Paterson Joseph


*The following article is written from an Out of Universe perspective.*

Paterson Joseph (born 22 June 1964) played the Twelfth Doctor from Season 44 in 2007 to Season 46 in 2009, before appearing in the 2010 feature film, Doctor Who: Vengeance, the 2018 feature film, Doctor Who: Until the World Ends, and the 2021 television film, Doctor Who: The Upgrade from Tomorrow

Biography

Prior to Doctor Who

Paterson Joseph was a chef before becoming an actor.

Work on Doctor Who

Joseph's first role in the Doctor Who universe was as Victor Espinosa in the Season 27 story, Earth Aid.

In 2006, he was chosen to play the Twelfth Doctor, making his first appearance at the end of Doctor Who: Revelation, he then played the role regularly between 2007 and 2010. He was the first person of colour to play the role in the TV Series.

Joseph made his final appearance as the Doctor in the 2010 film, Doctor Who: Vengeance before handing the role over to David Suchet.

Joseph returned in 2013 to play John in Doctor Who: Genesis. The character was made to look and sound like the Twelfth Doctor, due to the Matrix.

In September 2018, it was announced that Paterson Joseph will return in the upcoming sixth Doctor Who film, as the main Doctor.

After Doctor Who

In 1991, Joseph won second prize in the Ian Charleson Awards, for his 1990 performances of Oswald in King Lear, Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost, and the Marquis de Mota in The Last Days of Don Juan, all at the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1992 he starred as Richard Henry in Blues for Mister Charlie by James Baldwin, directed by Greg Hersov at the Royal Exchange, Manchester.

Joseph's theatre credits include the title role in Othello at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, as well as parts in Henry IV, King Lear, and Hamlet for a performance in New York City.

He has played many roles in British television programmes, both drama and comedy. These include Reuben in William and Maryalongside Martin Clunes; Mark Grace in Casualty; the Marquis de Carabas in Neverwhere; Alan Johnson in Peep Show; Lyndon Jones in Green Wing; and Shorty in the first episode of Jericho.

In 2000, Joseph appeared as Keaty in The Beach, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2005, he appeared as Giroux in Æon Flux, which starred Charlize Theron.

He also appeared in the acclaimed drama Sex Traffic, in the TV version of Kwame Kwei-Armah's acclaimed play Elmina's Kitchen

In 2006, he became a patron of OffWestEnd.com, a listings site for theatre outside the mainstream.

In 2007, Joseph played Space Marshall Clarke in two series of the BBC sci-fi sitcom Hyperdrive, and was Benjamin Maddox in the BBC drama series Jekyll.

Joseph provided the narration for the National Geographic series Mega Cities from 2005 to 2007.

In 2012 he played Brutus in a performance by the RSC of Julius Caesar set in Africa. In 2004 he undertook a project, filmed for Channel 4 in a documentary entitled My Shakespeare, to direct a version of Romeo & Juliet, using 20 young non-actors from the deprived Harlesden area of London.

Joseph played DI Wes Layton in Law & Order: UK from 2013 to 2014.

He played the messianic "Holy Wayne" Gilchrest on the original HBO dramatic series The Leftovers, which began airing in 2014, and he has recently portrayed General Arnold Gaines on You, Me and the Apocalypse.

In 2016, Joseph narrated the BBC Two documentary Inside Obama's White House. He also took up the main role of Connor Mason in the television series Timeless, which ended in 2018.

In November 2016, he played the title role in the BBC radio adaptation of the short story by Neil Gaiman, How the Marquis Got His Coat Back. Joseph had previously played the part of the Marquis de Carabas in the 1996 BBC TV six-part drama Neverwhere.

Personal Life

Joseph lived in the Loire Valley with his French wife Emmanuelle and their son.

Credits

Actor

Doctor Who

Panopticon

Vengeance

Movies