On Monday, Doctor Who fans got a bombshell: the 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi, would be ending his time on the series on December 25, 2017, with one final Capaldi season still to come.
For those not familiar with the fifty-four-year-old British sci-fi series, the character of the Doctor, an extraterrestrial Time Lord, “regenerates” every so often, changing in age, appearance and personality—and permitting the show’s producers to recast their lead actor.
Capaldi, the Scottish Doctor with the “attack eyebrows” and an aversion to hugs, began his tenure as the 12th Doctor in 2014, following memorable—and memorably different—recent takes on the character by Matt Smith (2010–2013), David Tennant (2005–2010) and Christopher Eccleston (2005). (For comparison, we’ve had only 7 big screen James Bonds and the same number of theatrical Batmans.)
For many actors, playing The Doctor is a big break that leads to worldwide fame among a global following of avid Whovians (among their more famous ranks: Robert Downey, Jr., Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Alton Brown). But Capaldi, one of the oldest actors to step into the role, has a long, celebrated history of memorable performances stretching back nearly 35 years.
Before Doctor Who, Capaldi was best known for his TV role on the British political satire The Thick of It (more on that in a moment). But he had some excellent lesser-known film work as well (not to mention two films he directed, Strictly Sinatra and the Oscar-winning short Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life). From his many movie credits, we’ve narrowed the list to five of his most memorable.
Malcom Tucker in ‘In the Loop’
The Thick of It was so popular in the UK that it spun off into a feature film in 2009, and was one of the most critically acclaimed comedies of that year, with Capaldi reprising his role as Malcolm Tucker, the Prime Minister’s foul-mouthed Director of Communications, a breakout character for the show.
The movie takes place during the run-up to war in the Middle East, satirizing the campaign ahead of the U.S. and Britain’s invasion of Iraq just a few years before, and bringing in new American characters including a military official played by the late James Gandolfini.
Writer/director Armando Ianucci would bring his talents for both political satire and baroquely ornate profanity all the way across the pond a few years later for the HBO series Veep.
Watch In the Loop on Tribeca Shortlist now.
Mr. Curry in ‘Paddington’
If there’s one type Capaldi excels at playing, it’s a curmudgeon. He made his name playing a profane one in The Thick of It, and he does it splendidly again here, in a more family-friendly context.
Like the Doctor, the anthropomorphic Paddington Bear is another British icon, created by Michael Bond in a series of books that began in 1958, a few years before the BBC introduced us to The Doctor. In this 2014 adaptation, Capaldi plays Mr. Curry, Paddington’s next-door neighbor with a bad attitude, who disparagingly calls Paddington simply “Bear.”
The film’s version of Curry (one of the key Paddington characters over the years) has taken a liking to Millicent, the villain played by Nicole Kidman, so Capaldi gets a chance to show his talents for delivering broad comedy here. We can look forward to the return of Curry in Paddington 2, due out later this year.
Angus Flint in ‘The Lair of the White Worm’
Capaldi’s second credited screen role was in the beloved 1983 comedy, Local Hero. But his real breakout would come five years later in two films: in a supporting role in Stephen Frears’ screen adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons and a co-starring role as a bagpipe playing, kilt-wearing archaeology student in Ken Russell’s cult horror-comedy, The Lair of the White Worm.
Capaldi is second-billed behind a young Hugh Grant as a local, young nobleman, but steals the movie from his co-star at every turn. The two are forced to do battle with a serpentine priestess (Amanda Donohoe) and the ancient, giant snake god she worships.
For more on this Bram Stoker-inspired, fever dream of a film, check out our recent Staff Pick.
Watch The Lair of the White Worm on Tribeca Shortlist now.
George Harrison in ‘John and Yoko: A Love Story’
Not every actor can say they played a Beatle, but Capaldi can.
In the years between Local Hero and Lair, the young Scottish actor tried his hand at playing Liverpudlian George Harrison in a 1985 TV movie about bandmate John Lennon and his second wife, Yoko Ono.
It offers an interesting take on the story of Lennon and Ono, who especially then and but even now is infamous in some circles for “causing” the breakup of the band. This version was done with Ono’s participation, and thus was kinder to her than most portrayals.
Side note: John Lennon is played by Mark McGann, who has made something of a living portraying the musician, first on stage in 1981 a production of Lennon, for which he received an Olivier Award nomination, then in this film, and again in productions of Imagine in the ’90s and ’00s, in In My Life in 2008, as well as in more informal tributes and concerts over the years.
(And there’s a Doctor Who connection, too: McGann’s brother, actor Paul McGann, played the Eighth Doctor in 1996.)
Like many TV movies of the ’80s, the film is difficult to find officially, but someone uploaded a version of it with foreign subtitles on YouTube, if you’re curious. It’s quite a kick to see the future Doctor in full Harrison wig and a terrible, terrible fake mustache.
W.H.O. Doctor in ‘World War Z’
2013’s Brad Pitt zombie thrill ride is probably the most commercially successful American movie Capaldi has ever appeared in, and his role is best known for how it seemingly predicted his future: Capaldi is listed in the credits as a “WHO Doctor.”
Pitt’s character, retired UN investigator and all-around badass Gerry, after fighting zombies around the world, finds his way to a World Health Organization facility in Cardiff (where Doctor Who is filmed). Once he arrives, rather worse for wear, he encounters several doctors, one of whom of course is the future Doctor himself.
Sure, it’s not Capaldi’s meatiest role: Pitt and the horde of zombies have top billing. But it’s a fun bit of trivia and the film itself is a must for zombie fans, or at least the fast-moving variety.
