Christopher Eccleston (; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor. He is known for his work in various social realist television dramas, as well as for playing the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2005). Born in Salford, Eccleston first rose to prominence for his portrayal of Derek Bentley in the biographical film Let Him Have It (1991), and gained widespread recognition in the UK for his television roles in Cracker (1993–1994) and Our Friends in the North (1996), the latter earning him a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. He received a second nomination for the drama serial The Second Coming (2003) and an International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the anthology series Accused (2010). Eccleston earned two consecutive nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the Critics' Choice Television Awards for his role as Matt Jamison in the HBO series The Leftovers (2014–2017). He also portrayed Maurice Scott in the drama series The A Word (2016–2020) and Fagin in the family series Dodger (2022–present). Since 2021, Eccleston has reprised his Doctor Who role in licensed audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions. Eccleston appeared in the British films Shallow Grave (1994), Jude (1996), 24 Hour Party People, 28 Days Later (both 2002) and Legend (2015), as well as the Hollywood blockbusters Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and Thor: The Dark World (2013). On stage, he has played the title roles in Shakespeare's Hamlet (2002) and Macbeth (2018), and appeared in productions of Strindberg's Miss Julie (2000), Ibsen's A Doll's House (2009) and the Greek tragedy Antigone (2012).