It's official. After much speculation, Peter Capaldi was announced as the new Doctor Who on live television on Sunday evening.The Glaswegian actor's career has spanned over 30 years with roles in a variety of British sitcoms and dramas, including The Vicar of Dibley and Foyle's War. He is perhaps best known to TV audiences as Malcolm Tucker, star of the hit comedy series, The Thick of It.With several appearances in BBC's Torchwood and Doctor Who already under his belt, Peter's casting as the 12th Time Lord was welcomed by the show's devoted fans. He will take over from current Dr Who, Matt Smith in 2014, making his first appearance as the Doctor in this year's Christmas special.But what do we really know about the new Time Lord? As Peter celebrates securing the coveted role, HELLO! Online presents five facts you should know about the Scottish star...
Peter Capaldi
1. Born Peter Dougan Capaldi on 14 April 1958, the actor has gone on to win an Academy Award and BAFTA award for his work as an actor and film director. In 1995, his short film Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life won the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film.2. Peter is half Italian. His mother's family was from Killeshandra, County Cavan, Ireland, and his father's family is from Picinisco, Italy.
3. His audition for the role of Malcolm Tucker in British comedy The Thick of It was unconventional to say the least. Feeling that the show’s producers were making him "jump through hoops", Peter became visibly frustrated and angry after a time-consuming and laborious audition - which inadvertantly landed him the part. After witnessing his outburst, the programme’s creator, Armando Iannucci, decided he was perfect to play feared the spin doctor.4. Peter was the lead singer of punk rock band, Dreamboys, which included British comedian Craig Ferguson as the drummer, and Harry Potter storyboard artist Temple Clark as the bassist.
5. The actor found out that he would be the 12th Doctor Who while on holiday with his family. Speaking on the BBC's Live Special on Sunday, Peter admitted, "My agent rang me up and said: "Hello Doctor." I started laughing and haven't stopped laughing since."