Peter Dougan Capaldi (; born 14 April 1958) is a Scottish actor, director, singer and guitarist. He portrayed the twelfth incarnation of

the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

in the science fiction series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' (2013–2017) and Malcolm Tucker in ''

The Thick of It ''The Thick of It'' is a British comedy television series created, written and directed by Armando Iannucci that satirises the inner workings of British government. It was first broadcast for two short series on BBC Four in 2005, initially ...

'' (2005–2012), for which he received four

British Academy Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1 ...

nominations, winning Best Male Comedy Performance in 2010. Capaldi won an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

for Best Live Action Short Film and the

BAFTA Award for Best Short Film The BAFTA Award for Best British Short Film is a film award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the annual British Academy Film Awards. BAFTA is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, ...

for his 1993 short film '' Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life''. He went on to write and direct the drama film '' Strictly Sinatra'' (2001) and directed two series of the sitcom '' Getting On'' (2009–2010). Capaldi also played Mr Curry in the family film ''

Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...

'' (2014) and its sequel '' Paddington 2'' (2017), as well as

the Thinker ''The Thinker'' (), by Auguste Rodin, is a bronze sculpture depicting a Heroic nudity, nude male figure of heroic size, seated on a large rock, leaning forward, right elbow placed upon the left thigh, back of the right hand supporting the chin ...

in '' The Suicide Squad'' (2021). He appeared as Professor Marcus in the stage play '' The Ladykillers''. He won a BAFTA Scotland award for Outstanding Contribution to Film & Television. Capaldi wrote a rock album titled ''St. Christopher''. He is married to actress Elaine Collins and the pair have a child together.

Early life

Capaldi was born on 14 April 1958 in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Scotland, to Gerald and Nancy ( Soutar) Capaldi. His paternal grandfather was Italian, while the rest of his ancestry is Scottish and Irish. His parents ran an ice cream business in

Springburn Springburn () is an inner-city district in the north of the Scottish city of Glasgow, made up of generally working-class households. Springburn developed from a rural hamlet at the beginning of the 19th century. Its industrial expansion began ...

, where they were neighbours and acquaintances of the family of

Armando Iannucci Armando Giovanni Iannucci (; born 28 November 1963) is a Scottish satirist, writer, director, producer and performer. Born in Glasgow to Italian parents, Iannucci studied at the University of Glasgow followed by the University of Oxford. St ...

, creator of ''The Thick of It'', although the two men did not know each other as children. He was a fan of ''

'' as a child, and met

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...

and

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...

while a teenager. Capaldi is known to have lived in

Bishopbriggs Bishopbriggs (; ) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the Glasgow city centre, city centre. Shires of Scotland, Historically in Lanarkshire, the area was once part of ...

while he was an active member of

fan club. He attended St Teresa's Primary School in Possilpark, St Matthew's Primary School in Bishopbriggs, and St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch, before attending the Glasgow School of Art. Capaldi displayed an early talent for performance by putting on a

puppet show Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a performan ...

in primary school. While in high school, he was a member of the Antonine Players theatre group, who performed at the Fort Theatre in Bishopbriggs. As an art student, he was the lead singer and guitarist in a

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band called the Dreamboys, whose drummer was future comedian

Craig Ferguson Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-American actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for having hosted the CBS late-night talk show ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' (2005–2014). He is the winner of ...

. The pair also performed a

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

act together as ''Bing & Dean Hitler'' and wrote an alternative

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

of ''Sleeping Beauty''.

Career

1974–1991: Early roles

The first few years of Capaldi's acting career were marked by sporadic appearances, beginning in a 1974 performance of the play '' An Inspector Calls''; his first onscreen appearance occurred in 1981 as Joe Edwards in the Charles Gormley film ''Living Apart Together''. Starting in 1983, Capaldi received many more roles, appearing in diverse mediums as film, television, and theatre; he appeared as

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

member

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

in a performance of '' John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert'' at the Young Vic, and the same year had a significant role in the film ''Local Hero'' as Danny Oldsen. The early years of his career saw him primarily acting in films - on both the big screen and television. Some of his major roles on the big screen include the archaeology student Angus Flint in '' The Lair of the White Worm'', and Azolan, a

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, ''valet de chambre'' was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "va ...

in pre-Revolution France in '' Dangerous Liaisons'', both in 1988. His roles in television films include playing another Beatle,

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

, in '' John and Yoko: A Love Story'' in 1985, and Robert McRae in ''Chain'' in 1990. He portrayed roles in theatre such as the servant Fabian in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' and the protagonist Jonathan Harker in ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

'', in 1983 and 1984, among many others; and appeared in an episode or two for drama shows such as the legal-drama '' Shadow of the Noose'' in 1989, and mystery-drama ''

Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', or simply ''Poirot'' (), is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2020. The ITV show is based on many of Agatha Christie's famous crime fiction series, wh ...

