List of Doctor Who cast members

This is a list of actors who have appeared in the long-running British science fiction television series, *Doctor Who*. 

## Series main timeline 
## Series main cast 
The following tables are an overview of all the regular cast members that have appeared throughout the show since 1973.

### 1973–1996 
Tom Baker at the end of Season 11 in 1974. Jameson was replaced by Mary Tamm, who played Romana, a Time Lady and one of the Doctor's own species. Tamm stayed on for just one season before her character regenerated in *Destiny of the Daleks* and was portrayed by Lalla Ward. Baker, Ward and Leeson were joined by Matthew Waterhouse, the actor who played Adric, in *Full Circle*. Romana and K-9 departed together in ''Warriors' Gate*. The 1981 serial *Logopolis* was the first to introduce Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding as Nyssa and Tegan Jovanka respectively, but the last to star Tom Baker as the Doctor. 

Peter Davison starred as the Fifth Doctor starting in the nineteenth season alongside Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding, before Waterhouse departed. In *Mawdryn Undead*, a new companion called Vislor Turlough was introduced, played by Mark Strickson. Sutton stepped down from the role of Nyssa in *Terminus* and Kamelion, an unusual robotic character voiced by Gerald Flood, was introduced in *The King's Demons*. 

Davison, Fielding and Strickson continued on until Fielding stepped down from the role in *Resurrection of the Daleks. Davison was replaced by Colin Baker in The Caves of Androzani and Bryant was replaced with Bonnie Langford as Mel Bush.*

Sylvester McCoy took over from Baker in *Time and the Rani* and Langford was replaced by Sophie Aldred as Ace at the end of the twenty-fourth season. The series was axed in 1989, but a TV movie was made in 1996 which saw Paul McGann taking over from McCoy.

### 2004–2017 
Upon the revival of *Doctor Who'', Christopher Eccleston would be the first actor to portray the newest incarnation of the Doctor. Multiple actresses were considered to play the Doctor's next companion, with Billie Piper announced as the frontrunner to star as Rose Tyler. The role ultimately went to Piper. Eccleston and Piper made their debut in "Rose". For the second half of the first series they were joined by John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. Due to disagreements with the producers and network executives, Eccleston departed after a single series and was succeeded by David Tennant portraying the Tenth Doctor beginning at the end of "The Parting of the Ways". Barrowman was also written off at the end of this series and would go on to lead his own spin-off series, *Torchwood*. Tennant's first full episode was "The Christmas Invasion" which led into the second series with Piper continuing her role. Piper left in the second series finale, "Doomsday". Catherine Tate starred as Donna Noble, the Doctor's one off companion in "The Runaway Bride", and was briefly introduced in "Doomsday". Freema Agyeman replaced Piper for the series three, and appeared as Martha Jones from "Smith and Jones" to "Last of the Time Lords". Agyeman had previously appeared in a separate role in "Doomsday" and was cast as Jones following positive reception from the producers; the two characters were later explained to be cousins. Barrowman briefly re-joined the series for its three-part finale third series. Derek Jacobi and John Simm portrayed new incarnations of the Master.

Matt Smith was named as Tennant's replacement as the Eleventh Doctor and first appeared in "The End of Time". In the fifth series premiere, "The Eleventh Hour", Karen Gillan joined Smith and played Amy Pond. Gillan previously played a soothsayer in the series four episode "The Fires of Pompeii"  Rory Williams was introduced as a recurring character portrayed by Arthur Darvill. Kingston was re-introduced in the fifth series and was revealed as another time traveler who meets with the Doctor out of order. Darvill was then promoted to the main cast beginning with "The Impossible Astronaut", the series six opening episode. Kingston continued to recur throughout the sixth series as well.

Smith continued his role throughout the entirety of the seventh series and the following specials. Claire Skinner starred as Madge Arwell in the Christmas special that preceded series seven. This special also saw Gillan and Darvill make guest appearances. The two then returned for the first part of the series before departing in "The Angels Take Manhattan". Jenna-Louise Coleman was announced as a new companion, Clara Oswald, to succeed Gillan and Darvill. Coleman made an unannounced guest appearance (as Oswin Oswald) in the series opener, "Asylum of the Daleks", before joining the main cast from "The Snowmen". Alex Kingston continued to recur in the series. Beginning with the subsequent specials Coleman dropped "Louise" from her acting name. The first special celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the series was titled "The Day of the Doctor" and saw the return of David Tennant and Billie Piper. Christopher Eccleston was initially set to return in the special as well but was later replaced by John Hurt, who played an incarnation of the Doctor not previously known. Gillan made a brief cameo appearance in the second and final special, "The Time of the Doctor". This episode also saw the departure of Smith.

