All 11 Actors Who Played The Master in Doctor Who Since His Debut in 1971

Since first appearing in Doctor Who in 1971, the Master has been played by eleven different actors, becoming one of the Doctor’s most famous and dangerous recurring enemies. While the Doctor constantly faces new challenges, a few villains keep returning, and the Master—along with the Daleks, Cybermen, and Sontarans—is among the most powerful. As another Time Lord, the Master stands out as a particularly compelling villain in the series.

The Master first appeared in 1971, in the season eight premiere of Doctor Who called “Terror of the Autons,” alongside Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. He most recently appeared in Jodie Whittaker’s final episode, 2022’s “The Power of the Doctor,” but a future return is hinted at, as he’s currently hidden inside the Toymaker’s stolen golden tooth. Over the past 54 years, eleven different actors have played the Master, solidifying his place as one of television’s most memorable villains.

11) Roger Delgado (1971-1973)

In 1971, English actor Roger Delgado, who often played smaller villainous roles, was the first to portray the Master on television. He defined the character as a genuine threat, driven by a desire to rule the universe and torment the Doctor. Delgado played the Master in eight story arcs, a total of 37 episodes, until his untimely death in a car accident in 1973. Many believe his death was a key factor in Jon Pertwee’s decision to leave Doctor Who the next year, and Delgado remains the definitive original version of the iconic villain.

I remember when Roger Delgado first showed up as the Master! He was brilliant, truly a fantastic villain. He went head-to-head with Jon Pertwee’s Doctor throughout a lot of episodes – starting with ‘Terror of the Autons’ in 1971, and continuing through ‘The Mind of Evil’, ‘The Claws of Axos’, ‘Colony in Space’, and ‘The Daemons’. He kept coming back in 1972 with ‘The Sea Devils’ and ‘The Time Monster’, and then again in 1973 in ‘Frontier in Space’. It was such a great rivalry!

10) Peter Pratt (1976)

Three years after actor Geoffrey Delgado died, Peter Pratt took on the role of the Master in Doctor Who, but his version was very different from previous ones. Introduced in the fourth story of Doctor Who’s fourteenth season, “Deadly Assassin,” Pratt’s Master was depicted as being in his final body, with no ability to regenerate. This meant he looked like a decaying corpse, requiring extensive makeup and prosthetics. Although Pratt only appeared in the four episodes of “Deadly Assassin,” his version of the Master is remembered as the most frightening and disturbing.

In 1976, Peter Pratt played the Master in the Doctor Who story “Deadly Assassin,” alongside Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

9) Geoffrey Beevers (1981)

After the Master avoided destroying Gallifrey and obtaining a new regeneration cycle with Rassilon’s artifacts, he reappeared in 1981, still weakened but looking a bit more human. Geoffrey Beevers played the Master in “The Keeper of Traken” and later revisited the role in audio dramas for Big Finish. Interestingly, Beevers was married to Caroline John, who played companion Liz Shaw on Doctor Who, from 1970 until her death in 2012. In this appearance, the Master attempted to gain a new regeneration using the advanced technology of the Traken Union, but was unsuccessful again.

I’ll never forget Geoffrey Beevers as the Master! He was brilliant opposite Tom Baker in ‘The Keeper of Traken’ back in 1981. But it wasn’t just that! He also did the voice of the Master in so many fantastic audio dramas from Big Finish – ‘Dust Breeding,’ ‘Master,’ ‘Trail of the White Worm,’ ‘The Oseidon Adventure,’ ‘Mastermind,’ ‘And You Will Obey Me,’ ‘The Two Masters,’ ‘The Light at the End,’ ‘The Evil One,’ ‘Requiem for the Rocket Men,’ ‘Death Match,’ and ‘Masterful.’ He really became the Master in those, and I loved every minute of it!

8) Anthony Ainley (1981-1989)

When the Master’s body was failing, he didn’t use the Source to regenerate in the traditional way. Instead, he transferred his mind into the body of Tremas, a scientist and the father of companion Nyssa. Actor Anthony Ainley played Tremas, and went on to become well-known for portraying the Master from 1981 to 1989, appearing in the final stories of the original Doctor Who series before it was cancelled. Over 28 episodes and 11 different storylines, Ainley’s Master constantly searched for ways to live longer, repeatedly clashing with the Doctor in his Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh forms.

Anthony Ainley famously played the Master from 1981 to 1989, facing off against four different Doctors: Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy. He first appeared in “The Keeper of Traken” and “Logopolis” with Tom Baker, then continued through stories like “Castrovalva,” “Time-Flight,” “King’s Demons,” the 20th anniversary special “The Five Doctors,” “Planet of Fire,” and “Caves of Androzani.” He later starred in “Mark of the Rani,” “Ultimate Foe,” and finally “Survival.” His last portrayal of the Master was as the voice of the character in the 1997 video game, “Destiny of the Doctor.”

7) Gordon Tipple (1996)

In the 1996 TV movie Doctor Who, an effort was made to bring the show back after it had been cancelled seven years prior. Gordon Tipple played the Master, but his version of the character was quickly killed by the Daleks for his crimes. He tricked the Doctor into believing he wanted his remains returned to Gallifrey, but this was a ruse. The Master had secretly moved his mind into a snake-like creature called a morphant, which damaged the TARDIS and caused it to crash in San Francisco, giving the Master the opportunity to inhabit a new body.

In the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, Gordon Tipple played the Master, facing off against Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor at the very beginning of the film.

