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Bill Nighy Could Have Been the New Doctor

175560285BD00073_World_Prem Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Peter Capaldi was crowned (bow-tied?) the twelfth Doctor in the Doctor Who franchise a few weeks ago, to mostly though not exclusively positive responses. One sticking point for some has been Capaldi’s age: 55. But as it turns out, the Doctor was almost someone older. Bill Nighy, 63, tells the U.K.’s Daily Express that he was “approached” for the role but declined. “I didn’t want to be the Doctor,” he says. “No disrespect to Doctor Who or anything, I just think that it comes with too much baggage.” Oh, a whole Tardis’s worth at least.

Bill Nighy Could Have Been the New Doctor