Every Doctor Who Doctor and Actor, from 1963 to Now

[showhide] Hartnell’s Doctor was a more severe version, starting off cantankerous  and scientific, but ending the role more grandfatherly (and still very scientific).

Known for childish antics and recorder-playing, the Second Doctor was known as the “cosmic hobo.” He also had a few catchphrases, including “Oh my giddy aunt!” and “When I say run, run!”

The Third Doctor was a scientist, and a dapper one at that. He was courageous, physical, and a bit arrogant, though always close to his companions.

Baker’s Doctor is widely known for his ridiculously long scarf. He was more brooding than previous incarnations, and was pretty nifty with a sword, as well.

The Fifth was as compassionate as he was boyish, shunning violence and often making choices with the flip of a coin. He was the last Doctor to use the Sonic Screwdriver until the seventh, and brandished a classic cricket outfit.

The Sixth’s colorful ensemble reflects his wild personality. He portrayed a variety of mood swings, always tinted by his characteristic ego and strong moral compass.

This Doctor began as an almost incompetent character, slowly becoming a scheming game-master with a knack for hypnosis. He also detested violence, though loved to trip enemies with his signature umbrella.

McGann played the cheerful and romantic Eighth Doctor in the Doctor Who TV film. The character did not get his own television series, but continued to appear in audio dramas and a webcast mini-episode. This doctor hoped to revive the series after its cancellation, and though unsuccessful in the short-run, Doctor Who would return again in 2005.

The Ninth was visually toned down, sporting a black leather jacket and Northern accent. The character was still highly intellectual and even playful at times, with Eccleston noting, “I wanted any flamboyance and colour to come out of my acting.”

Showrunner Steven Moffat called the Tenth and his successor “good boyfriend Doctors.” They both shared a boyish nature and friendliness, though Tennant was unique in his fondness for 3D glasses.

Matt Smith continued the line of boyish doctors into the eleventh incarnation.  Smith once called him an “old man trapped in a young man’s body,” trying to escape the weight of life with an adventurous attitude.

Capaldi calls the Twelfth “more alien than he’s been in a while,” in contrast to the very “human” doctors of the new generation. He’s fierce and removed, but always manages to crack wit despite his darker facade. [/showhide]