With everyone talking about the new showrunner on Doctor Who and just how long Peter Capaldi will be in the roll, one of FTN’s favourite actors has thrown his name in the ring to pilot the TARDIS.
Talking to Calibre magazine, the legendary Brian Blessed – he of Flash Gordon and Episode I fame – has been talking about the BBC’s most iconic role and how he was once set to be the Timelord but turned it down… a mistake he’d like to fix: “[Back in 1966, I was] in talks with the producers, who said, ‘We’re very keen for you to be the Doctor, to follow William Hartnell, and we’d like you to play him very young. You’ve got a very vivid imagination, Brian. You can be quite normal and then also very, very eccentric’”.
He was a busy man back then and had to let the role go to the great Patrick Troughton, but Blessed is no stranger to the world of Who since, in 1986, he appeared in the Colin Baker episode Mindwarp, as King Yrcanos, and he was also cast as Odin in the season nine episode The Girl Who Died but due to health issues had to withdraw.
But he’s not done yet, he says: “I would love to play the Doctor, absolutely! I would love to be in Doctor Who,” and while he really wants to be The Doctor, he’s settle for a role that sees him causing trouble: “another part, at least, so Peter and I could fight again!”
At 79, Blessed is still a powerful actor and presence and, health permitting, we’d love to see him in the role… it would certainly be new take on the Timelord. And that beard, well… who’s going to argue?
Source: Denofgeek
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