Hugh Grant Reportedly in Talks to Replace Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who

Having missed out on the opportunity in 2005, reports have suggested that Hugh Grant could be about to finally take on the role of Doctor Who…again.

Doctor Who is changing, with current lead Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall bowing out this year ahead of the 60th anniversary and ushering in the return of original “New Who” mastermind Russell T. Davies to helm the 14th season of the long-running sci-fi show. Of course, with this kind of change comes a lot of speculation, with theories by fans ranging from the introduction of new actors such as Olly Alexander to the prospect of David Tennant reprising the role of The Doctor for the first time since the 50th anniversary special. However, a new report by The Mirror has added a new name into the mix in the form of Hollywood star Hugh Grant.

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It is no secret that the show has been under a lot of pressure in recent years, with ratings at the lowest point since the series made a comeback in 2005, and many fans have put that down to the current combination of Whittaker and Chibnall. While Jodie Whittaker is a more than capable actress, many don’t believe that Chibnall’s writing style had helped the show at all, with many episodes of the last few years being criticized for being too much about social issues and long segments of discussion rather than focusing on being an entertaining sci-fi show. The last full series under Chibnall, The Flux, seemed to be heading in a different direction, with the opening episode being highly praised for its fast pacing and cliffhanger ending, but over the remaining episodes, audience numbers dwindled, and reviews became more critical.

Now there is a lot of focus on who Davies will bring into the role, and the latest report by the U.K. newspaper has suggested that Grant has been in talks to take on the part, which would not actually be the first time he has been offered it, or indeed played it. Grant appeared as one of many versions of The Doctor to feature in a 1999 special episode for Comic Relief called The Curse of Fatal Death, which also featured the return of many previous Doctors as well as Rowan Atkinson and Joanna Lumley playing the part. In addition to this, Grant was one of the names considered for the role when the show was about to make its return to screens in 2005, but turned down the role. Could it be that history is about to have a chance of repeating itself?

Hugh Grant Has Been Busy Recently, But Can He Make Time To Play The Doctor?

In 2007, after Christopher Eccleston had bowed out of the role to make way for David Tennant’s popular version of the Time Lord, Hugh Grant said in an interview that he had regretted not taking on the role when it had been offered to him by Davies. He said at the time, “It’s only when you see it on screen that you think, ‘Damn, that was good, why did I say no?”

With that in mind, it could be a case of Grant finally getting a second chance to play the role alongside Russell T. Davies as showrunner, and the real question will be whether he can find a space in his current schedule of movie roles to take on the commitment of a few seasons of Doctor Who. Having completed his filming on the new Dungeons and Dragons movie, Grant is currently filming Wonka, in which he appears as the Oompa-Loompas. Will he then take up the role of The Doctor, or is there someone else hiding behind the headlines waiting to step into the Time Lord’s shoes?

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