Paul McGann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul McGann
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McGann at the 2015 Florida Supercon
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| Born | 14 November 1959 Kensington, Liverpool, England
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| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | Eighth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who |
| Spouse(s) |
Annie Milner
(m. 1992) |
| Partner(s) | Susannah Harker (2006–2008) |
| Children |
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| Relatives |
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Paul John McGann (born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He is well-known for playing the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 Doctor Who TV film. He also continued this role in many audio dramas. Before Doctor Who, he became famous for his part in the TV show The Monocled Mutineer (1986). He also starred in the popular comedy film Withnail and I (1987). Later, he played Lieutenant William Bush in the TV series Hornblower (1998–2003).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Paul John McGann was born in Liverpool, England, on 14 November 1959. He grew up in a Roman Catholic family. His family came from Ireland in the mid-1800s. His mother, Clare, was a teacher. His father, Joe, was a soldier during D-Day in World War II. Paul has an older brother, Joe, and three younger siblings: Mark, Stephen, and Clare. All three of his brothers are also actors. In 1995, the four brothers played siblings in the TV show The Hanging Gale.
Paul went to Cardinal Allen Grammar School in Liverpool. When he was 17, he was working in a shoe shop. One of his teachers suggested he try acting. He successfully got a spot at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). In 1980, the head of RADA chose a scene that Paul helped write. It was from William Shakespeare's Macbeth. This scene was performed for Queen Elizabeth II when she visited the academy.
Acting Career Highlights
Early Roles and Big Breaks
Paul McGann's first big role was in the TV comedy-drama Give Us a Break. He played a skilled snooker player. His first major serious role was in the 1986 BBC show The Monocled Mutineer. In this show, he played Percy Toplis, a British soldier who deserted during World War I. His acting in this series was highly praised.
In 1986, he starred in the movie Withnail and I. This film became very popular and is now seen as a cult film. Paul also appeared in other early films like The Rainbow (1989) and the war film Empire of the Sun. Paul and other young British actors like Tim Roth and Gary Oldman were called the 'Brit Pack'. This name was given to a group of talented young British actors.
Since 1989, Paul has mostly worked in television. He has been in shows like Nice Town and Nature Boy. He also had small roles in big American films. These include The Three Musketeers and Alien 3. His part in Alien 3 was originally bigger, but some scenes were cut.
In 1992, he was chosen to play Richard Sharpe in the Sharpe TV series. However, he hurt his knee while playing football just before filming began. He was replaced by Sean Bean.
Becoming the Doctor
Paul McGann became the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 Doctor Who TV film. This film also featured Eric Roberts and Daphne Ashbrook. The previous Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, also appeared. Paul's brother, Mark McGann, also tried out for the Doctor's role.
The Doctor Who TV film was a joint project. It involved the BBC, Universal Studios, and the Fox Broadcasting Network. Paul signed a contract to continue as the Eighth Doctor if the film was successful. The film was meant to be a "backdoor pilot". This means if it got good ratings, a new Doctor Who TV series would be made.
The film was shown in the US in May 1996 and in the UK later that month. It was very popular in the UK, with over 9 million viewers. However, it did not get good ratings in the United States. Because of this, Fox decided not to make a new series. Universal also could not find another network. So, no new Doctor Who series was made until 2005.
Paul allowed his image to be used on the covers of the BBC's Eighth Doctor novels. He has also played the Eighth Doctor again in many audio plays by Big Finish Productions. Some of these audio plays have even been broadcast on BBC Radio.
On 14 November 2013, which was Paul's birthday, he returned as the Eighth Doctor. This was for a special mini-episode called "The Night of the Doctor". It was part of the show's 50th Anniversary celebrations. In this episode, his Doctor finally changed into a new Doctor, played by John Hurt. Paul also made a short appearance in the comedy special The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.
He made another cameo appearance in the main TV series in 2022. This was in the special episode "The Power of the Doctor", alongside other past Doctors. He also appeared in the documentary film Doctor Who Am I.
Later Acting Work
After his time as the Doctor, Paul McGann continued to take on many different roles in TV and film. In 1997, he played a father in the film FairyTale: A True Story.
In the 2000s, Paul appeared in more films. One of his notable roles was in the 2002 film Queen of the Damned. He played David Talbot. This character is part of a secret group that studies supernatural events. Paul has also done a lot of voice-over work for TV documentaries and commercials in Britain.
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He received praise for playing William Bush in the last four parts of the Hornblower TV series. This series was based on the Horatio Hornblower books. He first appeared in the 2001 episode "Mutiny".
In 2006, he was in the TV drama Tripping Over. In 2007, he starred in the BBC One drama True Dare Kiss. In 2010, Paul had a big role in an episode of the mystery series Jonathan Creek. He also became a regular in the crime drama Luther. In 2017, Paul joined the cast of the long-running BBC series Holby City. He played a brain surgeon named John Gaskell.
In 2021, he hosted the podcast Real Dictators. This history show talks about facts about dictators from the past.
Audio Books and Voice Acting
Paul McGann is also well-known for narrating audiobooks. He has read novels by authors like Pat Barker and Bernard Cornwell. He narrated the audiobook of the cyberpunk book Vurt.
He continues to play the Eighth Doctor in many audio dramas for Big Finish. In these audio plays, his Doctor has faced classic Doctor Who villains like the Daleks and the Cybermen.
Some of his Eighth Doctor audio dramas were broadcast on BBC Radio. In 2007 and 2008, a series of audio plays starring Paul as the Eighth Doctor and Sheridan Smith as his companion, Lucie Miller, was broadcast.
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His voice was also used in the 1997 video game Ceremony of Innocence.
Paul played Ambassador Durian in The Minister of Chance. This was a fantasy audio drama released from 2011 to 2013. He also plays Noah Shackleton in The Phoenix Files audio drama series.
Paul has narrated BBC documentaries, such as Apples, Pears and Paint: How to Make a Still Life Painting in 2014. He is also the main narrator for the popular podcast series A short history of…. This podcast explores different historical topics.
Personal Life
In 1992, Paul McGann married Annie Milner. They have two children: Joseph, who is a music producer, and Jake, who is a voice actor.
Between 2006 and 2008, Paul was in a relationship with actress Susannah Harker.
Awards and Recognition
Paul McGann has received several awards and nominations for his acting work:
- In 1987, he was nominated for a Best Actor for The Monocled Mutineer.
- In 1990, he won Best Actor at the Barcelona Cinema Festival for Paper Mask.
- In 1996, he was nominated for a Best Actor on Television for Doctor Who.
- In 2006, he won a Special Mention award at the Torino Gay & Lesbian Film Festival for Gypo (shared with the cast).
- In 2017, he won Best Actor in a Feature Film at the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival for B&B.
- In 2018, he won Best Ensemble Cast at the Global Independent Film Awards for B&B (shared with the cast).
- In 2021, he won Best Actor at the Liverpool Film Festival for Swallow Your Dreams.
See also
In Spanish: Paul McGann para niños
