Departing 'Doctor Who' Star Wants 'Harry Potter' Actress as First Female Lead

Days after news arrived that Peter Capaldi would end his run as the 12th Doctor Who, the 58-year-old Scottish actor has his ideal successor. “The time felt right to bow out, to let somebody else play this wonderful role," he told The Mirror, "and I would like Frances de la Tour to be first female doctor.”

De la Tour would be the first woman to lead the series, which premiered in 1963. She's most globally known as Madame Maxime in 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; the 72-year-old England native also appeared in 2010's Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Her recent TV and film credits include The Collection, Vicious, Hugo and Alice in Wonderland.

Billie Piper, who played Doctor Who's sidekick in the David Tennant days (2005-10), told the BBC that if a woman isn't chosen as the Doc, it'll "feel like a snub." She added, “I think it would be great given the spirit of the world at the moment. I think it would be timely."