Over the 60-year history of Doctor Who, 18 different actors have played as many versions of the Doctor, most moving on from the series after a few years in the titular role. Doctor Who first premiered in the UK in November 1963, starring William Hartnell as the time-traveling Time Lord, alongside Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), Ian Chesterton (William Russell), and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) as his first companions. Since then, the Doctor has had many faces, with new actors taking on the role thanks to the Time Lords’ ability to regenerate when ailing, injured, or dying.
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The Doctor’s regenerative ability means new actors are brought into Doctor Who, usually every few years, to replace the last when they leave. There are many reasons why actors who’ve portrayed the Doctor have departed the BBC series, ranging from health-related issues, creative differences behind the scenes, and even the series being cancelled altogether. Doctor Who’s most recent episode, “The Reality War,” marked Ncuti Gatwa’s departure as the Fifteenth Doctor, but he is just the latest in a long line of stars to leave the longest-running sci-fi TV series in history.
17) William Hartnell and David Bradley as the First Doctor (1963-1966, 2017)
The first iteration of the Doctor, played by William Hartnell, fought against classic villains including the Daleks, the Sensorites, the Celestial Toymaker, and the Cybermen. Hartnell played the Doctor between 1963 and 1966, regenerating in ’66’s “The Tenth Planet,” when Hartnell was forced to leave the show due to health problems, specifically undiagnosed arteriosclerosis, which impacted his ability to remember lines. Hartnell also had a poor relationship with Verity Lambert’s successor as Doctor Who’s producer, John Wiles. It was Wiles’ successor, Innes Lloyd, who came up with the idea of regeneration to allow Doctor Who to continue despite Hartnell’s departure.
Hartnell made an appearance as the First Doctor in the 1972 special, “The Three Doctors,” which was his final performance due to his deteriorating health. Hartnell passed away from heart failure in 1975, but David Bradley assumed the role of the First Doctor for the 2017 Christmas special, “Twice Upon a Time,” opposite Peter Capaldi, and the 2022 special, “The Power of the Doctor,” opposite Jodie Whittaker. Bradley also played William Hartnell in the biographical TV film, An Adventure in Space and Time, which included dramatized events of the creation of Doctor Who.
16) Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor (1966-1969)
Character actor Patrick Troughton was chosen to replace Hartnell, and he debuted as the Second Doctor at the end of “The Tenth Planet,” with his first full adventure taking place in “The Power of the Dalek.” The Second Doctor fought the Macra, the Yeti, the Cybermen, and more, before regenerating in 1969’s “The War Games.” Troughton departed because of Doctor Who’s gruelling production schedule and long filming hours, and out of fear of being typecast as the Doctor. He went on to appear in The Omen and episodes of Coronation Street, Space: 1999, and Two Ronnies, among many more.
15) Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor (1970-1974)
Similarly, Jon Pertwee also left Doctor Who from fear of being typecast, and from a desire to resume his stage career. The death of the Master actor Roger Delgado also spurred Pertwee to leave the series, while the late Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith, suggested Pertwee had requested a larger fee, which was rejected, spurring his departure. Pertwee played the Third Doctor between 1970’s “Spearhead from Space” and 1974’s “Planet of the Spiders.” For most of his era, the Doctor was exiled on Earth by the Time Lords, regenerating because of exposure to lethal levels of radiation.
14) Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor (1974-1981)
Regarded by many to be the greatest Doctor ever (though some would argue David Tennant earned this title), Tom Baker played the Doctor consistently for the longest time when compared to his peers. Baker left in 1981 due to creative differences with then-producer John Nathan-Turner, who made changes to Doctor Who that Baker didn’t agree with. In hindsight, he suggested that he may have stayed for too long, as he appeared as the Fourth Doctor between 1974’s “Robot” and 1981’s “Logopolis” – an era that received the classic show’s highest viewership numbers.
13) Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor (1982-1984)
Peter Davison’s contract stipulated he’d play the Fifth Doctor for three years, so he left when this expired, but he second-guessed this decision. “When I made the decision absolutely to leave, I was very happy with it,” Davison revealed to Radio Times in 2023. “When it came to the actual day of doing the regeneration scene, there were moments where I thought, ‘What have I done?’.” Davison’s Doctor appeared between 1982’s “Castrovalva” and 1984’s “The Caves of Androzani,” though Davison has reprised the role several times, and his daughter, Georgia Tennant, even married David Tennant after appearing in Doctor Who.
12) Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor (1985-1986)
Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker, and Davison all chose to leave Doctor Who, but Colin Baker, who played the Sixth Doctor between 1985’s “The Twin Dilemma” and 1986’s “The Ultimate Foe,” was replaced on the orders of BBC higher-ups. This had little to do with Baker, but Doctor Who had come under fire for becoming too violent, mature, and uncharacteristic of previous eras, prompting an 18-month hiatus that swallowed most of Baker’s time as the Sixth Doctor, and eventually leading to the creative team and Doctor being replaced. Baker has reprised the role many times in the years since.
11) Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor (1987-1996)
Sylvester McCoy was brought onboard to replace Baker, but his clown-like portrayal of the Seventh Doctor swung Doctor Who in the opposite direction. Many criticized the series for becoming increasingly lightweight, contributing to a decline in public perception, a less prominent transmission slot, and low viewership numbers, which ultimately led to the series being cancelled after 1989’s “Survival.” Doctor Who’s cancellation ended McCoy’s career as the Doctor, though he returned briefly in 1996’s TV movie, Doctor Who, which saw him regenerate into Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor.
10) Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor (1996)
1996’s Doctor Who TV movie was intended to be a backdoor pilot to a new American-produced Doctor Who series. The movie introduced Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor in his only televised appearance before 2013’s “The Night of the Doctor.” Since no series was commissioned, McGann’s career as the Doctor on-screen was done, but he has appeared in many audiobooks and radio productions, so has had one of the longest-running careers as the Doctor out of any actor. It’s a shame McGann never got a full season before regenerating into the War Doctor in “The Night of the Doctor.”
9) John Hurt as the War Doctor (2013)
Unseen before 2013’s “The Name of the Doctor,” John Hurt’s War Doctor was the incarnation of the Time Lord who fought during the Last Great Time War that was originally mentioned by Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor in 2005. Sci-fi legend John Hurt was only needed on-screen for the 50th anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor,” which saw Tennant’s Tenth and Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctors team up with the War Doctor to rewrite the Time War. Hurt reprised the role in the audio drama series The War Doctor until his passing in January 2017.
8) Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor (2005)
16 years after it was cancelled, and nine years after the TV movie failed to get a new series off the ground, Christopher Eccleston was cast as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor for Doctor Who’s revival under the control of Russell T. Davies. The details of Eccleston’s departure from Doctor Who after only one season have been discussed at length in the two decades since. Originally attributed to Eccleston not wanting to be typecast, the BBC later suggested the Ninth Doctor had only ever been intended to appear in one season.
Eccleston has since suggested he was overworked and exhausted by the production process, harking back to Patrick Troughton’s departure in 1969. He revealed more about his deteriorating relationship with Davies and producers Julie Gardner and Philip Collinson. He expressed animosity towards Doctor Who for many years, but has said appearing at conventions since 2017 has helped heal these wounds, leading to him returning in 2020 as the Doctor for the first time in audiobooks. During a 2023 panel, Eccleston suggested he’d only return to the series if most of the creative team were “sacked” (via YouTube).
