Christopher Eccleston

He emailed his old friend, the writer and producer Russell T. Davies, and asked to be put on the list of possibles for the title role in the revival of Doctor Who (2005) series. He has claimed in interviews that he was not a fan of the original Doctor Who (1963) and was really attracted to take the part because of his admiration for Davies as a writer.

I wasn't always such a great fan of Shakespeare, mind you. I can guess we all at one time had it rammed down our necks at school, which tends to take the edge off it.