Reece Shearsmith found it "daunting" taking on a guest role in ‘Doctor Who’.
The ‘League of Gentlemen’ star plays Professor Rassmussen in the upcoming ninth episode of the current ninth series of the sci-fi series and has revealed Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, who play the titular Time Lord and his companion Clara Oswald, respectively, were very welcoming to him.
Asked if he’d worked with either of them before, he said: "I have met Peter a few times socially, but we have never worked together. I had never met Jenna, but the pair of them made me feel very welcome and part of the ‘Whoniverse’. It is quite daunting going into such an established world, so that was very gracious of them."
The 46-year-old actor praised the work of writer Mark Gatiss and confessed he was nervous about living up to his expectations of him.
He explained: "I knew it [the episode] had the potential to be very scary, and I was excited to be playing Rassmussen. I felt I knew exactly how Mark had intended it to be delivered. Hopefully I got somewhere near. I had a fantastic time filming the episode and felt really privileged to be part of such an iconic show."
Shearsmith also confessed that although he and Capaldi get on well in real life, their characters clash in the upcoming instalment.
He added: "The Doctor arrives on the space laboratory and begins asking some difficult questions in relation to the Professor’s work. The Doctor is a bit of an irritant to the Professor, who doesn’t like his work being questioned."
‘Doctor Who: Sleep No More’ airs on BBC One at 9pm on Saturday November 7.
Reece Shearsmith ‘daunted’ by Doctor Who role
