Dr Who star "volunteered" for role

[DavidB]

Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston e-mailed the writer of the new series of the sci-fi favourite to ask for the role, it has been revealed.

 

The Shallow Grave and Cracker star told writer and executive producer Russell T Davies he was interested after it was announced that the show would return.

 

"It was gobsmacking because you think he's going to be doing Hamlet all the time," Mr Davies told Radio Times.

 

Mr Davies' ideas for resurrecting the show "fitted Chris perfectly", he said.

 

Julie Gardner, head of drama at BBC Wales, which has made the series, told the magazine: "We got to Chris fast.

 

"Russell and I had both worked with him before - he was one of the first people who was mentioned."

 

Mr Davies added: "He e-mailed me and said if we were looking for a Doctor Who, he'd be interested."

 

The first two episodes were written by the time Eccleston was cast, Mr Davies said.

 

"So I'd established a template for what I wanted, which fitted Chris perfectly. That was a happy accident - we both wanted to strip it down, make it more down-to-earth."

 

Eccleston will be the ninth Time Lord to take to the Tardis when the show, which was cancelled in 1989, returns to screens.

 

Doctor Who has remained a cult favourite and in 2003 was voted the show people would most like to see back on TV.

 

Eccleston has also starred in TV dramas Our Friends in the North, Hearts and Minds and Linda Green as well as films such as The Others and Gone in Sixty Seconds.

 

Former pop singer Billie Piper will play his assistant Rose.