Peter Capaldi once turned down the chance to play Doctor Who.
The 56-year-old actor has just completed his first run as the titular Time Lord in the BBC sci-fi show but has revealed he was invited to audition for the part when the 1996 TV movie was made, an opportunity he relinquished.
Speaking at a Q&A to launch the release of the Series 8 DVD in London, he said: "I turned down the opportunity to audition for the role of Doctor Who in the one that Paul McGann did."
McGann played the Eighth Doctor and although his performance in the San Francisco set film was lauded a new TV series was not commissioned afterwards, with fans having to wait until 2005 for Russell T. Davies' relaunch.
Explaining why he chose not to try out for the part he has wanted since he was a child, Capaldi said: "I knew I wouldn't get it. I just didn't want to have the disappointment, and go through all the palaver of jumping through hoops for something that I would never get ... I knew it was an American pilot thing, and I knew they would go for somebody who was well known, which Paul was."
He added: "I loved the show so much that I didn't want to have anything to do with it was going to be me!"
Showrunner Steven Moffat was surprised by Capaldi's revelation, exclaiming: "I'd never heard that before."
Moffat also revealed Capaldi will be back in the TARDIS in Series 9, saying: "Yes, he's confirmed."
Capaldi and Moffat were joined at the Q&A - which was preceded by a screening of 'Earth Conquest: The Doctor Who World Tour', a documentary about the 12-day promotional trip the cast went on in August - Jenna-Louise Coleman, Samuel Anderson and Michelle Gomez, while Frank Skinner hosted.
The 'Doctor Who' Series 8 DVD will be available from November 24.

Mark Wright had to visit a chiropractor before continuing on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
The former 'The Only Way Is Essex' star has come on leaps and bounds since the BBC One celebrity dance contest kicked off in September but he's admitted his partner Karen Hauer's tough training sessions have left him in need of medical attention.
He explained: "Putting in the hours is hard. My back has been killing me. I've had to have it cracked to be able to do a show."
The 27-year-old hunk - who is engaged to former 'Coronation Street' actress Michelle Keegan - impressed judges Bruno Tonioli, Darcey Bussell, Craig Revel Horwood and Len Goodman with his Charleston to 'We No Speak Americano' at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool on the weekend, receiving a score of 36.
However, The Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge, Pixie Lott, Blue star Simon Webbe and former 'Xtra Factor' host Caroline Flack all beat him to take the top four spots on the leaderboard.
Meanwhile, the TV and radio presenter has revealed he and Michelle will be having two Christmases this year - one with his family in Essex and one with hers near Manchester.
He said: "We'll be doing the rounds".

Robert De Niro has confirmed that he will work with David O. Russell again in 'Joy'.
The 71-year-old actor worked with the director on 'Silver Linings Playbook' and 'American Hustle', and will once again reunite with the filmmaker for 'Joy'.
De Niro's co-star from the two films Jennifer Lawrence which also star and shooting is due to begin next week.
Speaking at a press conference in Rome for documentary 'Remembering the Artist' - about the artist Robert De Niro Sr. - the actor was asked if he'd be making another film with Russell and Jennifer, to which he replied: "Yes I am going to do something with them. I am going to play a father."
'Joy' will tell the story of a struggling single mother Joy Mangano - who is expected to be played by 'The Hunger Games' actress Lawrence - in the Long Island area of New York, who became one of the top entrepreneurs in the US after inventing the Miracle Mop.
As well as De Niro and Lawrence, Bradley Cooper is expected to have a cameo appearance in the movie, with Russell explaining he always creates a role for the 'The Hangover' actor in his films.
In a recent interview with Go magazine, the 56-year-old filmmaker said: "We're going to take some risks we haven't taken before, in storytelling and cinematically.
"Of course I always create a role for Bradley. I try to have things people have never done. Then they can get excited, and it's exciting for audiences. That's what makes it daring in some way (sic)."

