Here at DMF we've discussed and debated seeing Damien as 'the next Doctor Who' since 2013 when he was tipped for number twelve. With speculation amongst fans, the public, social media and the press, Damien's name is again being put forward for the soon to be vacant iconic role.
BUT NOW!
Let's properly canvas fan opinion with a definite YES or NO poll!
DAMIEN MOLONY FOR THE NEXT DOCTOR WHO?
What do you think?
VOTE In the POLL above!
Some DaMo For The Doctor Facts:
~ In 2012 when asked about playing the Doctor Damien said: "The Doctor is one of the most iconic parts for an actor to play, up there with Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, it is such an epic series. Following in the footsteps of so many great actors, it would be an honour to play The Doctor…”
~ In 2013 Damien was a favourite and high in the betting odds for Matt Smith's replacement
~ In beginning 2017 Peter Capaldi was announced as leaving and Damien again became a favourite for the next Doctor, including with the press
~ Very recently Toby Whithouse (Being Human creator & Doctor Who writer) has named Damien as his Top Choice for the next Doctor - with Damien's name subsequently appearing in speculative press headlines
~ Damien tweeted in response to the press frenzy: "Knock knock.. #WhosThere? (By no means any announcement, or comment on his casting, at all, but perhaps a sign of his enthusiasm for it?)
I say yes, I mean, why not? He must have been honoured by this attention to him and even the fact that this is the subject that has been around for years I don't see anyone else fitting these shoes better than Damien. (Ok it's not that Iäm not realistic and taking sides and there are many good potential choices but really, when you think about it, he might be just the one).
People behind the show must have considered him before Peter got the role. They've must have done it once again and I wouldn't be surprised if he would have done even audition for this role already.
And now Damien has grown as an actor, showed many sides of him as an actor and his talent (comedy, theatre, drama, poetry reading, movies). He isn't one of those "big" names yet and not many have seen his potential but maybe that's what they are actually looking for. They always want a wild card. Damien is a very wild card right now. Which is good.
People are standing behind him and talking about this. We are talking about this (well, we have been for a while haven't we?) And when the fire starts it's hard to put it down. I don't think Peter got so much attention as Doctors before him. Matt and David, they were huge and especially kids loved Matt. He was young and wild choice and he turn out to be amazing and it was hard place to replace David. Peter is kind of scary Doctor. I haven't like him much and even they tried everything so it would be painless to replace Matt I don't think they did a good job. It's nobody's fault but Peter wasn't the right choice I think. Fans gave him change to win their hearts but I don't think he was successful in that. I don't see same kind of hype there has been before.
Maybe they want to head back and have a Doctor who has darkness in him but who is also funny persona. Like David or Matt but still bringing his own version of an Doctor to the show.
I have tried not to be too exctied about this but I can't help it. I might not be so disappointed if this doesn't happen but I also wouldn't be that surprised if it would happen. All this talk can't be for nothing. He might not be our next Doctor but maybe someday....
Yes, we have been talking about this for a while... a long, long while.. since before the last Doctor Who regeneration! But more importantly not just us Damien fans have been talking about it !
So, after all the discussions (for what.. five years?), the reason for this poll (which is very black and white, yes/no, unlike our usual forum polls) was to cut to the chase and see what the majority of the fandom think - not everyone agrees on the issue!
To the other over 500 people who have visited the forum today What do you think? we want to know! Come and vote in the poll! All you have to do is log in (with any username you like) and click!
Yeah....this is a very black and white yes/no poll. It's led to a lot of consideration on my part, and a different question might have elicted a different answer, but worded like this my answer has to be no!
Don't get me wrong....I think Damien would be a brilliant Doctor - the best! Casting politics aside, I genuinely can't see how anyone else would do a better job. I had started to think that the next Doctor would probably be a woman, but having cast a mixed race, openly gay female companion, I do wonder if that's signal that the next doctor will actually another white man....and if that's to be, then Damien would absolutely be the best choice for the part. And if it actually happened....as a fait accompli, I expect I would be as happy about it as anybody. It is a fabulous role and whoever takes it on can absolutely make it their own. It would make him a household name worldwide and open oh so many doors profressionally....not to mention the fact that, as a fan, there would be endless articles, interviews etc to keep me entertained! And all of that is a very good thing. Maybe. Although honestly? I can't imagine seeing Damien at a Dr Who convention.....then again - Who knows?
