BBC made the sad announcement today that actor Matt Smith would be vacating the role of “Doctor Who” after four years playing the character, finishing up after starring in the 50th Anniversary in November and and the Christmas special.
Smith has achieved a lot of great milestones as the 11th Doctor including being the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA for the role as well as receiving a National Television Award for Most Popular Male Drama Performance in 2012. Smith’s youthful energy helped the show reach the biggest global audience in BBC history with 77 million fans in the US, UK and Australia alone.
Smith leaves the role with a letter thanking the fans:
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. Im incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realize all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and Im incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.
Having Steven Moffat as showrunner write such varied, funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. Its been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, hes 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 Ive 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, Im back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!
Its been an honor 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.
Here is the full press release from the BBC including words on Smith’s departure from executive producer and lead writer Steven Moffat:
The BBC is today announcing that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit 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. Doctor Who is BBC AMERICAs highest-rated series and premieres as part of the channels Supernatural Saturday programming block.
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, US 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. Im incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realize all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and Im incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.
Having Steven Moffat as showrunner write such varied, funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. Its been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, hes 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 Ive 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, Im back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!
Its been an honor 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 hed 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 behavior was always worthy of the Doctor.
But great actors always know when its 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 isnt the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now all unknowing, just going about their business is someone whos about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, thats still so exciting!
Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Matts Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting run and Geronimo, through Matts Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination fish fingers and custard!
Matts spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC AMERICA in the unmissable 50th anniversary episode on Saturday, November 23, 2013 TUNE IN!
Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC ONE.
(Photo source: Lia Toby / WENN.com)
