Peter Capaldi

Scottish actor Peter Capaldi was one of the United Kingdom's best-kept secrets for decades until the summer of 2013, when he went from being "who?" to Doctor Who. A native Glaswegian, the wiry Capaldi gravitated towards performing in his youth, and initially gained notice for his supporting role in the beloved comedic drama "Local Hero" (1983). He went on to become a British television mainstay, while occasionally appearing in feature films. Following recurring roles or guest spots on various small-screen productions, he sidestepped into writing and directing with the short film "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life" (1995), which won both a BAFTA and Academy Award. Primarily sticking to on-screen work, Capaldi found his breakout role in 2005 as the fierce political mastermind Malcolm Tucker on the biting comedy "The Thick of It" (BBC, 2005-2012). In 2009, his international reputation grew when the series spun off into the acclaimed feature comedy "In the Loop" (2009), co-starring James Gandolfini. However, his profile was later raised considerably higher when it was announced that Capaldi would be the Twelfth Doctor on the venerable sci-fi series "Doctor Who" (BBC, 1963-1989, 1996, 2005- ), bringing him instant global attention. Capaldi remained in the role until the 2017 Christmas special, when he made way for the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker.