Doctor Who Almost Had Jenna Coleman as Mels
By David Hill
Jenna Coleman has become synonymous with different incarnations of Clara Oswald over the years on Doctor Who. While she has played multiple characters, it is difficult to picture her as anything but Clara at this point. Yet, if an audition back in 2011 had gone differently, Coleman would have had a different arc on the show.
As it turns out, Coleman had auditioned to be Mels, an early incarnation of River Song during the episode Let’s Kill Hitler. Indeed, that child who grew up alongside the younger Amy and Rory, known for her wild behavior and reputation of being a frightening presence, could have been the person that we have come to know as the Doctor’s longest running companion.
It would have been interesting to see how the casting of Coleman as Mels would have affected Doctor Who as we know it. In some parallel universe, is there a world where the Impossible Girl was portrayed by Nina Toussant-White? Is Clara a completely different person that the companion that we have come to know over the past few seasons?
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The casting of Jenna Coleman as Mels may not have changed much in the future of Doctor Who. After all, other actors have come back to different roles on the show after an appearance in a different role. Just look at Peter Capaldi, whose role as Caecilius Iucundus, and again as John Frobisher in Torchwood, did not keep him from being the Doctor. Coleman could well have returned as Clara Oswald, making her appearance as Mels have the same sort of significance that the Twelfth Doctor had in repeating a face.
If this casting had happened, it would be interesting to think of River Song as a part of the Impossible Girl storyline, even as an interesting footnote. River’s storyline already has quite a few twists, turns and angles, why not add another one?
In the end, Jenna Coleman did join Doctor Who, but not in the original role she auditioned for. Her time as Clara Oswald has certainly been noteworthy, and a topic of much discussion. Given that she has become the longest running companion in the show’s history, she may have actually won out by not landing the role she auditioned for.