Doctor Who star Matt Smith has ditched his bow tie, dapper suits, and tousled hair for Ryan Gosling.

The 30 year-old British actor was seen on set of Gosling's directorial debut, How to Catch a Monster. Likely trying to break out of his (much beloved) Doctor Who shell, Smith's character is a far cry from a Time Lord with his shaved head and outfits sans shirts (though I'm not complaining).

Though the film is currently shooting in Detroit, Smith was encouraged personally by Gosling to audition for the role of Bully in New York City: "I was in New York and I was about to fly back, and then I got a phone call saying Ryan wanted to meet me and come over. So I read his film and I thought it was brilliant. And then I auditioned and we spent about four hours together doing some stuff, and he filmed it on his iPhone. And that was it. I’m really excited. I think he’s really clever, and I think it’s going to be an exciting project."

The film - which also stars Gosling's girlfriend Eva Mendes, Saoirse Ronan, and Gosling's Drive co-star Christina Hendricks - is due in theaters next year.