Properly portraying specific Doctors?

[fezfan]

I feel very intimidated by the prospect of roleplaying as the Doctor, but my gf is a huge 11 fan and I know she'd prefer her character traveled with him. What recommendations do you all have for roleplaying a specific Doctor, especially 11?

[ninjaconor]

It can be pretty tough playing a specific Doctor and you'll probably never get everything right, but I find it really helps if you just find one or two gestures of theirs to latch onto. For example, if I ever have to play 11 I wiggle my fingers a lot when I talk or if I play 4 I do a big toothy grin with a slightly unsettling stare. If you feel you're starting to go too far off character then just throw one of the gestures and get yourself back on track.

I don't know if you want to try to do voices or accents, because that can be quite tough. I'm better at some than others and usually just go for a vague approximation. A good trick to get someone's voice though is to listen for the noise that they make when they're thinking of how to answer a question (e.g. hmmmm..., ehhhhh... , ahhhhmmmm....) and try to copy it yourself. Then try and keep your tongue in roughly the same part of your mouth when you speak.

[Stormcrow]

I suggest not trying too hard; imagination fills in a lot, and too much wrong sticks out like a sore thumb. A figure of speech here and a gesture there is plenty.