British actor Matt Smith (aka the 11th Dr. Who) will soon play gay writer Christopher Isherwood in a stage production based on Isherwood’s memoir, Christopher And His Kind. The memoir follows the writer as he traipses around Europe sleeping with working class boys and helping his Aryan boyfriend Heinz escape the Nazi draft board. It might seem an odd move for Smith to go from science-fiction hero to slutty gay memoirist, except that Dr. Who is already a pretty gay show.
Dr. Who is the longest running and most successful sci-fi TV series of all time. That is has an enormous LGBT fan base is either cause or effect. The time- and planet-hopping doctor comes from an alien race with 13 lives (making him easy to replace whenever need be) and queer fans have created a very lengthy webpage dedicated entirely to recounting Dr. Who‘s every single LGBT moment. The good doctor keeps his hands full with single-sex communities, gender-bending aliens, S&M-esque hostage scenarios, and lots of intimate moments with his traveling companions.
When Queer As Folk creator Russell T. Davies took over as lead writer in the series’ 2005 revival, the show became even gayer with openly LGBT characters like bisexual Captain Jack Harkness (played by gay actor John Barrowman). Harkness is a randy fellow smitten by the Doc; he served alongside the 10th Doctor (played by actor David Tennant who took his stage name from gay Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant). And while Dr. Who himself doesn’t tend to get romantically involved (his alien race isn’t always well attuned to human emotions), if his 11th incarnation is gonna play as the famous gay author, he’d better get started.
Isherwood’s works have been adapted several times to stage and screen with the movies Cabaret, Tom Ford’s A Single Man, and the stage play I Am A Camera. But all those adaptations are based on books Isherwood wrote in the 50s and 60s when he had to encode homosexuality or else face non-publication and persecution. His 1976 memoir marked the first time he openly discussed his gay exploits and though he never gets very explicit, it’s likely that audiences may get a peek at Dr. Who’s sonic screwdriver.
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David Ehrenstein
“Slutty”? Now really! Isherwood had tons of fun in his youth, but when he settled down with Don he settled down. Smith looks to be a good choice.
EdWoody
Two points – Jack Harkness started with the 9th Doctor before also working with the 10th. And Jack also mentioned having “spent time with” Christopher Isherwood in one episode of his DW-spinoff Torchwood.
carsen tyler
Matt Smith has already played gay characters and did some drag stuff as well, I am sure there will be no issues.
http://community.livejournal.com/capslock_tardis/84764.html has a pic of him in drag. Us fangirls have a ton of time on hands.
fredo777
he’s got such a strange face to me.
DX
He’s British. That should answer your question.
Ron
“Christoper and His Kind” is a one of the all-time great, must-read books. Isherwood retraces his official biography, this time filling in the blanks (speaking of himself in the third person) with what REALLY was going on. It was a revelation when it came out in the ’70s, and still stands the test. Very hot. I’m so glad it hasn’t been forgotten.
thousandfold
@DX: I agree. He looks like a plastic surgery victim in stills. It’s not as disconcerting when he’s in motion, but either way, he’s a downgrade in the looks department from David Tennant.
The Doctor only has 13 lives? Who would’ve thought Queerty’d school me on one of my favorite shows? Wonder if the show’s going to make it to the point where they have to deal with that limitation?
As for love interests: the Doctor has been in love with at least one of his companions, Rose.