Coldplay's 'A Sky Full of Stars' was inspired by Katy Perry.
The group's singer, Chris Martin, was fascinated by the way the 'Roar' hitmaker maintains a similar chord sequence with a "groove" on top and used a similar approach when writing the single.
He explained: "I'll tell you the truth: I was listening to a lot of Katy Perry.
"A lot of her songs have the same chord sequence the whole time. Your body feels comfortable with them and then the melody's changing on top so there's a groove you really get in to and then also you're kept interested... So I was like, 'That's an amazing way of doing songs.'"
And as well as the pop singer, Chris' love of electronic dance music (EDM) also played a key part in putting together the song.
Speaking on a new Beat x Beat webcast produced by Beats by Dre, he added: "That song really ended up being inspired by EDM, which some people turn their nose up and then you go to see an EDM thing and people are together and having the best time.
"So I was like f**k it! I love that stuff. So I wanted to have a song that comes from that world."
However, the 37-year-old musician had to enlist the help of Avicii to help get the song to sound the way he wanted it to.
He added: "But in terms of, 'I'd really like to jump up and down to this,' we don't really know what we're doing...
"He did a full Avicii version, we did a full Coldplay version, and we spent weeks weaving it all together."

Olly Murs was starstruck by some of the other acts on the Band Aid 30 single.
The 'Troublemaker' hitmaker admits it was a surreal experience to be in a studio with the likes of U2's Bono and Coldplay's Chris Martin while recording an updated version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas Time?' at the weekend but quickly got over his nerves and set about the task at hand.
Asked if he couldn't help but be amazed by his fellow singers, he said: "I think that was what it was like for the first half an hour.
"And then you need to get to the job. And the job we had was to sing, and sell this song.
"So yeah, first, initially, it was like, 'Wow, I'm in a room with Bono and Chris Martin from Coldplay,' but in the end you get over that and, you're like, 'It's time to get focused and get this song out there and do a good job on that.' And that was the aim."
Olly had an "amazing" experience recording the track - which will raise money for the Ebola crisis in West Africa - with the likes of Ed Sheeran, One Direction, Ellie Goulding and Paloma Faith and is honoured to be a part of history.
He told Billboard magazine: "You know what, it was great to come together with loads of other English acts and artists. It was amazing. We really had a good time doing it. The video, everything: It's incredible.
"Just to be featured on the song is great. I'm just really, really pleased. It was a really special moment for me and my family. I just really hope people around the world get behind the song."
And the 30-year-old star confirmed no one knew which line they had been given on the song until they saw the completed video.
He said: "No one knew. Even when they left [the studio]. We all just sung the song once or twice around. We just waited to see the video and saw our parts then."

Britain's Prince Harry is taking part in next summer's Chelsea Flower Show.
The 30-year-old prince will present an African-themed garden on behalf of his charity Sentebale - which helps orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho - with the help of garden designer Matt Keightley, who revealed Harry's father Prince Charles also played a key advisory role in the design.
His spokesman Ben Rawson said: "Prince Charles has the Prince's Foundation for Building Community, which has worked with Sentebale in Lesotho.
"As patrons of the two charities, both Prince Charles and Prince Harry, have had input into the design of the garden. Prince Charles has a tremendous interest in gardening from the work he has done at Highgrove."
The 2013 Sentebale garden, which was created by Jinny Blom, was awarded a silver glit medal but Matt is aiming for gold.
His spokesperson added: "I think [Harry] probably cares more about raising awareness about Lesotho than he does winning a gold medal for the garden.
"But that would be nice for the designer and contractors as recognition of their efforts."
The centrepiece of the garden - which is being sponsored by a foundation set up by entrepreneur David Brownlow - will be a building inspired by Sentebale's new facility for kids with AIDS and HIV that will open in Lesotho next year, and there will also be a rocky waterfall reminiscent of the rugged terrain of the country.
The spokesperson told the Daily Mail newspaper: "Matt's garden will be Lesotho-themed.
"He cannot use native plants because they would not survive here at that time of year and so he has to use European flowers for the same look.
"This is about trying to give people a window into Lesotho and inspire them to dig into their pockets to help Prince Harry to finish the work he has started out there."
Charles, 66, is a frequent visitor to the show, while Harry attended for the first time in 2013 and gave his father and grandmother Queen Elizabeth a tour of his garden.

