Landing Neil Patrick Harris as the classic Doctor Who villain The Toymaker seemed like a major casting coup when the announcement was made last year. Pairing Harris with David Tennant was a match made in heaven for fans. However, showrunner Russell T. Davies has since shared a hilarious piece of trivia as Harris’ episode gets ready to stream on Disney+: The actor had no idea what the show was or even about.
He’d never heard of it in his life, bless him, Davies laughingly said while revealing how we was able to lock down Harris for the role.
I was lucky enough to work with the great man on a show called It’s a Sin, about the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, and working with him was such a joy. The Toymaker, he’s kind of the god of games, so he shuffles cards, he does magic tricks, and all of that fits Neil Patrick Harris. If you go through agents, they often tell you to go away. I was able to send just a text saying, ‘Do you fancy reading this?’ He read it and literally phoned me up going, ‘Let me get this right, so the Doctor’s an alien, right?’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, you really have never heard of Doctor Who!’ But he couldn’t resist it, and he came to Cardiff, and we had the most spectacular time.
Tennant concurred that Harris was a quick study.
Oh, he’s good, Tennant told EW. I don’t quite know if he knew what to expect, but he dived in with such gusto and brio. This part requires a lot of skill sets and Neil turns up with them all. I don’t want to give away too much about what might be required of the Toymaker, but you need a sort of an all-round entertainer to play that part and a very good actor.
Neil Patrick Harris, widely known for his roles in shows like How I Met Your Mother and A Series of Unfortunate Events, surprised fans when he joined the cast of Doctor Who as the iconic villain, The Toymaker. However, what may be even more surprising is that the acclaimed actor had never heard of the popular British sci-fi series before landing the role.
Showrunner Russell T. Davies shared the amusing tidbit while discussing Harris’ involvement in the show. He’d never heard of it in his life, bless him, Davies humorously revealed. Despite this lack of familiarity, Davies managed to secure Harris for the role through a personal connection formed while working on the show It’s a Sin, which focused on the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
The Toymaker, described as the god of games, is a character known for his card tricks and magic. Davies believed Harris was a perfect fit for the role and took a non-traditional approach to casting. Instead of going through agents, Davies simply sent Harris a text asking if he would be interested in reading the script. To Davies’ surprise, Harris agreed, but not before posing a question that revealed his unfamiliarity with the Doctor Who universe.
‘Let me get this right, so the Doctor’s an alien, right?’ Harris asked during a phone call with Davies. The showrunner was taken aback by the realization that Harris had never heard of Doctor Who. Nevertheless, the actor’s curiosity was piqued, and he couldn’t resist the opportunity. Harris traveled to Cardiff to film his episode, and according to Davies, they had a spectacular time working together.
David Tennant, who portrayed the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, also had high praise for Harris. Noting that the role of the Toymaker requires a range of skills, Tennant stated, Neil turns up with them all. The former Doctor Who actor commended Harris for diving into the role with enthusiasm and talent.
Fans of Doctor Who eagerly await the arrival of Neil Patrick Harris as The Toymaker. Despite his lack of prior knowledge about the series, Harris’s talent and versatility promise to bring an intriguing interpretation to the iconic villain. As his episode gears up to stream on Disney+, viewers can prepare themselves for an entertaining performance from the acclaimed actor.
