Ben Daniels usurps David Harewood as next Dr Who favourite
Published:The latest round of vibes, rumours and mutterings have seen some intruiging movement at the head of the next Dr Who betting, with former favourite David Harewood of ‘Homeland’ fame on the drift thanks to a surge of interest in Ben Daniels, last seen on British TV in Merlin (2011).
Harewood – eased from 3/1 to 7/2 in the latest betting – had previously said the opportunity to play the timelord would be “difficult to turn down”, but his hopes of becoming the 12th doctor look to be receding after a steady stream of support for Daniels.
Now as short as 7/4, the 49-year-old one-time ‘Spooks’ actor has been backed in from the 4/1.
Despite playing a number of film and TV roles, Daniels has found his most enduring acclaim in treading the boards of the theatre, winning an Olivier Award for his performance in Arthur Miller’s ‘All My Sons’.
This would seem to be in his favour as series producers are thought to favour an actor not previously widely known to the wider viewing public.
This would rule out the likes of Harewood, along with Daniel ‘Harry Potter’ Radcliffe and Benedict Cumberbatch aka TV’s ‘Sherlock’, both as short as 16/1 for the role.
‘Peep Show’ and ‘Broadchurch’ star Olivia Coleman is currently 10/1 to become a first female Dr Who, although The Mirror reported the show’s producers to have denied a female actor was amongst the leading contenders for doctor number 12, when previous timelord Matt Smith departed the show.
The biggest drifter in the betting is the James Bond star Rory Kinnear. The actor – who starred in ‘Quantum Of Solace’ and ‘Skyfall’ – has been friendless in recent weeks, falling from a high of 5/1 to the 16/1 where he currently resides.
The 35-year-old – who is currently playing Iago opposite Adrian Lester’s Othello at the National Theatre – has all but quashed the rumours himself, with The Mirror quoting him as saying “the idea of doing the same part over a number of years is not something I’ve longed for”.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