Simon Cowell has apologised to Andrea Faustini and Lauren Platt for his harsh criticism.
The 'X Factor' boss slammed the two contestants for their performances on the show on Saturday (15.11.14), but he has now admitted he was just in a bad mood and took it out on the wrong people.
He said: "I had a bad night. I had a really bad headache, I was really grumpy. I want to apologise to Andrea and Lauren because I wasn't being fair."
Simon - who returned to the judging panel this year after leaving in 2011 to launch the US version of the show - is very impressed by the talent on this year's show and is still unsure who could win.
He said: "I think the talent's been great. It's not like last year when it was a one-horse race -- everyone knew Sam Bailey was going to win.
"This year there are five or six people left who could arguably win."
And he credits the judges on the programme, himself, Mel B, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Louis Walsh, for the contestants doing so well.
He told The Sun newspaper: "Mel has shown tremendous passion and protectiveness to her contestants.
"She really takes the mentoring very seriously. She's been a revelation.
"Cheryl gets incredibly emotional and protective about whoever she's left with, and I know from the phone calls that happened.
"She's always fretting about the songs.
"And Louis is always the dark horse. You think, at one point, all your acts are going to go in the first four weeks. And, suddenly, at the end, he's still got two left.
"I don't know whether it's the luck of the Irish or if he's playing some sort of weird game with us. But, again, he's very, very passionate about his acts, he really is."
Meanwhile, Simon - whose girlfriend Lauren Silverman gave birth to his first child, son Eric, in February - appeared unimpressed by Cheryl's recent comment she will have to choose between having a child with new husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini or returning to 'The X Factor' next year.
Quizzed on her remarks, he said only: "Well, I had one."

Willow Smith claims school made her "depressed".
The 'Whip My Hair' singer - whose parents are Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith - entered mainstream education for one year and insists the only thing she discovered from the experience is that it makes kids unhappy.
She said: "I went to school for one year. It was the best experience but the worst experience. The best experience because I was, like, 'Oh, now I know why kids are so depressed.' But it was the worst experience because I was depressed."
Meanwhile, her brother Jaden, 16, insists people "never learn anything" from school and he and his 14-year-old sister will do better because their learning "will never end".
He said: "You never learn anything in school. Think about how many car accidents happen every day. Driver's ed? What's up? I still haven't been to driver's ed because if everybody I know has been in an accident, I can't see how driver's ed is really helping them out.
"Here's the deal: School is not authentic because it ends. It's not true, it's not real. Our learning will never end. The school that we go to every single morning, we will continue to go to."
Willow went on to claim she has been forced to write books for herself to read because no other novels interest her.
She said: "There're no novels that I like to read so I write my own novels, and then I read them again, and it's the best thing."
Jaden added in the joint interview with T magazine: "Willow's been writing her own novels since she was six."

Matthew McConaughey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday (17.11.14).
The 'Dallas Buyers Club' hailed the honour as a "great moment" in his career as he made a speech to a watching crowd which included his 'Interstellar' director Christopher Nolan and co-stars Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, his wife Camila Alves and their children Levi, six, Vida, four, and Livingston, 22 months.
He said: "It is a special day for me. This is a great moment in my career and my life...I only saw two or three films before I was 18 years old.
" I got my first job in Austin, Texas, on a film called 'Dazed & Confused'. Little did I know it'd turn out to be a career and something that I've learned to love and am learning to love even more."
The 45-year-old hunk went on to express his "pride" in his career and how lucky he feels to enjoy his work so much.
He added: "I am from Texas. We have a home in Texas, but this business and this industry, I feel like it's a privilege every single day that I get to get up on a Monday morning--I have a career that I look forward to Monday morning, to going to work. That I'm proud to be able to say.
"This industry has given me a lot, it's given me a chance to live out some dreams I didn't even know I had, dreams I'm still finding along the way, and what other business can you go live 'em out, but in this storytelling business?"
Following the ceremony, Matthew was seen speaking quietly to his eldest child, and later revealed he had been discussing how it was a "permanent" tribute to his work that the youngster could visit anytime.
He explained to E! News: "Oh, just sayin' that's there, and it's gonna be there. So I said, 'You can come back, with me or without me, and that'll still be there. You have kids one day, you can bring them here, that'll be there. Their kids can come back one day and they can see it. It's the most public and permanent award I've gotten, I mean there it is."
McConaughey said it wasn't for him to say whether this was a so-called "high point" of his career, but "it's a good point."