But....
I have this huge reservation about Damien being 'number 13' - not because I'm superstitious! - but just.....being the latest in a long line on an already hugely established show. I want to see Damien leading a brand new show to become a household name internationally. Ironically the example which springs to mind is Benedict Cumberbatch with Sherlock....and he's not exactly the first to take that role! But it was a brand new show nontheless. Maybe Kit Harrington as Jon Snow is a better example, although he's not the lead - but you get what I mean? Damien could have easily played either of those parts....and I feel he totally deserves his 'own' show. To be truthful - I'd also rather see Damien in a proper grown up show....Dr Who is essentially family entertainment which creates certain restrictions...
Personally I think that Dr Who has started to outgrow itself. I do wonder whether they should actually consider just giving it a rest for a few years. The story arcs have become too convoluted for their own good and I almost feel that the show has too much money to spend on special effects which has been is detrimental to the scripts. Despite what the earnings for the show might be, or even the viewing figures.....I feel this incarnation has past it's best. Maybe a new showrunner is just what it needs - maybe Chris Chibnall will be able to breath new life into it.
And on an entirely more selfish level...
Dr Who comes with a huge ready made fanbase. Many of whom seem to delight in the whole 'Dr Who is shit these days', 'my doctor is better than your doctor' style of sniping. If Damien was the Doctor he would inevitably attract a lot of hate.....especially as so many people seem to want to see a non white male doctor! Considering how upset I get about sections of the BH fandom not prepared to give Hal a chance because....Aidan Turner - I'm not sure my delicate constitution could stand it. You don't get that problem with a new show!
I'm not ignorant to the fact that being offered the part would be a huge honour, and I'm sure that Damien is well chuffed that his name is being bandied about. If he was offered it he would be totally mental to turn it down!!! But for me....thrilled as I would be if he was the next Doctor - I'm still holding out for something better!!
I agree with Fifi, the first thing people do is start to criticise the new doctor and this time there's the extra bullet for a white male doctor. I often look at things on tv and think how much better Damien would have been in a certain role ('Lucifer' comes to mind) and would love to see him as a main character in a strong tv role.
Fifi makes some excellent points and although I hadn't voted so far as I'm really not a black/white kind of girl, I find myself unable to vote "yes" so I've gone the other way! Damien would be excellent but fifi has expressed my reservations better than I could have done.
Dr Who seems to be so all-consuming, creeping into every part of an actor's life with what at times must be unwelcome attention (paparazzi with long lenses while you're on the beach with your girlfriend, anyone? No?). I think anyone would have to think long and hard and have a difficult conversation with their significant other before taking it on.
epic post fifi! well made points, well worth pondering on. I'd be very happy for this iconic role to be the thing that made DaMo a household name internationally though!
Ellie, there will always be critics, for everything! But this is DaMo, and we know what he can do.. about time the rest of the world saw it, under a massive spotlight!
Good point about privacy Maghat, but I've not really seen massive pap intrusion into Peter Capaldi's life, or Matt Smith when he was in the role.
However, there is no doubt being 'The Doctor' is massive commitment.. and possibly the biggest TV role an actor could take on? I guess it would be a very personal thing as to whether the honour of that would outweigh the responsibility.
We all love his voice - I would really like him to be a voice actor on some video games - preferably Elder Scrolls 6 when they finally get round to making it. Lots of famous/well known actors have done this - Sean Bean and Christopher Plummer both voiced characters in 'Oblivion' (ES4), Kieffer Sutherland, Liam Neeson, Samuel L Jackson and Patrick Stewart have all done it. Then there's animated films - I love Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots, for instance. My ideal would be a poetry cd, though.
Fifi makes some excellent points and although I hadn't voted so far as I'm really not a black/white kind of girl, I find myself unable to vote "yes" so I've gone the other way! Damien would be excellent but fifi has expressed my reservations better than I could have done.
