Matt Smith is the future Doctor Who actor who unsuccessfully auditioned first for John Watson in Sherlock.
Smith auditioned for Watson while the BBC series was being developed by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Martin Freeman ultimately won the part, opposite Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes. Moffat later explained that Smith’s eccentric, energetic style seemed closer to Holmes than to the more grounded Watson the production needed.
The failed audition became a notable piece of television trivia because Smith was soon cast as the Eleventh Doctor. He auditioned for Doctor Who around the same period and impressed producer Steven Moffat and BBC executive Piers Wenger immediately. At 26, Smith became the youngest actor to play the Doctor when his casting was announced in 2009.
A common mix-up is assuming that a future Doctor Who actor played Watson. Smith auditioned for the role but never appeared as Watson; Martin Freeman remained the series’ Doctor John Watson throughout its main run.