Doctor Who - Nightmare in Silver - 7:00 pm Saturday, April 11 on BBC Three

Matt Smith (Actor) .. The Doctor

Born: October 28, 1982 in Northampton

Best Known For: Being the current Doctor Who.

Early-life: Matthew Robert Smith was born on October 28, 1982, in Northampton. A promising footballer from a young age, he played for the youth teams at Northampton Town, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City. He looked set for a professional career until a back injury scuppered his chances. A teacher encouraged him to act, and although reluctant at first, he eventually joined the National Youth Theatre. He also studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia. At the same time, his professional stage career began to take off, and he was allowed to miss lectures during his final year so that he could work.

Career: Smith's first professional roles came in the plays Fresh Kills, opposite Christian Slater, and On the Shore of the Wide World. He appeared with Slater again in Swimming with Sharks, and also featured in The History Boys. He was part of the Olivier Award-nominated cast of That Face. His TV roles include The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North and Secret Diary of a Call Girl, all alongside ex-Doctor Who assistant Billie Piper. He also starred in political drama Party Animals, and made his debut as the 11th Doctor Who in 2010. He was the youngest actor to play the part, but will bow out at Christmas, when he'll be replaced by Peter Capaldi. Other projects include Christopher and His Kind, Bert and Dickie, Womb, and the forthcoming How to Catch a Monster. He will return to the West End stage in 2014 to play the lead in a musical version of American Psycho.

Quote: 'I'm tired of television that's patronising and silly. I think Doctor Who is brave and it's inviting, challenging. For me anyway; I can only speak personally.'

Trivia: He's a Blackburn Rovers supporter and loves the band Radiohead.

Jenna Coleman (Actor) .. Clara

Born: April 27, 1986 in Blackpool

Best Known For: Playing Clara in Doctor Who.

Early-life: Born Jenna-Louise Coleman in Blackpool on April 27, 1986. She has an older brother called Ben and was head girl at her comprehensive school. While still at school she began appearing with local theatre group Yer Space, and won an award at the Edinburgh Festival for her performance in one of the organisation's plays. Jenna was auditioning for drama schools when she landed the part of Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale in 2005. She relocated to Leeds and ended up staying on the soap for nearly four years, appearing in 168 episodes.

Career: Coleman went on to have a recurring role in Waterloo Road, but claims that playing a schoolgirl at the age of 23 was 'surreal'. She went on to appear in Julian Fellowes' ITV mini-series Titanic and starred in a BBC Four adaptation of John Braine's novel Room at the Top. She made her film debut in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Her profile increased significantly in 2012 when it was announced that she would play the companion in Doctor Who. Away from the sci-fi drama, she has starred in Stephen Poliakoff's Dancing on the Edge and the three-part drama Death Comes to Pemberley. In 2013 she dropped 'Louise' from her name and is now known as Jenna Coleman.

Quote: 'I'd love to work across all three fields - theatre, film and TV.'

Trivia: Coleman was nominated for a number of soap awards during her time on Emmerdale, including Most Popular Newcomer at the 2007 National Television Awards.

Eve De Leon Allen (Actor) .. Angie

Kassius Carey Johnson (Actor) .. Artie

Jason Watkins (Actor) .. Webley

Born: July 30, 1963 in Albrighton near Wolverhampton

Best Known For: Trollied, and The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.

Early-life: Jason Barrington Watkins was born in Albrighton near Wolverhampton on July 30th, 1963 to Alan and Avis. His father is from Cleethorpes and his mother is from Manchester. Jason was brought up in London. Drama teachers at his Hounslow comprehensive encouraged him to pursue a career in acting. He was accepted into Rada at the same time as Ralph Fiennes, Jane Horrocks and Neil Dudgeon.