Dr Who seems to be so all-consuming, creeping into every part of an actor's life with what at times must be unwelcome attention (paparazzi with long lenses while you're on the beach with your girlfriend, anyone? No?). I think anyone would have to think long and hard and have a difficult conversation with their significant other before taking it on.
Thanks maghat! I have given it a lot of thought because it's strange that I have this resistance to the idea!
I can't deny that I considered the 'unwelcome attention' aspect too. But I do agree with domino.....invasion of privacy by the press or the public seems to be a very difficult thing to predict - some 'celebraties' do seem to suffer far more than others. And for an actor it is virtually impossible to be really successful without being famous.....but the more famous an actor becomes the more opportunies they will get. If Damien has any ambitions to be a 'successful' screen actor - small screen or big - then the potential for invasion of privacy will always be there.....it's not just a Dr Who thing. So I think the balance between these two is also a very personal thing.
Good point about privacy Maghat, but I've not really seen massive pap intrusion into Peter Capaldi's life, or Matt Smith when he was in the role.
It was actually Matt Smith I was thinking of. There were loads of pap shots of him with Daisy Lowe on a beach holiday at one point - even I saw them and I don't read any of the papers/mags likely to use them or visit web sites likely to be using them either. My impression is that he's less of a "hot property" in that respect these days even though he's still doing high-profile roles so I guess I was seeing it as a "Dr Who effect" to some extent. Capaldi, I suspect, has age on his side - the young and glamorous are far more likely to be targets, especially the men (sadly, older celebrity women are far more likely to be subject to the "hasn't she let herself go" type shaming treatment).
Yes it is an uncustomarily black and white poll for us - evil but effective!
So I'm curious.. is that a yes or a no, fifi, Ellie and Maghat?
(Without wishing to bore everyone to tears - my feelings about invasions into privacy are well known by regular forumers - the whole 'fame means you are an open target for paparazzi and your private life is fair game' paradigm is abhorrent to me personally and as the creator of this fansite, and something I actively seek to subvert, and for the record (again) is something we don't allow or support here at DMF. So nothing like that will ever be circulated here. But I suspect the same argument could be applied for any major role that Damien would ever land? All we can do as fans is continue to not perpetuate it and to challenge it.)
I have to confess that I really did not know until 1year ago what or who Dr. Who is. I've always wondered about allusions. Then, as I am so curious, I have googled again. But so far, have not seen any episode.
So I have of the importance of the series in uk just a little idea. I quite agree with Fifi and Maghat, my first thought was also about privacy and unwelcome attention and what could happend. But my second thougt was: However, since damien apparently is not averse to the role to play, I assume that he knows what he is doing. So why not? But my personal opinion is also that I know he will play the role very good, but do all the others see it as well? With criticism about damien I could badly deal, since I think that he is so ambitious and could not do him good. Ahh, it is so hard to find the right words (in english). I hope you know what I mean. With such a big role he can not make it right for all.
But on the other hand, I also want him to get on. So that he shows everyone what a brilliant actor he is. You see, it is very difficult to decide. But i think he could manage it all, so, yes he should be the next Dr.
I've been holding back from commenting on this topic because I'm still not sure how I feel. I'm glad to see that others have some of the same concerns that I have.
If Dr Who was Damien I would be thrilled that other people have recognised how awesome he is but as Sana said it would leave him open to criticism as it's such an iconic role that you can't please everyone.
My other concern is that it would tie Damien in to one role for a number of years. Would this mean no films or theatre for a while? That would be a shame.
I think Damien has managed to balance the whole celebrity/privacy thing pretty well so far. It would be a terrible shame for him if he found this becoming intrusive but I'm sure that is something he has had to weigh up against following his choice of challenging and successful roles and achieving his dream of acting.
Damien's career path always seems to me to be very carefully thought out with roles that challenge and entertain him. So if he was the new Doctor I think he would have given it a lot of thought and decided it was a role he really wanted.
