Doctor Who writer reveals he filled in for Matt Smith for iconic cameo scene

Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss has revealed that he actually filled in for Matt Smith during an iconic cameo scene for the Eleventh Doctor.

Gatiss was the writer on An Adventure in Space and Time, which dramatised the events that lead to Doctor Who’s creation and the regeneration of First Doctor William Hartnell into Patrick Troughton.

During the end of the special, a scene shows Hartnell (played by David Bradley) looking across the TARDIS console to see the then-current actor of the Doctor, Matt Smith smiling back at him.

It’s a highly emotional moment, but one surprising fact is that, due to filming commitments for Who’s 50th anniversary special, Smith wasn’t actually able to film on-set with David Bradley.

So, enter: Mark Gatiss.

‘Right up till the last moment we were hoping Matt could actually shoot his cameo onset but scheduling was impossible,’ the writer shared on Twitter.

‘So those are my hands!’

An adventure in space and time indeed.

Gatiss’ Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat also recently made a startling admission of his own – about a big mistake he made during his tenure as Doctor Who’s showrunner.

Doctor Who recently aired its twelfth series this year, with Jodie Whittaker’s second stint in the TARDIS coming to a divisive end for some.

But, the show is set to return for its annual festive special this year, which we’re warned will feature the ‘brilliant’ return of the Daleks.

Doctor Who is available to stream now via BBC iPlayer.

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