Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat has revealed that actor Matt Smith used to “punch his pillow” in frustration when he first played the 11th Doctor. Moffat has served as lead showrunner on the beloved BBC sci-fi series since 2010 and departed the show after the festive special in 2017.

In an interview with the Radio Times, the creator shared his happiest moments, biggest nightmares and what it was like for the Crown star to replace David Tennant as the iconic Time Lord. Recalling the transition period, Moffat revealed that many people thought Smith was “too young, too pretty” to play the role, adding that “his chin is ridiculous”.

The 63-year-old told the outlet: “Matt went through a year of being hated, before the show went out. He still talks about it. He used to go to bed and punch his pillow in frustration.

“He couldn’t believe in himself or that it was going to work. But then it did – everybody realised what we’d known for a year, that he’s not just a young pretty actor, he’s an awesome actor.”

Moffat also discussed the problems he faced as a writer, pinpointing the most recent series and the 50th anniversary episode as his greatest challenges for very different reasons.

The dad-of-two went on: “Around the middle of the last series when my mum was dying and then died – that was awful. I was writing [episode six] Extremis and still had the two-part finale and this Christmas special to go.

“And I was thinking that the only thing that’s keeping me going at all is that I can see the finish line. I’m just crawling towards that. [The Day of the Doctor] was an impossible commission – to meet the expectations of the audience and the BBC, given that they wanted it to be that year’s Olympics without the money.

“Yet it did achieve all that. It wasn’t fun to do, but it was a rare occasion where I begged something up and it lived up to it. Everybody everywhere was happy.”

Ultimately, Matt Smith was replaced by Peter Capaldi in 2013 and went on to star in several huge award-winning shows such as The Crown and House of Dragon.