Does Matt Smith, who is the latest actor to play the doctor in the British sci-fi TV series Doctor Who, have a favorite from his predecessors?
—Ben Harper, Honolulu, Hawaii
Smith's favorite is the late Patrick Troughton, who portrayed the doctor from 1966 to 1969, with reoccurrences in 1973, 1983 and 1985. Smith, who turns 29 Oct. 28, is the youngest of the actors to play the role, and he says it works to his favor. "I think there's a sort of an interesting contradiction of having a young face and an old soul. There's something very funny about it, and it allows you to reinvent being old. When I first took the part on, obviously, that was an area of contention for some of the diehard fans."
