Peter Dougan Capaldi (born 14 April 1958) is a Scottish actor, film director and writer. He has played numerous roles in film and television, and is best known for being the twelfth and current actor to play the lead role in the long-running BBC One science-fiction series Doctor Who, and for the role of Malcolm Tucker, a spin doctor in the BBC comedy series The Thick of It and its film spinoff In the Loop.