Peter Capaldi is the new Dr. Who. Credit: Getty
Peter Capaldi has been named as the twelfth actor to play Doctor Who, the main character of the long-running science-fiction series of the same name, replacing Matt Smith, who has played the role for the past four years.
“It’s so wonderful not to keep this secret any longer,” Capaldi says. “I haven’t played Doctor Who since I was 9 on the playground.” The announcement was made during a live television special on the BBC, offering a glimpse of the series’ upcoming 50th anniversary special. Capaldi himself won’t make his first appearance until the 2013 Christmas Special.
Scottish actor Capaldi is best known as the foul-mouthed political fixer Malcolm Tucker in the TV series “The Thick of It” and its movie spin-off, “In the Loop,” though he also showed up previously in the “Doctor Who” universe as part of the “Torchwood” miniseries, “Children of Earth.”
