've almost seen him play The Master over decades of villainous roles. 
I have to confess that the reason why I thought of them was because of the characters that could spring out from their acting styles. Gillian Anderson went into my head wasn't so much because of Dana Scully, but Bedelia Du Maurier from Hannibal. I think the Rani would be a great deal more animated than her, but there's this very nice sense of detached irreverence which I think would serve rather well. An effortless contempt almost. Charles Dance popped immediately into my head when Capaldi was cast for the role because I would have liked to see what kind of dynamic they could have created between the two older actors as characters that have been at each other's throats for so long that it's become a different kind of friendship altogether. It's comfortable, natural, almost as if either one of them were to act out of character, the other would casually call him out on it.