'' in 1991.

1992–2004: Pivot to television

Capaldi got his first starring role on television as Luke Wakefield, a strange man who imagines he has witnessed a crime, in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

drama series ''Mr Wakefield's Crusade'' in 1992. He also featured prominently as the spy chief Mr. Vladimir in the drama miniseries '' The Secret Agent'', also in 1992, and the protagonist's nemesis Dr. Ronnie Pilfrey in the comedy-drama '' Fortysomething'' in 2003. He has been part of the regular cast on many shows: the protagonist's uncle Rory in the television adaptation of Ian Banks's '' The Crow Road'', and the angel Islington in

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

gothic fantasy serial ''

Neverwhere ''Neverwhere'' is an urban fantasy television miniseries by Neil Gaiman that first aired in 1996 on BBC 2. The series is set in "London Below", a magical realm coexisting with the more familiar London, referred to as "London Above". It was de ...

'', both in 1996. His minor and guest roles have included: a TV producer named Tristan Campbell in two episodes of the sitcom ''

The Vicar of Dibley ''The Vicar of Dibley'' is a British sitcom. It consists of three series, which aired on BBC One from 10 November 1994 to 1 January 2000, and several specials, the most recent of which aired on 23 December 2020. It is set in the fictional Oxfor ...

'' in 1994, and an appearance as a

university professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a 'person who professes'. Professors ...

in the sitcom '' Peep Show'' in 2004. He auditioned for the role of Benjamin Sisko in the sci-fi series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' in 1992, though he lost the role to Avery Brooks. He was invited, in 1995, to audition for the role of the Eighth Doctor for the ''Doctor Who''

television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

, though he declined stating: "I didn't go. I loved the show so much, and I didn't think I would get it, and I didn't want to just be part of a big cull of actors." As he took on more and more roles on television, Capaldi's roles in films and on-stage mostly included minor or supporting roles, with major titles including Gareth in the comedy film ''

Bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

'' in 1997, and the French poet and director

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

in the biographical film '' Modigliani'' in 2004; investigator Luke Fitzwilliam in a stage adaptation of the

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...

novel, ''

Murder Is Easy ''Murder Is Easy'' is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in June 1939, and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in September the same year under the title ''Easy to Kill''. Christie ...

'' at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

in 1993; and as journalist and art critic Robbie Ross in the premiere run of the stage play ''The Judas Kiss'' at the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West E ...

in 1998, with the play subsequently moving to the

West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, Central London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster. It is west of the City of London an ...

and then to Broadway in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. These years marked the beginning of Capaldi's occasional writing and directing career: he wrote and starred in the film comedy '' Soft Top Hard Shoulder'' in 1992, which won the audience award at the

London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival held in London, England, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. Founded in 1957, the festival runs for two weeks every October. In 2016, the British Film Institute, BFI estim ...

; and directed the short film '' Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life'', which starred Richard E. Grant and which was nominated and won various awards, with '' IndieWire'' Erik Kohn describing it as "a brilliant mix of gothic horror and holiday cheer" and praising the ambiguous nature of the film. Capaldi also wrote and directed the drama film '' Strictly Sinatra'', starring Ian Hart and Kelly Macdonald in 2001. These years saw Capaldi performing in various radio shows and audiobooks, with major roles including the German filmmaker and author

Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker and photographer, who is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Venice International Film ...

in ''Emotion Pictures'', airing on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

in 1996; and Chief Petty Officer Grieves in the BBC Radio 7 (now BBC Radio 4 Extra) comedy series '' Our Brave Boys'' between 2002 and 2005.

2005–2012: Rise to fame and accolades

Before taking over the lead role in ''Doctor Who'', Capaldi was best known for playing

spin doctor In public relations and politics, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event. While traditional public relations and advertising may manage their presentation of facts, "spin" often i ...

Malcolm Tucker in the Armando Iannucci-written BBC sitcom ''

'', which he played from 2005 to 2012. Tucker is said to be largely, if loosely, based upon

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...

