Mark Bonnar, best known for his role in Shetland, has expressed a desire for his Doctor Who villain, The Eleven, to go up against Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor. Bonnar has played the renegade Time Lord in Big Finish audio dramas since 2015, earning a dedicated fan following despite not yet appearing on the television series.
The Eleven is a Time Lord whose previous incarnations all coexist within his mind. Bonnar's next appearance will be in the September release Doctor Who: The Eleven, where he will face the Sixth Doctor, played by Colin Baker. In an interview with Big Finish's Vortex magazine, Bonnar shared his enthusiasm for working with different Doctors and his hope to record a box set with Tom Baker.
“It’s great to work with the Doctors,” Bonnar said. “As the Eleven I’ve only worked with three so far – Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and Colin – and it’s very interesting to see how they deal with the Eleven as they all do it very differently! ... I would love to face Tom Baker as the Eleven and record a big box set with him. He’s my Doctor!”
The character has been popular since his debut in the Eighth Doctor mini-series Doom Coalition, with some fans calling for an on-screen appearance. Bonnar reflected on the surreal experience, saying, “It never stops being slightly surreal that I’m in this and that people love the Eleven. I love the Eleven! He’s a fantastic character, a fantastic creation.”
Bonnar previously appeared in the TV series in 2011, playing a different character in the two-parter The Almost People/The Rebel Flesh. The full interview is available in the next issue of Vortex, free from bigfinish.com and the Big Finish app from 1st August.
