One of the first performers to try out for the Doctor Who lead role was Matt Smith. The whole production crew, including newly appointed producer Steven Moffat and BBC Wales Head of Drama and executive producer Piers Wenger, were blown away by his performance.
Smith also auditioned for the part of John Watson in Moffat’s Sherlock, but the director rejected him because he thought Benedict Cumberbatch was more suited for the character of Holmes.
Smith’s excitement for and curiosity about every facet of the universe were characteristics of his portrayal of the Doctor.
In addition to hosting the Doctor Who Prom at the Royal Albert Hall in July 2010, he played a rendition of the Doctor Who theme with Orbital at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2010.
He even accomplished the same thing the Doctor did in a Doctor Who episode from 2006 by carrying the Olympic flame in Cardiff in May 2012.
Smith later admitted that she wished she had stayed on the show longer and collaborated more with Jenna Coleman. In a 2018 interview on Desert Island Discs, he additionally disclosed that he nearly declined the role of the Doctor.
When did Matt Smith leave?
“When ya gotta go, ya gotta go!” In his formal resignation announcement from 2013, Matt stated. I’d have done another year very happily, The Crown star said later that year, adding, “For me, it just felt like the right time to move on.”
Why did Matt Smith quit?
Smith has subsequently clarified that the demands of filming Doctor Who were the reason he ultimately left the series, but he did not go into detail at the time. He stated to The Hollywood Reporter that “playing the Doctor” is a very demanding procedure.