After Jenna Coleman’s surprisingly long stint as Clara Oswald came to a close last year, the TARDIS is vacant once again.

Here are ten of our top picks to fill that empty spot in the TARDIS…

 

Nathalie Emmanuel

One of an increasing number of actors to move on from soap operas to bigger and better things; in 2013 Hollyoaks star Nathalie Emmanuel made the jump from Chester to Westeros, appearing in Game of Thrones as Daenerys Targaryen’s handmaiden and interpreter Missandei.

Despite a modest number of different screen roles, Emmanuel shows a strong range across them; her Hollyoaks character Sasha Valentine started out as a high-achieving student before becoming addicted to heroin and turning to prostitution. Admittedly that sort of storyline isn’t likely to crop up in Doctor Who, but it’s still experience in heavy drama that would play well into some aspects of the role.

While in Game of Thrones, she shows off her range within a single role. Playing Missandei initially as stiff and dignified with a faint undercurrent of fear, and then as gradually breaking out of the mental conditioning that comes from being a slave.

Elsewhere, her burgeoning Hollywood career would set her up quite well for the often fast-paced life of the Doctor’s Companion, with roles in Fast & Furious 7 as computer hacker Ramsey and freedom fighter Harriet in the second Maze Runner film giving her some experience of an action heroine type of role. Emmanuel has a pretty rounded body of work; appearing in both grounded drama and FX-heavy blockbusters, and has the talent to match, making her a very good fit for Doctor Who.

 

Oona Chaplin

The second Game of Thrones veteran on our list; Oona Chaplin is probably best known for playing the ill-fated Queen in the North, but also has a solid background of other dramas from the blood-soaked history of The Crimson Field to the brutal surrealism of Black Mirror.

One of the strongest points of Chaplin as an actress is her innate ability to keep a scene flowing on her own. Her turn at the Game of Thrones staple of the expository monologue (the story of how a slave saved her brother from drowning) features very little of visual interest and isn’t as gripping as some of the show’s other speeches, but Chaplin holds the audience’s attention entirely through the facets of her performance.

Chaplin also has a presence that would lend itself to a character on a level closer to the Doctor than most companions. She works well as characters with a certain amount of confidence and gravitas, which would make for an interesting new take on the companion’s role. Much like Romana, with Chaplin we could see a character with a certain degree of self-importance who contrasts with the Doctor’s more anarchic approach to life.

The Doctor never got round to meeting Charlie Chaplin like Donna suggested, but travelling with his granddaughter would probably be a close second.

 

Christina Chong

One of a number of Doctor Who characters who some fans think would have been an ideal companion, church soldier Lorna Bucket appeared in Season 6’s ‘A Good Man Goes To War’ played by Christina Chong.

Lorna was as an immensely likeable character with a strong moral compass and, despite only having a few TV roles under her belt, Chong absolutely nailed it. Although she was far from the episode’s focus, Chong brought serious depth and humanity to the character, particularly in her death scene.

It’s been over four and a half years since then and Chong has a lot more acting experience, including lead roles in ITV medical drama Monroe and the Halo franchise’s live-action miniseries Halo: Nightfall.

As well as this, interviews with Chong show how thoroughly immersed she becomes in her performances and how much preparation she puts in, both on and off the set. For her, it’s much more than just turning up and saying the lines. And that kind of dedication to the job would serve Doctor Who very well if she returned.

While bringing back Lorna would diminish the drama of her death, Doctor Who has a long tradition of reusing actors. With companions, it’s already a hat trick so why not do it a fourth time.

 

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