Sir Ian McKellen to guest star in the ‘Doctor Who’ Christmas Special

By, Heather Maloney

Whovians around the world are counting down the days until Christmas. Yes of course for the presents and time spent with the family, but even more so for the new “Doctor Who” Christmas special “The Snowmen”. While “Doctor Who” is known for its creepy ‘hide behind the couch’ episodes, usually the Christmas special is a bit more magical then terrifying. However, from what has so far been revealed about “The Snowman” many children will indeed be more comfortable behind the sofa. On Saturday, Radio Timesreleased details about the guest stars for this year’s television event.

Sir Ian McKellen – The voice of the Snowmen

Just when we thought “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” was all we would see of Sir Ian McKellen in December, it has been revealed that he will voice the terrifying Snowmen in this year’s holiday special. A star of stage and screen, McKellen is a Tony Award winning actor who has graced our screens in such breathtaking movies as the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the “X-Men” movies and “Gods and Monsters”. Sir McKellen’s deep voice will lend an eerie foreboding to the Snowmen and increasing the scary factor exponentially.

Richard E Grant – Dr. Simeon

No stranger to “Doctor Who”, Richard E Grant will be back to appear in “The Snowmen” as Dr. Simeon. Previously he voiced The Doctor in the 2003 animated television mini-series “Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka” and also played The Doctor in the 1999 comedy sketch “Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death”.

Tom Ward- Captain Latimer

Joining the cast as Captain Latimer, resident of the Darkover House, is television actor Tom Ward. While he is largely known for his role of Dr. Harry Cunningham on “Silent Witness”, he also appeared in the mini-series “Pride and Prejudice”.

While anticipation is growing for “The Snowmen”, fans of the show are searching high and low for snippets of information about the episode. While the plot itself is being kept secret, the guest star news revealed even adds more excitement and suspense to the already torturous wait.