u/FitzroyClub

This is a very specific question I am not asking who your favorite doctor is nor which doctor was the best. I am asking in the role who played the part better as an actor. I think they are some actors you cant consider for example Tom Baker is a fan favorite Doctor but in some stories he stops trying. Slyvester McCoy has some issues delivering the anger and self righteous speeches he did get better at this during Big Finish but I am talking about the show. Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker both said they didn't really act as the Doctor just played themselves and I enjoy their eras and doctors but I think this rules them out for being the best in the role. Hartnell did fantastic and I know the show was recorded like a stageplay until the 70s so line flubs would have to happen (and he had health issues) but he did more than Throughton so I feel that rules him out.

In my opinion the people who played the part the best are either Patrick Throughton, Peter Davidson, or Matt Smith. I think both Smith and Throughton can do a wide array of emotions, have the physical elements of the role down, really sell the "Who" in Doctor Who. Davidson while found plain my many when given the ability can perform every emotion we see him angry in Arc of Infinity, he sells the moral conflict of the Doctor and the anger has towards Davros in Resurrection of the Daleks, and he doesn't ever appear to phone it in. He doesn't have a naturally deep voice or commanding presence like the Bakers and Pertwee but he is able to portray it.

The story is JNT saw him at one of his shows and then decided to cast him as the 7th Doctor. But McCoy was more of a circus/stage performer than an actor and compared to the actors for Doctors 1-3 and 5-6 he was far less known and had far less experience. I know JNT did auditions which McCoy performed the best at but the auditions were rigged in so far as the other actors weren't viable choices for the role. Why didn't the BBC which sacked Colin Baker choose their own actors for this audition? It seems they didnt like JNT's choice but they really didn't try to offer an alternative.