7) David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor (2005-2010) and the Fourteenth Doctor (2023)
David Tennant first appeared as the Tenth Doctor at the end of 2005’s “The Parting of the Ways,” and went on to become many viewers’ favorite Doctor. He appeared in three seasons and several specials before regenerating in 2010’s “The End of Time.” Tennant didn’t want to outstay his welcome, and felt that, after almost five years, it was the right time to move on, but he reappeared as the Tenth Doctor in 2013’s “The Day of the Doctor,” and then returned as the Fourteenth Doctor in 2023’s “The Power of the Doctor” for Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary celebration.
6) Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor (2010-2013)
David Tennant left big shoes to fill, which made Matt Smith’s run as the Eleventh Doctor polarizing for audiences. He was, overall, highly-rated as the Doctor, however, appearing between 2010’s “The Eleventh Hour” and 2013’s “The Time of the Doctor.” While he’s since expressed regret at not staying for longer, and stated he wanted to work with Jenna Coleman – who played companion Clara Oswald – for longer, Smith departed Doctor Who as he felt it was the right time to move on, though also cited the demanding nature of the role as a factor.
5) Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor (2014-2017)
It was lifelong Doctor Who fan and British TV icon Peter Capaldi who was brought on to replace Matt Smith, making his first full appearance as the Twelfth Doctor in 2014’s “Deep Breath.” Capaldi was the oldest actor since Hartnell to appear as the Doctor, and appeared in three seasons and a number of specials before regenerating in 2017’s “Twice Upon a Time.” Capaldi wanted to leave Doctor Who while still enjoying the role and delivering his best work, rather than running the risk of producing lackluster adventures, and his version of the Doctor has received high praise since.
4) Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor (2018-2022)
Jodie Whittaker’s debut as the Thirteenth Doctor was a big deal, as she was the first woman to portray the iconic character. She joined Doctor Who with new showrunner Chris Chibnall, and the pair agreed to do three seasons together and then leave, which they both stuck to. Unfortunately, Chibnall and Whittaker’s era of Doctor Who was heavily criticized for a drop in quality, writing, and focusing too much on the message behind every adventure. Whittaker briefly reprised the role in 2025’s “The Reality War” alongside Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, and will voice her Doctor in upcoming audiobooks.
3) Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor (2020-2025)
Jodie Whittaker’s era included the reveal that the Doctor is actually a being from another universe whose regeneration ability was stolen by early Gallifreyans and given to Time Lords. This revealed the Doctor had already had many lives prior to Hartnell’s debut in 1963, including Jo Martin’s “Fugitive Doctor.” Martin hasn’t actually left the role – after her debut in 2020’s “Fugitive of the Judoon,” she appeared in 2020’s “The Timeless Children,” 2021’s “Once, Upon Time,” 2022’s “The Power of the Doctor,” and 2025’s “The Story & the Engine,” and is returning as the Fugitive Doctor in an upcoming audio drama series.
2) Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor (2023-2025)
The Fifteenth Doctor was portrayed by Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa, who bi-generated from Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor in 2023’s “The Giggle.” Gatwa only received two shortened seasons as the Doctor, however, before abruptly and surprisingly leaving in 2025’s “The Reality War,” playing the titular character for only 18 months. Gatwa has cited the demands of the role as a factor for his departure, but there has also been speculation that the breakdown of the deal between Bad Wolf and Disney contributed, too, as his regeneration scene was filmed late as a reshoot, and perhaps wasn’t the original plan.
1) Billie Piper as the Sixteenth Doctor (2025)
The Fifteenth Doctor’s regeneration wasn’t just shocking because of Gatwa’s ending, but because it was Billie Piper who replaced him in “The Reality War.” Piper played companion Rose Tyler opposite Eccleston and Tennant, returned for cameo appearances in 2008 and 2010 for Tennant’s final episode, and later played the personification of the Moment – the War Doctor’s weapon – in “The Day of the Doctor.” Piper said the level of success that came with Doctor Who in the 2000s made her “uncomfortable,” (via Radio Times), but it remains to be seen what the future holds for Piper if Doctor Who returns.
Who is your favorite Doctor in Doctor Who? Let us know in the comments!
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