Doctor Who’s best guest star isn’t who you’d expect

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Doctor Who has always attracted amazing guest stars – from pop icons like Kylie Minogue and acclaimed actors such as Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, Simon Pegg, and the beloved, recently-passed Sir Michael Gambon. It truly stands out for the talent it features.

Many famous actors have appeared on Doctor Who, and their performances are now considered iconic. The episode “Blink,” featuring Carey Mulligan and introducing the frightening Weeping Angels, is often ranked among the show’s greatest.

Is there any Christmas special that stands out as much as “Voyage of the Damned,” featuring the memorable Kylie Minogue as Astrid Perth?

As a Doctor Who fan, we always get excited about big guest stars, but for me, Tony Curran as Vincent Van Gogh really stood out. He didn’t need flashy scenes or grand gestures – his performance was just so gentle, touching, and completely endearing. Honestly, he blew everyone else away!

Curran has had a fantastic career, with roles both before and after appearing in Doctor Who. He’s recently been in shows like Marvel’s Secret Invasion and Your Honor, and delivered a particularly powerful performance in Mayflies. However, I think Doctor Who really showcased his talent at its finest.

“Vincent and the Doctor” is a memorable episode that almost slipped by unnoticed. It takes place during the fifth season and features the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) traveling back in time to Provence, France, after spotting a strange figure hidden within one of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings.

Telling Van Gogh’s story was a gamble. Because his life has been depicted so often, the episode needed to offer a fresh perspective. Also, Doctor Who always needs a monster, and while the Krafayis worked within the plot, they weren’t particularly memorable, fading into the background of other villains from season five.

Ultimately, none of that really mattered, because the combination of Richard Curtis’s directing and Karen Gillan’s acting created some of the most emotionally powerful and moving scenes in Doctor Who history.

A moment occurs where Vincent, Amy, and the Doctor lie down and hold hands, and the artist shares his perception of the starry night with them.

He pointed out the incredible wonders of the natural world all around them. The Doctor agreed, saying he’d witnessed a lot, but nothing compared to the beauty they were seeing.

As a film fan, I was floored by this two-minute scene. Curran somehow captured the very essence of Van Gogh – that incredible way he saw the world, and how he transformed his own suffering into art unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It was truly beautiful.

However, the scene that most viewers remember is the one set in the Musée d’Orsay. In a rare decision, the Doctor brings Vincent van Gogh forward in time to modern-day Paris, letting him see how famous he will eventually become.

Vincent clearly enjoyed being at the museum, and it was a lovely moment when he paused to appreciate Monet’s Water Lilies.

He glanced away at the wrong moment and missed the sign for the gallery’s most popular exhibition. Without uttering a word, Curran moved everyone to tears, especially Vincent, who watched in stunned silence as people enthusiastically admired the work he’d dedicated his life to creating.

Honestly, Bill Nighy’s cameo as the art curator felt a little lost in the moment. The real power came when Vincent heard someone call him one of the greatest artists ever – Curran captured that perfectly. Seeing the emotion well up in his eyes, then completely fall apart? It was a truly heartbreaking and unforgettable scene.

The scene is particularly moving because the Doctor likely realized his visit wouldn’t alter Van Gogh’s tragic fate – he would still struggle with depression and ultimately die by suicide. However, the Doctor hoped to offer Van Gogh some comfort by letting him know his life had value and purpose.

Fans connect with the story of Vincent and the Doctor for many reasons. One key element is the sensitive and caring way Curtis and Curran portrayed mental illness – a depiction that was unusual on television then, and remains rare even now.

Instead of dwelling on the sadness of the artist’s life, this episode highlights his human side, his incredible talent, and the lasting impact he had, offering a somewhat more optimistic conclusion to his story than the traditional one.

The scene clearly struck a chord with audiences. It’s the most popular clip on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel, with over 31 million views – more than double the views of the next most popular scene. That second-place clip, the first meeting between the Doctors played by Matt Smith and David Tennant in the 50th anniversary special, has only 13 million views.

It’s obvious from the views and comments that many people, like me, revisit that touching video when they need a good cry.

But beyond just being a good performance, Curran’s portrayal of Van Gogh is truly special – it has the same heartwarming effect as the very best episodes of Doctor Who, leaving you with a slightly more hopeful outlook.

Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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2025-10-24 09:44