Withnail and I actor joins Doctor Who Christmas special

 
Richard E Grant has been announced as a guest star in this years BBC One Doctor Who Christmas Special alongside Silent Witness actor, Tom Ward.

The actor best know for his role in the film ‘Withnail and I‘ and more recently ‘The Iron Lady‘ will play a villain in the festive episode that will also see the arrival of the Doctor’s new companion Jenna Louise-Coleman.

An insider told The Sun: “The Doctor Who Christmas specials are famous for being stand-out episodes and this year’s will be no different.

“It will have a really festive feel and Richard will be great as a baddie.”

The guest role will be Grant’s third outing in the hit sci-fi show after he played the Doctor twice previously. First he voiced the Doctor in the 40th Anniversary animated webcast ‘Scream Of The Shalka‘ in 2003, and then in the Comic Relief sketch Doctor Who And ‘The Curse Of Fatal Death‘ in 1999, which was penned by Steven Moffat as his first Doctor Who script.

Grant said: “I played Doctor Who in the digital animated Scream Of The Shalka episode and I’m honoured to be in the Christmas special.”

The episode will be directed by Upstairs Downstairs Saul Metzstein with Doctor Who series 7 returning at the end of this month.