Doctor Who is far more than a simple TV show, becoming a British institution. Nearly every British actor one could think of has either popped up on the show or has expressed interest in doing so, it is almost a rite of passage.
That being the case, there have been dozens of guest appearances from actors who appeared in only one episode or so. These guest appearances can either serve as a distraction or really offer something to the overall series. Here are the ten best who have popped into the show over the years.
Anne Robinson
With Doctor Who as popular as it is, there are often allusions to British pop culture scattered throughout. One of the best examples can be found in The Parting of the Ways. Here, The Doctor and companions are trapped in future iterations of popular game and reality shows.
Rose is trapped in a future version of the game show The Weakest Link. Here, Anne Robinson appears as host, except not in her human form. She is featured as an Anne-Droid. Though a short-lived appearance, the reference, and pun is a perfect example of Doctor Who’s self-awareness.
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming is a stellar character actor, with a personality all his own. Fans have often campaigned for him to appear on the show, with many often citing him as a favorite to take on the titular role. Instead, Cumming appeared in the series eleven-story The Witchfinders as King James I.
Cumming brought a ridiculous bravado to the role, full of rolling pronunciation and theatrics. While he might not have fulfilled fan’s dreams as a Timelord, this performance was one of the best-received guest appearances in recent memory. Funny as hell, but more than just a clown, Cumming brought it all to the role of King James I.
John Cleese
This remains one of the earliest major guest appearances on Doctor Who. While many well known British actors had appeared previously, none were as known worldwide as John Cleese. In a passing moment, Cleese’s inclusion (appropriately) featured one of the funniest gags of the series.
In The City of Death, Tom Baker and Romana enter an art gallery where the TARDIS is located. John Cleese is seen admiring the Art, only for Baker to run in and fly away in the machine. John’s small moment remains a hilarious blip of the classic run.
Jo Martin
Without one of the biggest surprises in years was Jo Martin’s surprise performance as The Doctor. Appearing first as nothing more than a human tour guide, it was revealed that she was, instead, a version of The Doctor suffering from the use of the Chameleon Circuit.
A moment like this couldn’t have been a bigger surprise. The moment Martin appeared in her full Doctor outfit and began piloting the TARDIS, it was as if she had played The Doctor her whole life. Time will tell if she will appear in the future, but we’ll welcome it with open arms.
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton is an icon of British Pop Culture, portraying one of many versions of 007 himself, James Bond. Dalton appeared in the climactic special The End of Time as Rassilon, Lord President of Gallifrey.
While he didn’t have a ton of screentime, he proved that he was meant to fill this role. While a few other performers have played the role, Dalton really held a commanding pseudo fascist presence. His absence was certainly felt in later appearances of the character.
Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi is one of the most renowned actors of his generation. Up there with the likes of Ian McKellen, Jacobi is as classical a British actor one could find. His appearance in Utopia resulted in one of the best twists of the show’s history.
Like Jo Martin’s Doctor, Jacobi was revealed to be The Master. This evil Timelord has been at odds with The Doctor for centuries. The immediate turn from sweet old inventor to villainous mastermind was perfection.
Toby Jones
Toby Jones might be more known for his voice work, appearing as Dobby in the Harry Potter films. But, his work in live-action has resulted in a great career as a character actor. His brief appearance in series five’s Amy’s Choice remains a great contained villain role.
Appearing as The Dream Lord, the character was an amalgamation of the fears of The Doctor and companions. Jones was full of trickster mischief but felt imposing enough to never come across as annoying. His performance was amazing and deserves another go in a brand new episode.
Julian Glover
Non-Doctor Who fans will immediately recognize Julian Glover. His performances in Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Game of Thrones are all remembered fondly. But, Glover has also been a common guest star on the British Sci-Fi series, appearing twice.
His roles included Richard Lionhart in the Hartnell episode The Crusade as well as Scaroth in City of Death. His role in The Crusade was solid, but it is his villainous performance of Scaroth that really takes the cake. Harkening to his performance in Indiana Jones, Glover brings sophistication to his villains.
Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan has made her mark in some great independent films, but before her current success, she made a single appearance on Doctor Who. Out of all the roles she could have been cast in, this might have been her best choice.
Mulligan played Sally Sparrow in the series three serial Blink. Regarded to be the greatest episode by many fans and critics, much of the praise was heaped onto Mulligan herself. She centered the whole episode and brought all the humanity. Fans still hope that one day she might return for future adventures with The Doctor.
John Hurt
Without a doubt, the top spot had to go to one of the Doctors themselves. John Hurt was a legendary actor, and bringing him on for the 50th brought that much more gravitas to the special. Appearing at the end of series seven, this version of The Doctor fought during the Time War and was thought to have destroyed Gallifrey.
Hurt brought a rough and grumbly exterior, embodying that persona of classic Doctors to contrast with his younger co-stars. After a few minutes of screen time, he already convinced fans of his legitimacy. Now, alongside Jo Martin, Hurt is considered one of many proud actors to take on the role.