Bob Geldof was kicked off a TV appearance yesterday (18.11.14) for swearing twice.
The former Boomtown Rats frontman was being interviewed live on Sky News when he said "b******s" twice in response to questions about tax-dodging musicians.
When newsreader Jayne Secker brought up the issue of Band Aid's legacy and the hypocrisy of certain celebrities taking part in the single due to their history of tax avoidance, the 63-year-old organiser retorted, "I think you're talking b******s."
The news anchor continued the interview requesting that the star used less "colourful" language, but when asked a second question, he gave the same response which led to his microphone being muted and the interview being terminated.
Following the awkward appearance, Jayne slammed the star for his behaviour and accused him of dodging the question.
She tweeted: "Bob Geldof less willing to answer questions on pop star tax avoidance & criticism of band aid legacy (Well he did answer but with swearing) (sic)."
The singer and political activist recorded the fourth incarnation of the Band Aid single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' on Saturday (15.11.14) with stars including Ed Sheeran, Bono, Sam Smith and Rita Ora singing lines on the track which is being sold to raise funds for the fight against Ebola in Africa.
The track was made available on Monday (17.11.14) and had already raised more than £1 million in pre-orders by Sunday evening (16.11.14), after it was premiered on 'The X Factor'.

Channing Tatum admits there was a "lot of apologies" on the set of 'Magic Mike XXL'.
The 34-year-old actor - who stars as the title character in the comedy film series - has revealed that the group dance rehearsals can get quite intimate.
He said: "Dance rehearsals twice a day, once by myself and once with the group.
"There are a lot of apologies. A lot of 'I'm sorry that ran into your chin' and 'Let me take my thigh off your neck'."
Channing - who is also producing and co-writing the film - has revealed he loves to be able to control all the different elements of the film.
He said: "When we sit down, we're really writing. My partner and I make wholesale changes. As needed.
"Today, tomorrow. That's why I'm the producer, too. So we have permission to screw up the whole thing every day."
His writing partner, Reid Carolin, added to Esquire magazine: "We write to the very last second. We read the script aloud, we retool scenes.
"Chan delivers the changes to the director and the cinematographer, works them out again.
"Then he goes into the gym to work out and I get my laptop, sit on the heavy equipment, and we start working more while he's lifting."

Matthew McConaughey will have a cameo role in 'Magic Mike XXL'.
The 45-year-old actor was previously confirmed not to be reprising his role as greedy strip club boss Dallas in the forthcoming stripper sequel - which again stars Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer and Joe Managniello - but following fans' disappointment at the news, he is now expected to make a brief appearance in the film, the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column reports.
Director Gregory Jacobs confirmed in September that the 'Lincoln Lawyer' star wouldn't be returning to the film series, explaining the new movie is very different to the 2012 original and will see the stripping stars go out on the road.
He said: "It's a road trip movie and put it this way, it's different enough that once you see it you'll understand why we made a sequel. No one will be accusing us of making the same movie twice."
It was previously suggested that McConaughey wouldn't be in the sequel because his fees have soared following his award-winning role in 'Dallas Buyers Club'.
'Magic Mike' star Gabriel Iglesias, who will return as Tobias in the new film, said: "Word has it that Matt's probably not gonna be involved, because he's worth a lot of money now - that whole Oscar thing."
'Magic Mike XXL' is scheduled for release in summer 2015.