It's Offical: Matt Smith Leaving Doctor Who After 2013 Christmas Special

Posted on June 1, 2013

It's official. Matt Smith is leaving Dr. Who after the 2013 Christmas special. The BBC reports that Smith, who is 30, has decided it's time to hang up his sonic screwdriver. Matt took over from David Tennant, who played the 10th Doctor and was our favorite doctor of the new series.

Matt said in a statement: "Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years."

"Your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number 11, who I might add is not done yet - I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special. "It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the Tardis for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."

Show runner Steven Moffat issued a statement praising Matt's portrayal of the 11th doctor saying, "Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me. The way he'd turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry - I just never knew what was coming next."

Moffat continued, "The Doctor can be clown and hero - often at the same time - and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently. And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him - sometimes literally - his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor."

Let the speculation begin. Who will be the next Doctor to pilot the TARDIS around the universe?

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