Doctor Who Vs. V For Vendetta

People should not be afraid

of their governments.

Governments should be

afraid of their people.

Based on Alan Moore's cult

graphic novel, this British fantasy

thriller (from the makers of The

Matrix) was shown on (the

Discovery network's) DMAX

channel last night.

Warner Bros' UK cinematic

release was originally scheduled

for November 2005 to coincide

with the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, which inspired the

titular V.

Set in a futuristic, dystopian Britian ruled by a totalitarian regime, Evey

Hammond (played by Natalie Portman) is rescued from the secret police

- the corrupt Fingermen - by a ruthless freedom fighter in a stylised Guy

Fawkes mask, known only as V (portrayed by Hugo Weaving).

V For Vendetta illustrator David Lloyd later stated that the "Guy Fawkes

mask has now become a brand and placard to protest against tyranny,

[its] an icon of popular culture" (and has since been adopted by the

Anonymous activist group).

The film also starred John Hurt (as the Big Brother-like leader of the

fascist Norsefire Party, Chancellor Sutler), Stephen Rea, Roger Allam,

Ben Miles, Eddie Marsan, and twenty-four Doctor Who cast and crew

connections:

• James [Brian Mark] Purefoy was originally cast as V but left the role six weeks into production - he later voiced Count Dracula for Big Finish's Son of the Dragon (2007)
• Rupert Graves (Dominic) was John Riddell in Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
• Stephen [John] Fry (Dietrich) voiced the Minister of Chance for Death Comes to Time, and was C in (part 1 of) Spyfall
• Tim [Peter] Pigott-Smith (Creedy) was Captain Harker in The Claws of Axos, and Marco in The Masque of Mandragora
• Guy Henry (Heyer) voiced Director Ikron for Infamy of the Zaross (2017)
• John [Ronald] Standing [born Leon] (Lilliman) voiced Fenric for Gods and Monsters (2012), and Professor Threadstone for Vampire of the Mind (2016)
• Cosima Shaw (Patricia) was Steffi Ehrlich in The Waters of Mars
• Derek Hutchinson (Bureaucrat) voiced Altus for The Burning Prince (2012), Usher for A Life in the Day, Brother Callis for Eye of Darkness (both 2015), Geoff Evans for Black Thursday (2019), and Dr. Brownlow for No Place Like Home (2024)
• Michael Simkins (CS Bradley) voiced Raxxil for The Planet of Witches (2020)
• Amelda Brown (Mistress) voiced Margaret for The Gunpowder Plot
• John [Henry] Ringham (Old Man) was Tlotoxl in The Aztecs, Josiah Blake in The Smugglers, and Robert Ashe in Colony in Space
• Madeleine Rakic-Platt (Young Evey) was Ella in Forest of the Dead, and Lily Frobisher in Torchwood: Children of Earth
• Paul Antony-Barber (Father) was Kendrick in Rise of the Cybermen
• Richard Laing (Lieutenant) voiced Ukarme for The Mind's Eye (2007), Clerks for Dead London (2008), and Lieson Tilpractice Frong/Skorpios/ Geoff for The Doomsday Contract (2021)
• Matthew Bates (Fedco Man) voiced Overseer Thracken for Forever (2011), and Russell Courtland for The Tears of Isis (2015)
• Greg Donaldson (Operator) voiced Telligan for Dalek Empire 3 (2004), Coach Bela Destry for The Game (2005), and David for Power Play (2012)
• Peter Walpole was also a set decorator on the first five instalments of the revived series in 2005
• Lesley Smith (stylist) began her career as a make-up assistant on State of Decay
• technician Andy Hagon was a foley mixer on The Empty Child
• Stuart Clark was a stuntman on Dalek, Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways too
• James O'Donnell was also a stuntman on Rise of the Cybermen, The Age of Steel, Army of Ghosts and Doomsday
• Rocky Taylor and Christopher Fosh both worked on The Idiot's Lantern, as stuntman and voice over artist respectively
• Andy Smart was also a stuntman on Evolution of the Daleks and Let's Kill Hitler