Tom Baker has no advice for new ‘Doctor Who’ star Peter Capaldi on playing the character.
The 80-year-old screen legend – who portrayed the Fourth Doctor from 1974 to 1981 – insists every actor who steps into the TARDIS has to find his own interpretation of the Time Lord and believes ‘The Thick of It’ star will bring his own energy to the role.
When asked if he had any tips for Doctor-in-waiting Peter, Tom said: "No I don’t have any advice for anybody and certainly not somebody taking over ‘Doctor Who’. He’s a very accomplished actor, I’ve seen him do lots of mean things, you know swearing into his mobile phone. I’m sure he’ll be good. Nobody has ever failed, have they? So they you are, he’ll be all right."
Tom made a return the BBC sci-fi show for the 50th anniversary special last November appearing in a mysterious scene opposite former Doctor Matt Smith in ‘The Day of the Doctor’.
The veteran actor thoroughly enjoyed working with Matt, 31, and appreciated the help he offered him on set.
Tom recalled: "Going to Cardiff on a winter’s morning at 4 o’clock couldn’t possibly be fun, but Matt was nice. I didn’t understand the cameras any more because of the HD, so I was a bit uneasy, but Matt Smith was a charming young man. We did this little scene that people liked a lot."
Tom has always been very proud of portraying the Doctor and he quipped it’s only been in recent years that’s he allowed himself to accept that another 12 actors have played the role as well.
He joked: "It’s only recently that it dawned on me that were other Doctors, I don’t know them you know and I’ve got no desire to know them and of course I never watched them, I thought it was only fair never to watch them because I never watched myself, all I wanted to do was do it … But me and the other Doctors nod to each other at conventions."
Tom will be seen on TV screens as the Doctor once again as The Horror Channel is airing adventures from the classic series starting from today (18.04.14).
Tom Baker has no Doctor Who advice for Peter Capaldi
