To say that Peter Capaldi had big boots to fill upon joining Doctor Who as the famous Time Lord may read as something of an understatement. But even after winning over most, if not all of the naysayers by the series 9 finale, the Scottish actor still felt intimidated when approaching the show’s tenth season.
Capaldi, who is preparing to bid adieu to the TARDIS and everything it represents, has gone on record multiple times about his impending swan song. As part of The Finale Countdown souvenir magazine – a fan-friendly keepsake that was given to those fans in attendance at Saturday’s The Finale Countdown Concert and Aftershow in Cardiff’s Millennium Centre – the actor reflected on his career as the Twelfth Doctor and, in particular, the more challenging scenes of him wielding that famous Sonic Screwdriver.
As relayed to us by DoctorWho.tv, here’s what Capaldi had to say about series 10:
Lecturing to the students was challenging. That’s an unusual situation to be in because it’s quite theatrical. You have to walk on in front of 200 extras, so that’s a bit intimidating – although you’re working the camera, you’re still in front of all these people.
The episode “Oxygen” also springs to mind as another challenging gig for Peter Capaldi and the crew, and sure enough, the outgoing Twelfth Doctor went on to discuss the instalment in which his title lead was rendered blind.
It was difficult because I knew that there was a special effect going to be added, so I didn’t know how much to do or not to do.
What was very strange was not making eye contact. It was the only way I could think of to act as if I couldn’t see properly but all of your instincts are to make eye contact, otherwise you feel you aren’t giving the other actors what they might need.
Time is running out, folks. Peter Capaldi’s penultimate turn as the good doctor arrives in the form of “The Doctor Falls” on Saturday, July 1st. It’ll screen via BBC America at 9 pm, before the Christmas Special delivers both a “fanboy’s dream” and Capaldi’s final episode as the great Doctor Who later this year.