's right-hand man

Alastair Campbell Alastair John Campbell (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster, and activist, who is known for his political roles during Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesman an ...

, although Capaldi has said that he based his performance more on Hollywood power players, such as the often abrasive

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...

. A film spin-off from ''The Thick of It'' titled ''

In the Loop ''In the Loop'' is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is a spin-off from Iannucci's television series '' The Thick of It'' (2005–12), and satirises British-American politics, in particular the inva ...

'' was released in 2009; Capaldi reprised his role. The role of Tucker was met with acclaim and won Capaldi several awards. From 2006 thorough 2010 he was nominated various times at both the BAFTA TV Awards and Royal Television Society Awards for Best Comedy Actor. He won the 2010 BAFTA TV Award for Male Performance in a Comedy Role. He also won the 2010 and 2012

British Comedy Award The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. The British Comedy Awards (1 ...

for Best TV Comedy Actor. Other major roles during these years included: Dr Pete in the Scottish crime-drama series '' The Field of Blood'' in 2011, for which he received a BAFTA Scotland nomination in the TV actor category, though he was beaten by his co-star Jayd Johnson; and Randall Brown on the BBC Two drama '' The Hour'' in 2012, receiving a BAFTA nomination for the role. Minor roles on television included Sid's dad Mark Jenkins in the E4 teen comedy drama series '' Skins'' in 2007, though his character was killed off in the second series; King Charles I in the historical fiction '' The Devil's Whore'' in 2008, and

Balthazar Balthazar, Balthasar, Baltasar, or Baltazar may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Balthazar (novel), ''Balthazar'' (novel), by Lawrence Durrell, 1958 * ''Balthasar'', an 1889 book by Anatole France * ''Professor Balthazar'', a Croatian a ...

in the drama series '' The Nativity'', based on the

Nativity of Jesus The Nativity or birth of Jesus Christ is found in the biblical gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew and Gospel of Luke, Luke. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Palestine, in Herodian kingdom, Roman-controlled Judea, th ...

in 2010. He also only held minor roles in films and stage-acting during this time: priests in the horror film '' Wild Country'' and comedy film '' The Best Man'', both in 2005, and a small role as therapist Peter VanGellis in the comedy film '' Big Fat Gypsy Gangster'' in 2011, written by and starring his ''Getting On'' co-star

Ricky Grover Ricky Grover is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for his role in ''EastEnders'' as Andrew Cotton as well as voicing Yangus in the ''Dragon Quest'' series. Early life Grover was born in West Ham, Essex. His mother was a hairdre ...

, the absurdist play ''Absurdia'' in 2007 in the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage, Josie Rourke and Michael Longhurst have all served as artistic direc ...

; and Professor Marcus in '' The Ladykillers'' at the

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actre ...

and

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 994 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...

in London in 2011. Capaldi wrote and presented ''A Portrait of Scotland'', a documentary detailing 500 years' history of Scottish portrait painting in 2009; and in 2012, Capaldi and

Tony Roche Anthony Dalton Roche Order of Australia, AO Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 17 May 1945) is an Australian former professional tennis player. A native of Tarcutta, Roche played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga ...

co-wrote, directed and performed in ''The Cricklewood Greats'', a

mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...

about a fictitious film studio, which tracks real developments and trends throughout the history of British cinema. Capaldi voiced various roles during this period, all on BBC Radio 4, with the major roles including Alistair in the 2005–2006 situational comedy ''

Baggage Baggage, or luggage, consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, tr ...

'', the Armourer in an adaption of '' Dr. No'' in 2008, and one of the presenter Jim Tweedledee in the 2009–2010 satirical comedy '' The News at Bedtime''.

2013–2017: ''Doctor Who''

These years saw the rise of Capaldi to worldwide fame with his casting in the role of the

Twelfth Doctor The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi in three ...

in the BBC science-fiction series ''Doctor Who'', becoming the oldest actor since the first incarnation to star as

and the third oldest to portray the character, at the age of 56; Capaldi stated that he had to seriously consider the increased level of visibility that would come with the part. He had portrayed characters in ''

'' before he was cast as the Doctor: Lobus Caecilius in the ''Doctor Who'' episode " The Fires of Pompeii". The following year he played civil servant John Frobisher in the third series of the ''Doctor Who'' spin-off, ''

Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British-American science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect i ...

''. The start of 2013 saw Capaldi portraying the editor of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

Alan Rusbridger Alan Charles Rusbridger (born 29 December 1953) is a British journalist and editor of ''Prospect (magazine), Prospect'' magazine. He was formerly editor-in-chief of ''The Guardian'' and then principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Rusbridger ...

