Is That 'WHO' It Sounds Like?: Seven Animated Characters Voiced by 'Doctor Who' Actors

Actors who have played Doctors or companions on the much loved sci-fi series Doctor Who often remain loved by the fandom long after they leave the show, with some fans so committed that they will follow the actors in any new projects they take on. Recently, fans may have found themselves following the actors to some unexpected places.

As the years go by, voice work is becoming an increasingly respected part of the acting industry, with many big name stars taking on voice roles in animated films or series. This phenomenon includes former Doctor Who stars.

Here are seven animated characters voiced by Doctor Who actors.

1. Scrooge McDuck (David Tennant)

David Tennant, aka the much-loved Tenth Doctor, is no stranger to voice acting, having voiced Spitelout, Father of Snotlout in the How To Train Your Dragon franchise, Jack the Lord Commander in the series Final Space, and minor roles in a number of other series including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Wars: The CloneWars. However, he scored what was likely his biggest voice role yet in 2017, when he was cast as Disney icon Scrooge McDuck in the highly anticipated Ducktales reboot.

While Tennant was a popular choice, he had very big shoes to fill. He was the first actor to be voicing Scrooge in an ongoing series since the character's previous actor, Alan Young, had died in 2016. Thankfully, Tennant's performance as Scrooge was well received by both fans and critics. He voiced Scrooge in all three seasons of the Ducktales reboot, which ran from 2017 to 2020, and reprised the role in an official podcast continuation of the series, This Duckburg Life, in 2021.

Interestingly, Tennant is not the only former Doctor Who star to appear in the Ducktales reboot.

2. Magica DeSpell (Catherine Tate)

First appearing in Carl Barks's Scrooge McDuck comic strips, Magica De Spell became more widely known after becoming a recurring villain in the original Ducktales series. Voiced by June Foray, Magica regularly attempted to steal Scrooge's Number One Dime, believing it was the key to his wealth.

Magica De Spell was brought back as the main villain in season one of the Ducktales reboot, and remained as a recurring villain in the later seasons. Sadly, Foray had passed away before the series entered production, so Catherine Tate was cast as the new voice of Magica.

This reunited Tate with her Doctor Who co-star David Tennant, having played companion Donna Noble alongside Tennant's Tenth Doctor. Scenes in which Scrooge and Magica interact were a special treat for any Who fans watching Ducktales, as the actors' comedic chemistry is still very much intact.

3. Matilda McDuck (Michelle Gomez)

The Ducktales reboot was popular with fans of the classic Scrooge comics for bringing many characters who had spent most of their history confined to comic pages, including Donald's cousin Fethry Duck, to life onscreen. The season three episode 'The Fight For Castle McDuck!' included the first animated appearance of Scrooge's younger sister, Matilda McDuck. The siblings spend much of the episode feuding, until they are forced to work together to fight The Phantom Blot.

Matilda was voiuced by Michelle Gomez, known for playing Missy, a female incarnation of The Master, alongside Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor in Doctor Who. While Gomez never shared the screen with David Tennant, it was still fun for Whovians to see the pair face off in the Ducktales setting.

Aside from bringing Matilda to life, Gomez has also recently voiced an iconic Disney villain.

4. Cruella De Vil (Michelle Gomez)

The animated series 101 Dalmatian Street is an unofficial sequel to the 101 Dalmatians animated films. The series stars a new family of 101 dogs, descendants of Pongo and Perdita, living in a house on the titular street.

Towards the end of the series, an elderly Cruella De Vil, voiced by Michelle Gomez, appears, seeking revenge on Pongo and Perdy's family. While reception for the series as a whole was mixed, most fans agreed that Gomez was the perfect choice to voice Cruella.

5. Rabbit in 'Christopher Robin' (Peter Capaldi)

In 2018, seven years since the bear with very little brain had graced the big screen, the Winnie The Pooh franchise was reimagined in Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin is a live-action/CGI hybrid, set long after the original animated films, and sees Pooh lure the overworked adult Christopher Robin back to the Hundred-Acre Wood to help him rediscover his sense of fun and imagination.

Aside from Pooh and Tigger, both still voiced by Jim Cummings, the Hundred-Acre Wood residents were recast for the film. Rabbit was voiced by Peter Capaldi, known for playing the Twelfth Doctor in Doctor Who. As Rabbit is not a toy, but a real rabbit able to show some age over time, fans enjoyed the world-weariness Capaldi brought to the character, despite Rabbit's small amount of screentime.

Later in 2018, Capaldi voiced Kehaar, an injured gull befriended by the main group of rabbits, in the BBC's Watership Down mini-series.

6. Quickshadow, 'Transformers: Rescue Bots' (Alex Kingston)

Early in its fourth and final season, Transformers: Rescue Bots introduced a new character to the team. Quickshadow, an Autobot sent by Optimus Prime to help out the team, initially rubbed many of her fellow Rescue Bots the wrong way. She was an undercover bot used to working alone, and took some time to gel with the team. However, over time, the team adapts to Quickshadow's presence and learns to appreciate the extra skills she brings to the Rescue Bots.

Quickshadow was voiced by Alex Kingston, whom Whovians will know best for her role as The Doctor's Wife, River Song. While Kingston is mostly known for her live-action roles, she is no stranger to performing with just her voice. Aside from the role of Quickshadow, Kingston voiced Vlurgen in an episode of the Disney XD series Penn Zero: Part Time Hero, and reprises her role as River Song in a series of Audio Dramas for Big Finish Productions.

7. The Bendu, 'Star Wars: Rebels' (Tom Baker)

Introduced in season three of Star Wars: Rebels, The Bendu is a powerful ancient being with power in the Force. It is a Force wielder, but neither a Jedi or a Sith. It exists in between, to centre and balance the Force, and was awakened from a long slumber by detecting the imbalance within Kanan Jarrus, who was struggling to cope with being blinded, and struggling to reconnect with his increasingly troubled Padawan, Ezra.

The Bendu was voiced by Classic Doctor Who star Tom Baker, aka the Fourth Doctor. Baker was the perfect choice for the wise, mysterious creature.

With the increasing prestige to be found in voice acting, we're sure to see more Doctor Who stars taking up voice work in the future.

Keep an ear out for more familiar voices!