50 Actors Who Could Play the Next Doctor on Doctor Who

Dramatic in both performance and look, Janet Montgomery was aces in “Salem”. (Photo: WGN America)

Janet Montgomery

There are many women who would make fantastic choices to play Doctor Who’s Thirteenth Doctor. (So, so many women. Why have you taken this long, show?) actress Janet Montgomery is one of them. She’s also someone that you’ve likely never seriously considered for the role. Probably because you’re not entirely sure who she is, but that’s a problem that’s easy enough to fix.

Montgomery’s had several notable TV appearances, including roles on Human Target, Black Mirror, Spies of Warsaw, Dancing on the Edge and This is Us. She’s the sort of actress who’s been in a lot of things you may have seen. She just hasn’t exactly had a breakout mainstream role yet. This is a shame, because she’s a tremendously talented actress who basically seems as though she could handle anything, you throw at her, performance-wise. In short: It’s the perfect for her to land a big, splashy role in Doctor Who.

Montgomery just recently wrapped her biggest role to date, a three-year run on WGN America witch drama Salem. In it, she played Mary Sibley, the dark coven leader who did everything from lie to steal to murder to further her own ambitions. (There was maybe some literal selling her soul to Satan in there too.) But no matter how grisly her character’s actions, Montgomery’s performance still kept Mary sympathetic. And she’s an incredible ugly crier. Not that I think the first female Doctor should have to cry all the time. But it’s an emotional show, and things happen. And Montgomery’s the kind of nuanced performer that could pull it off.