6) Eric Roberts (1996)

In the Doctor Who novels and comics, a creature called a “morphant” – able to change its shape – infiltrated the body of Bruce, an American paramedic who was taking the injured Doctor to the hospital. Meanwhile, Eric Roberts, playing the Master, attempted to use the Eye of Harmony to steal the Doctor’s ability to regenerate. However, the plan backfired, and the Master was pulled into the device and apparently destroyed. Eric Roberts, a highly experienced actor with over 700 credits and known as the brother of Julia Roberts and father of Emma Roberts, is considered one of the most memorable actors to portray the Master.

In the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, Eric Roberts played the Master, facing off against Paul McGann, who starred as the Eighth Doctor.

5) Derek Jacobi (2007)

In 2005, Russell T. Davies brought Doctor Who back to television, and two years later introduced a new version of the Master. The Tenth Doctor, along with Martha Jones and Captain Jack Harkness, encountered Professor Yana, played by Derek Jacobi, at the end of the universe. Yana was a scientist attempting to save humanity by launching a rocket to Utopia. He revealed he’d been found as a child with only a fob watch – a device called the Chameleon Arch that disguises a Time Lord as human, even to themselves – and had survived the Time War. When the disguise fails, Yana reveals his true identity as the Master by opening the watch.

Derek Jacobi appeared as the Master in “Utopia” in 2007, opposite David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor.

4) William Hughes (2007)

William Hughes famously played a young version of the Master in several episodes of the new Doctor Who series, appearing in scenes set on Gallifrey. The show revealed that, as a child, the Master’s mind was damaged by looking into the Time Vortex through the Untempered Schism – a traditional test for young Time Lords. This backstory helped explain the Master’s villainous behavior throughout the series. Hughes was the youngest actor to ever play the Master. Sadly, he passed away during a vacation in Corfu, Greece, in 2018 at the age of 20.

In 2008, William Hughes played the young Master alongside David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor in the Doctor Who episodes “The Sound of Drums” and “Last of the Time Lords.” He also appeared in archive footage during Tennant’s final episodes, “The End of Time,” in 2009 and 2010. Additionally, Hughes played Alex Grainger in the Torchwood episode “Sleeper” during the show’s second season.

3) John Simm (2007-2010, 2017)

Derek Hughes played the Master alongside John Simm, who first appeared as the newly regenerated Master in “Utopia.” Simm’s version of the Master stole the TARDIS and traveled to the 21st century, reinventing himself as Harold Saxon and eventually becoming the British Prime Minister. Over a year, he dominated humanity, but Martha Jones managed to undo his control, and he was initially killed by his wife, Lucy. However, in “The End of Time,” the Master was brought back to life by his followers, becoming a chaotic being who attempted to pull Gallifrey through time and transform humans into duplicates of himself.

Eventually, the Master understands his mistakes and battles Rassilon, sending Gallifrey back into the Time War and sacrificing himself. Many fans consider John Simm’s portrayal of the Master to be one of the best, which led to his return in 2017. It’s revealed that he was responsible for the creation of the Cybermen on a massive ship originating from Mondas. Later, Simm’s Master is stabbed by a future version of himself, causing him to regenerate. However, before changing, he shoots Missy with his laser screwdriver, apparently destroying his future self.

John Simm played the Master in several episodes of Doctor Who alongside both David Tennant and Peter Capaldi. He first appeared in 2008 in “Utopia,” “The Sound of Drums,” and “Last of the Time Lords,” then returned in 2009 and 2010 for “The End of Time — Part 1” and “The End of Time — Part 2.” He later reprised the role in 2017, appearing in “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls.”

2) Michelle Gomez (2014-2017)

The Master’s survival after “The End of Time — Part 2” is never explained, but the character returned in 2014 as a woman, played by Michelle Gomez. Known as Missy, she cleverly influenced events to bring the Doctor and Clara Oswald together. Her ultimate goal was to build an afterlife where souls could be converted into Cybermen. Later, she was locked away in the Doctor’s Vault, but he attempted to help her change. Eventually, she seemed to succeed. In “The Doctor Falls,” Missy fatally stabbed the Master (played by John Simm), only to be killed by him in return.

Michelle Gomez played the character of the Mistress in fourteen episodes of Doctor Who between 2014 and 2017. She starred alongside Peter Capaldi, who played the Twelfth Doctor, in episodes including “Deep Breath,” “Into the Dalek,” and “The Doctor Falls.”

1) Sacha Dhawan (2020-2022)

Sacha Dhawan most recently played the Master in Doctor Who, debuting in the 2020 episodes “Spyfall.” Initially disguised as an MI6 agent named “O,” he revealed himself as the Master and, upon learning the Doctor was the Timeless Child, destroyed Gallifrey in revenge. He then attempted to revive the Time Lords by turning them into Cybermen hybrids and tried to ruin the Doctor’s reputation by stealing her body and TARDIS. His actions ultimately forced the Doctor to regenerate, and he seemingly died when his planet collapsed.

Sacha Dhawan played the Master in several episodes of Doctor Who between 2020 and 2022, facing off against Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor. In a 60th anniversary special in 2023, it was revealed that the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris) had previously defeated the Master in a game and imprisoned him inside a golden tooth. After the Toymaker was defeated and exiled, an unknown person picked up the tooth, suggesting the Master will reappear in future episodes.

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2025-11-10 01:17