Peter Capaldi took over as the Twelfth Doctor following Smith's departure and debuted his first full episode in "Deep Breath". Capaldi made a cameo appearance in "The Day of the Doctor" and a guest appearance at the end of "The Time of the Doctor" after being cast in the role. He had also previously appeared in the *Doctor Who* episode "The Fires of Pompeii" and in the third series of spin-off series *Torchwood*, roles which were later connected to the Twelfth Doctor. Smith also held a minor role in "Deep Breath" in an appearance that was filmed prior to his departure. Coleman returned once more for the eighth and ninth series before exiting in "Hell Bent". Michelle Gomez appeared throughout the eighth series as an unknown character that was later revealed to be the next incarnation of the Master, this time going by Missy. Gomez also appeared in the two-part ninth series premiere. The Christmas special that bridged the two series featured an appearance by Nick Frost as Santa Claus, a role that was introduced through a cameo in the eighth series finale.

Coleman's departure was followed by two Christmas specials ahead of the tenth series, the first of which featured a final appearance by Kingston and the second featuring the return of Matt Lucas as Nardole from the first, but this time in a starring role. Lucas continued this role through the end of the tenth series which also saw the introduction of Pearl Mackie portraying Bill Potts. Gomez recurred once more in the series and Simm reprised his role alongside Gomez in the tenth series finale. The "Twice Upon a Time" Christmas special included the departure of both Capaldi and Mackie from the series. It also saw one-off appearances by David Bradley who had been cast as the First Doctor and Mark Gatiss as The Captain. Bradley was first introduced in the final episode of the tenth series. Coleman and Lucas both made guest appearances in the special as well. The Thirteenth Doctor, portrayed by Jodie Whittaker, was introduced at the end of the episode.

### 2018–present 
Whittaker's first series as the Thirteenth Doctor began its broadcast in late 2018. Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill replaced Mackie and Lucas as the companions for the show. The twelfth series saw the reintroduction of the Master, this time played by Sacha Dhawan who recurred across the series. Meanwhile, Barrowman briefly returned to *Doctor Who* as Harkness in "Fugitive of the Judoon", after a ten year absence from the series, and starred in the 2021 New Year's Day special, "Revolution of the Daleks". "Fugitive of the Judoon" also introduced a new, previously unknown, incarnation of the Doctor referred to as the Fugitive Doctor portrayed by Jo Martin, a role that carried over into the thirteenth series and subsequent specials as well as the fifteenth series.

Walsh and Cole left the series following "Revolution of the Daleks", and were succeeded by John Bishop for the thirteenth series. Whittaker, Gill, and Bishop continued their roles through the 2022 specials; Whittaker then departed alongside Gill and Bishop. The final special, "The Power of the Doctor", commemorating the BBC's centenary, saw the return of David Bradley, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann as the First, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth doctors, respectively. Sophie Aldred and Janet Fielding also starred in the episode, reprising their roles as Ace and Tegan Jovanka. Walsh briefly returned in the episode as well, with William Russell, Katy Manning, and Bonnie Langford portraying former companions Ian Chesterton, Jo Grant, and Mel Bush. With his appearance, Chesterson broke the Guinness World Record for "longest gap between TV appearances as the same character" with over 57 years since his last appearance in 1965.

On 8 May 2022, Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the Fourteenth Doctor. David Tennant and Catherine Tate were also announced to be returning to the series in a similar set of specials airing in 2023 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the series. Following Tennant's re-introduction to the series at the end of "The Power of the Doctor" it was revealed that Gatwa would actually be playing the Fifteenth Doctor while Tennant would hold the role of the Fourteenth. 

Langford also reprised her role once more in the final special, "The Giggle". Gatwa was first introduced in this episode, before his first full episode in the 2023 Christmas special, with the fourteenth series screening in 2024. This series is also set to see Langford make further guest appearances. In May 2024, it was revealed that Nicola Coughlan would star as the Doctor's one-off companion in the 2024 Christmas special. Gatwa and Gibson continued their roles into the fifteenth series, joined by Varada Sethu, who first appeared in the episode "Boom" as an unrelated character. They departed at the end of "The Reality War".