On this date in 1982, actor Matthew Robert Smith was born in Northampton, England. Smith originally intended to be a soccer player, but after suffering from career-ending back injuries and advice from his theater teacher, he turned to acting instead. He joined England’s National Youth Theatre and went on to study creative writing and drama at the University of East Anglia.
Smith is most famous for his portrayal of the 11th reincarnation of The Doctor on BBC’s “Doctor Who,” the longest running science fiction show in history. He was the youngest actor (at 26) to play the role but fans and critics responded most positively to his performance.
He has received many honors and awards, including a BAFTA nomination in 2010 for “Doctor Who.” He has also appeared in the BBC’s adaptations of Philip Pullman’s “The Ruby in the Smoke” and “The Shadow in the North” and had a major role in BBC’s “Party Animals,” a political drama. In film he starred in “Womb” (2010) and “Terminator Genisys” (2015). It was announced in 2019 that he had roles in Sony’s “Spider-Man” spinoff “Morbius” and Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho.”
Smith is active in BBC’s two charities, Children in Need and Sports Relief, which help children and vulnerable people, respectively. In 2015 he was named one of GQ’s 50 Best-Dressed British Men.
