Be it in King Lear or Robin Hood on London’s stages or donning the hat of Radagast the Brown in the Hobbit films, stage actor and television icon Sylvester McCoy has sustained a prolific acting career even 25 years after his last appearance as Dr Who. However, for the largest section of his fans, including the ones in India, he is and always will be the final incarnation of the time-travelling doctor who is perhaps one of the most popular television icons of the 80s.
McCoy, who is currently on a visit to India, made a stop by the ongoing Mumbai Film and Comics Convention, where he regaled his ardent fans, sporting his iconic scarf, hat and the walking stick. Sitting down for a chat with us about his journey as Dr Who, McCoy spoke of his life on the screen and the stage, his future exploits and his love for acting.
Revealing how he first landed the role, he explains, “For the longest time, my friends and family thought that I’d be perfect for the role of Dr Who because I used to always wear a scarf which was also something that Colin Baker (his predecessor and the sixth Dr Who) made iconic. But really, it was the hat that did the trick!” He further elaborates, “When I was auditioning for the role, the casting director really liked the idea of a Dr Who wearing a hat and said ‘I like that look with the hat’. So he decided to cast me and make the hat a part of Dr Who’s person.”
However, what made him succeed in his portrayal of the character, says McCoy, was in fact his “ignorance”. While Dr Who was a huge part of English and international pop culture in the 80s, McCoy reveals that prior to joining the cast, he never really saw much of it. “Well, it was aired only once and if you miss it, that’s it. So I never really watched much of the series and was oblivious to what the character actually was. I think that’s what added a bit of freshness to my portrayal.”
While his last appearance in the series ended with a comeback in 1996, McCoy says he is quite impressed with his successor, the present Dr Who, Peter Capaldi. “Oh, I understand every word he says because I too am Scottish through and through!” he adds with glee, recognising that many of its present day fans, especially those in India find it hard to follow Capaldi’s accent. He further adds, “But I quite like the idea of an ‘older’ Dr Who (Capaldi is the third oldest actor to have played the role), because that’s how it originally was. Dr Who was a superhero whose superpower was his brain. Unlike the muscular ones clad in red trunks, he was supposed to inspire the audience to become smarter. And the audience of the show too was primarily children and teenagers.”
So now that we know he prefers older Dr Whos, will he ever consider going back to the series to portray one his age “Oh, definitely. If I am offered the role again I’d take it up at the drop of a hat,” he reveals.
Post his time as Dr Who, McCoy has been active in the UK’s theatre circles, having worked with the likes of Ian McKellen. Telling us about his journey in theatre, he adds, “It’s like family. And unlike in TV and films, here you actually have to work closely with your co-stars. In TV you don’t often even have to be in the same shot, but theatre, everyone is on the same stage, so it’s more closely knit. It’s a very small circle and you keep working with the same people. But I am glad that some of the ones I worked with such as Ian McKellen are now considered among the finest actors in the world. In TV too, many of my collaborators are the ones currently redefining the format, such as Steven Moffat (the co-creator of Sherlock).”
Telling us about his visit to India, McCoy reveals, “This is not my first trip to India. I came here about four years ago when my son was studying yoga in Mysore. But this trip has been more eventful.” McCoy is currently shooting for the next film in the Hotel Marigold franchise. “The film is about how to ‘retire in India’. We went to Jaipur, where I dined with the Maharajas, had cocktails with royalty and even danced with children from Jaipur’s slums. Comic Con is the final leg of my trip to the country and in fact a whole year of touring around the world.”