I'm still unsure, but on balance it would be a yes. It would be wonderful to see him acknowledged at last. The publicity bit - well, to be honest, I think Damien could do with a little bit more of the limelight. He has every right to keep his personal life private, but his working life is, unfortunately, dependant on publicity. Those actors in the public eye tend to get more work. Damien has had two roles we know of recently, in 'The Current War' and in 'Gameface' and he hasn't tweeted or instagrammed anything - and 'The Current War' tweets from others could fill a book. There is, I think, a difference between a private life being kept private and a working life being publicised. If Damien has decided he just wants to act and choose the roles he wants - brilliant, but we are liable to be frustrated by not seeing enough of him. Sometimes people opt for happiness rather than fame. For others fame is happiness. I feel that a role like the Doctor would open doors to things he would really like to do, roles he would really like to play. Then he could pick and choose at leisure.
As for publicity about his personal life - most people find 'happy families' boring, so I can't see much invasion, to be honest. Sometimes the easiest way of dealing with the curious is to give them just enough without giving anything important.
(Without wishing to bore everyone to tears - my feelings about invasions into privacy are well known by regular forumers - the whole 'fame means you are an open target for paparazzi and your private life is fair game' paradigm is abhorrent to me personally and as the creator of this fansite, and something I actively seek to subvert...
An admirable stance and something that comes over on the site for anybody doing even a small amount of browsing I think, Domino.
As for publicity about his personal life - most people find 'happy families' boring, so I can't see much invasion, to be honest. Sometimes the easiest way of dealing with the curious is to give them just enough without giving anything important.
That's true. I do think there's a tendency for actors who really achieve a certain level of fame to be in the firing line for absolutely everything to be scrutinised and criticised though - Benedict Cumberbatch ("coloured" actor comment), Tom Hiddleston (aid workers "binge watching" The Night Manager, was his relationship with Taylor Swift real), Emma Watson (just about anything she says or does at the moment, it seems!). You don't have to be looking at gossipy mags or websites to be seeing those things.
I agree it's a bit of a tightrope job to get the level of fame you need to be in the pool for the big jobs and keeping enough of your private life private. Actors who choose not to get involved in the whole celebrity thing but manage to land significant roles are few and far between, I think. I've always admired Ben Whishaw for managing to do pretty much as you suggest Ellie - give away enough to maintain interest but essentially keep yourself to yourself.
Domino - I voted no.....but I might feel differently by the time of the big reveal The gratification of him being announced as the Doctor would at least relieve the frustration of waiting for that elusive exclusive big leading role!! And it would guarantee plenty of air time...
Sana - I know exactly what you mean. Your English might not be perfect but your meaning is very clear and I agree totally! If he wants to do it why not indeed!!!
Rosie - I don't see why playing the Doctor would prevent Damien from working on other projects. It's not like it would actually take up all 12 monts of the year and surely the BBC would have to pay a retainer to stop him working the rest of the time - I really hope that they aren't that wasteful with my license money! I'm pretty sure that David Tennant was involved in other stuff alongside it.
fifi wrote:Rosie - I don't see why playing the Doctor would prevent Damien from working on other projects...
I think it might make theatre difficult - other Drs have certainly taken on "in between" TV roles, typically in one-off dramas I think, but I suspect the commitment for a stage production might be different.
Didn't David Tennant play Hamlet in the middle of his stint as Dr Who? Maybe he'd already stepped down - but I do remember a big fuss about it at the time. I'll have to check that out....
Didn't David Tennant play Hamlet in the middle of his stint as Dr Who? Maybe he'd already stepped down - but I do remember a big fuss about it at the time. I'll have to check that out....
Ooh, you're right fifi, he did! So it must be possible to get the planets to align, at least with a bit of luck on your side!
That doesn't really narrow the field that much out of all the names already thrown in the hat! When are they going to announce this thing?! The suspense is killing me!!
I suppose we'll have to wait until the big reveal. The field is still wide open and the description could fit any number of Suspects!
To be honest, if Damien wasn't a contender, I wouldn't really care, haven't watched it for ages.
But more importantly not just us Damien fans have been talking about it ! 
What do you think? we want to know! Come and vote in the poll! All you have to do is log in (with any username you like) and click!
You don't get that problem with a new show!
well made points, well worth pondering on. I'd be very happy for this iconic role to be the thing that made DaMo a household name internationally though!