, in '' The Fifth Estate'', starring in ''Inside the Mind of Leonardo'', a documentary about

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

and appearing as a

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

doctor in '' World War Z.'' Capaldi also directed several episodes of the

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

sitcom '' Getting On''. He portrayed

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religi ...

in an adaptation of ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

the next year, though with his casting, he was killed off-screen to avoid clashes with ''Doctor Who''. Peter Capaldi June 2014

In August 2013 during a special event titled ''Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor,'' Capaldi was revealed as the next Doctor, succeeding

Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Prince Philip in Netflix's historical series ''The Crown ( ...

in the role, and made his first appearance as the Doctor in cameos in the 2013 specials, first in the 50th anniversary special, " The Day of the Doctor", then the 2013 Christmas special, " The Time of the Doctor", taking over the role at the end of the episode. Capaldi made his first regular in ''Doctor Who'' in the episode " Deep Breath" later that year, leading 40 episodes, consisting of three series and four specials during the next four years. In 2015 he voiced the Doctor in crossover video game '' Lego Dimensions'' In 2016, Capaldi reprised his role as the Twelfth Doctor in the ''Doctor Who'' spin-off programme ''

Class Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...

'', written by young-adult author

Patrick Ness Patrick Ness Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (born 17 October 1971) is an American-British author, journalist, lecturer, and screenwriter. Born in the United States, Ness moved to London and holds dual citizenship. He is best k ...

. Besides ''Doctor Who'', he appeared as

Paddington Bear Paddington Bear (though his name is just Paddington; the "Bear" simply serves to confirm his species; and also known as Paddington Brown for some sources) is a fictional character in British children's literature. He first appeared on 13 October ...

's neighbour Mr Curry in the family comedy film ''

'' in 2015 and reprised the role two years later film's sequel '' Paddington 2'', and as King Kinloch in ''

Maleficent Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who first appears in Walt Disney Productions' animated film, ''Sleeping Beauty (1959 film), Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). Maleficent is the self-proclaimed "Dark lord, Mistress of All Evil" based on the Wic ...

'' in deleted scenes. He also appeared as himself in various short films and documentaries. On 30 January 2017, in an interview with

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

, Capaldi confirmed that the tenth series would be his last. His final episode was the Christmas special, " Twice Upon a Time", in which he was succeeded by actress

Jodie Whittaker Jodie Auckland Whittaker (born 17 June 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles on television as Beth Latimer in ''Broadchurch'' (2013–2017) and the Thirteenth Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2017–2022, 2025). She came to pro ...

. His performance as the Doctor was widely praised; with his Doctor being characterised as one who started out rude and grumpy, with a short fuse, but who grew and mellowed over time, into the perfect embodiment of kindness and love.

2018–present: Post–''Doctor Who''

Capaldi's post–''Doctor Who'' has partially involved voice acting: in 2018, he voiced

Rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

in the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

film ''

Christopher Robin Christopher Robin is a character created by A. A. Milne, based on his son Christopher Robin Milne. The character appears in the author's popular books of poetry and ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' stories, and has subsequently appeared in various Disney ...

'', and the next year he narrated

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

version of ''

Watership Down ''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Hampshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natur ...

'' and ''Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth'', winning an AudioFile Earphones award for his narration on both books. He also narrated an audiobook version of ''

Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also published as ''1984'') is a dystopian novel and cautionary tale by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final completed book. Thematically ...

'' in 2021, and voiced the recurring character Seamus McGregor in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' Big Mouth'' in 2022. Capaldi's live-action projects have included playing the role of Mr Micawber in '' The Personal History of David Copperfield'', a comedy-drama film based on the novel by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

, in 2019 and elderly incarnation of the writer and soldier

Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World ...

in Terence Davies's biographical drama ''

Benediction A benediction (, 'well' + , 'to speak') is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the exposition of the eucharisti ...

'' in 2021. He starred in the 2021

DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...

superhero film '' The Suicide Squad'' as

. While filming, Capaldi wrote and recorded

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

for his debut solo studio album ''St. Christopher'', released through Monks Road Records that year on 19 November. Starting 2022 and 2024, he has been starring in the TV series ''

The Devil's Hour ''The Devil's Hour'' is a British drama thriller television series created by Tom Moran, and executive produced by Sue Vertue and Steven Moffat through their production company Hartswood Films. The first series consists of six episodes, and ...

