Matt Smith Almost Played Watson To Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock

Since Matt Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch both made their respective splashes in the UK and the world beyond, fans have felt the two actors needed to work together. (Something about chins and cheekbones or something.) They were at least in the same room together a few times, which had fandom reeling, but did you know Smith almost played the role of John Watson in BBC’s Sherlock? Read on to find out why it didn’t happen. 

Smith and Doctor Who co-star Karen Gillan recently did an interview with The Daily Mail in which they discussed their casting stories from the sci-fi show. I’ve heard versions of both before but Smith included a juicy new tidbit.

I nearly became Sherlock Holmes’s sidekick instead. Before Doctor Who was even discussed I went to see Steven Moffat, the co-creator of the BBC’s Sherlock, to test for the role of Doctor John Watson. Steven saw me more as a Sherlock Holmes than a Watson, but the main part had already gone to Benedict Cumberbatch. However, Steven saw something in me that made him think I could be right for the role of The Doctor.

There’s a plethora of reaction gifs I could utilize here. I’m gonna go with this one.

Smith also talked to the Radio Times about the close call. “I thought my audition for Watson was very good,” says Smith. “But clearly not good enough! Basically they looked at it and went, ‘He’s not Watson. It’d be like having two Sherlocks in the room.'”

Obviously viewers have become quite smitten with the pairing of Cumberbatch as Sherlock and Martin Freeman as Watson but could you even imagine if Smith had landed that role? I don’t think it was the right pairing for them so I’m glad they decided to go in a different direction but I still want Cumberbatch to act next to Smith. Preferably as the Master.

(via Blastr)

Previously in Doctor Who

• How Will The New Companion Change The Doctor? Moffat Explains.
• The Mary Sue Interviewed Matt Smith!
• Neil Gaiman Is Writing Another Doctor Who Episode

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Jill Pantozzi

Jill Pantozzi is a pop-culture journalist and host who writes about all things nerdy and beyond! She’s Editor in Chief of the geek girl culture site The Mary Sue (Abrams Media Network), and hosts her own blog “Has Boobs, Reads Comics” (TheNerdyBird.com). She co-hosts the Crazy Sexy Geeks podcast along with superhero historian Alan Kistler, contributed to a book of essays titled “Chicks Read Comics,” (Mad Norwegian Press) and had her first comic book story in the IDW anthology, “Womanthology.” In 2012, she was featured on National Geographic’s "Comic Store Heroes," a documentary on the lives of comic book fans and the following year she was one of many Batman fans profiled in the documentary, "Legends of the Knight."

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