Career: Watkins has played supporting roles for most of his career. He has made guest appearances in Soldier Soldier, Casualty, The Bill, William and Mary, Life on Mars, and Lewis among many others. In 2011, he began playing store manager Gavin Strong in Sky1 sitcom Trollied. In 2014, he played his first lead role in The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies. His film credits include Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Onegin (1999), Confetti (2006), The Golden Compass (2007), Wild Child (2008), Lost Christmas (2011), and Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?! (2014).

Quote: 'I got quite close to the world record, when I was about 12 or 13, of running the length of a basketball court on my hands.'

Trivia: Watkins was nominated for an Olivier award in 2001 for his performance in A Servant for Two Masters.

Warwick Davis (Actor) .. Porridge

Born: February 03, 1970 in Epsom, Surrey

Best Known For: The sitcom Life's Too Short.

Early-life: Warwick Ashley Davis was born in Epsom, Surrey, on February 3, 1970, with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare form of dwarfism. Aged 11, his grandmother heard a radio advert seeking actors of a certain height to be in Return of the Jedi. Warwick landed the key role of Wicket the Ewok, later reprising it for two TV movies. In 1987, he was cast as the eponymous hero of Ron Howard's fantasy adventure Willow, and also featured in BBC adaptations of CS Lewis's Narnia books.

Career: History later repeated itself when Davis landed bit parts in Star Wars: Episode One, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Over the past 30 years he has become one of Britain's most in-demand actors, featuring in Jack the Giant Slayer; the Leprechaun movies; several Harry Potter films; Ricky Gervais projects Extras, Life's Too Short, and An Idiot Abroad, and Oscar-winning drama Ray. More recently he's been involved in ITV projects Perspectives: Warwick Davis - The Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz, and Weekend Escapes with Warwick Davis. In 2014, he hosted a relaunched version of quiz show Celebrity Squares.

Quote: 'The world worries about disability more than disabled people do.'

Trivia: He runs the talent agency Willow Management, which represents actors under five feet tall.

Tamzin Outhwaite (Actor) .. Captain

Born: November 05, 1970 in Ilford, Essex

Best Known For: Playing Mel in EastEnders.

Early-life: Tamzin Outhwaite was born on November 5, 1970, in Ilford, Essex. Her mother is Italian. She discovered her love of performing at a young age and would put on plays with her two younger brothers. She became involved with local amateur dramatics in her teens and admits that her schoolwork suffered, although she always did well in drama. After taking her O-levels at 16, Outhwaite signed up for a three-year acting course at the London Studio Centre, where she was voted Most Outstanding All-Rounder.

Career: Outhwaite took small parts in various West End productions and also appeared on TV in The Bill and Men Behaving Badly. Her big break came in 1997, when dramatist Alan Ayckbourn spotted her in the chorus of a musical and offered her the lead role in his play Absent Friends. She then played the part of Melanie Healy in EastEnders for three years. Since leaving Walford, she has starred in the dramas Red Cap and Final Demand, and won rave reviews for her performance as a single mum in the improvised drama Out of Control. Other work includes an appearance in Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me, Doctor Who and Marple. She has also appeared on the stage in revivals of Boeing Boeing and Sweet Charity, and is the lead actress in New Tricks.

Quote: 'Fame's scary sometimes. I'm just thankful I'd had eight years as a jobbing actress before it happened to me. I'd have worried about my sanity if I'd been 19 or 20.'

Eloise Joseph (Actor) .. Beauty

Will Merrick (Actor) .. Brains

Calvin Dean (Actor) .. Ha-Ha

Zahra Ahmadi (Actor) .. Missy

Aidan Cook (Actor) .. Cyberman

Marcus Wilson (Producer)

Stephen Woolfenden (Director)

Neil Gaiman (Writer)

Steven Moffat (Executive producer)

Caroline Skinner (Executive producer)

Doctor Who: Nightmare in Silver

7:00 pm - 7:45 pm, Saturday, April 11 on BBC Three (23)

About this Broadcast

Nightmare in Silver
Season 7, Episode 13

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