'' and the

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

crime thriller series ''

Criminal Record A criminal record (not to be confused with a police record or arrest record) is a record of a person's criminal Conviction, convictions history. The information included in a criminal record, and the existence of a criminal record, varies betwe ...

'' respectively, the latter of which he also produces. Capaldi said that he was a fan of crime shows, but that often there is not much character development over the course of the show; therefore, they created a show where the plot changes the character and has a real impact on their life. As such, the show was characterised by Scott Roxborough of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' as "more interested in contemplating issues such as those of race, gender and other institutional disorders, in an ever increasing, politically polarized Britain." In 2025, he played the older Cameron Walker in the ''Black Mirror'' episode "Plaything". In addition, Capaldi made his return to theatre and directing: stage acting in a revival of ''Constellations'' in 2021, acting against

Zoë Wanamaker Zoë Wanamaker (born 13 May 1949) is an American-born British actress who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Wanamaker was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 by Qu ...

; and directed a pilot for a TV series titled ''They F**k You Up'', though it remained unsold, in 2022.

Personal life

Capaldi married Elaine Collins in

Strathblane Strathblane (, ) is a village and List of civil parishes in Scotland, parish in the registration county of Stirling, situated in the southwestern part of the Stirling (council area), Stirling council area, in central Scotland. It lies at the foo ...

near his home city of Glasgow in 1991. Together they have a daughter, and two grandsons born in 2021 and 2023. Capaldi and Collins live together in

Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, London, Highgate, Hampstead Garden ...

, London. Singer-songwriter

Lewis Capaldi Lewis Marc Capaldi (born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. In March 2019, his single "Someone You Loved" (2018) topped the UK Singles Chart where it remained for seven weeks, and in November 2019, it reached number ...

is his distant cousin, and the two have worked together on one of the video versions of Lewis' " Someone You Loved". It was made in partnership with the charity organisation ''Live Life Give Life'', in order to raise awareness for the issue of organ donation. He grew up

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

but is now an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

. In 2015, Capaldi alongside

Cate Blanchett Catherine Élise Blanchett ( ; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor and producer. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognised for Cate Blanchett on screen and stage, her versatile work across stage and scre ...

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...

, and

Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Colin Firth, several accolades, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA Aw ...

supported the United Nations' refugee agency

UNHCR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and Humanitarian protection, protect refugees, Internally displaced person, forcibly displaced communities, and Statelessness, s ...

to help raise awareness about the global refugee crisis. He subsequently appeared with them and others in the video ''"What They Took With Them"'', which saw the actors reading a poem, inspired by primary accounts of refugees and part of UNHCR's #WithRefugees campaign, and which included a petition to governments to expand asylum and to provide further shelter, integrating job opportunities, and education. In October 2022, he voiced his support for

Scottish independence Scottish independence (; ) is the idea of Scotland regaining its independence and once again becoming a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom. The term Scottish independence refers to the political movement that is campaignin ...

. He told ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'': "It used not to be something I was particularly drawn to. I've lived in London for most of my life, and always loved

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

and

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

and

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

. But after the relentlessness of the past 12 years, everything we have been put through, it might just be time to go home and be a part of that." Capaldi holds dual citizenship; following

Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...

, he acquired Italian citizenship by descent through his paternal grandfather who hailed from Picinisco.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Awards and nominations

Capaldi has been nominated for various awards including three

nominations' and one win' for Malcolm Tucker in ''In the Thick of It.'' He won an

for his short film '' Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life.'' He was given an award for "Outstanding Contribution to Film & Television" at the Scottish BAFTAs.

References

External links

* * *
Guardian Film Profile

Article on Capaldi's support of Cancer Charities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capaldi, Peter 1958 births 20th-century Scottish male actors 20th-century Scottish male singers 21st-century Scottish male actors 21st-century Scottish male singers Actors from the London Borough of Haringey Audiobook narrators Best Male Comedy Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners Directors of Live Action Short Film Academy Award winners Former Roman Catholics Italian Scottish musicians Living people Male actors from Glasgow Naturalised citizens of Italy Alumni of the Glasgow School of Art People educated at St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch People from Muswell Hill People from Springburn People of Lazian descent Scottish atheists Scottish film directors Scottish male film actors Scottish male stage actors Scottish male television actors Scottish male video game actors Scottish male voice actors Scottish people of Irish descent Scottish people of Italian descent Scottish screenwriters Scottish television directors Scottish television producers