There’s a big-name actor claiming that he was offered the role of the Timelord twice, but couldn’t bear to cross the pond…

“I’d do anything for Doctor Who, but I won’t do that.”

These were the words of Alan Cumming, ex-pat star of the X-Men movies and TV series The Good Wife. What wouldn’t he do, exactly? Move to Cardiff.

During a conversation at the recent Listowel Writer’s Week, the Broadway stage regular told an audience that he had been offered the role of the Doctor on two separate occasions. Both times, however, it was the prospect of trading the US East Coast for South Wales that put him off.

According to The Huffington Post, Cumming was first offered the role by “that lovely Welshman” (presumed to be Russell T. Davies). However, his believes that his response to being told that he’d be spending eight months a year in the Welsh capital cost him the gig.

“Then he said, ‘It’s eight months of the year in Cardiff…’ And I said, ‘What?’

“And I think that might have been what blew it.”, he told the crowd.

It’s not clear at what point in the current Doctor Who run that the first offer was made. However, he asserted that Mark Gatiss also spoke to him about the role at a later date. His approach was presumably in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner, nevertheless the Cardiff thing was still enough to put of the New Yorker.

With Peter Capaldi departing the role after this year’s Christmas special episode, speculation is currently rife about his replacement. Presumably Cumming will not be on the shortlist.

You can read our guide to Doctor Who series 10 here.