When the great wooshing engines of the Tardis see it materialise in Aberdeen this weekend, it will a homecoming for the Doctor to the place where his adventures in space and time began.
Well, sort of.
Sylvester McCoy – the seventh Doctor Who – is coming back to the corner of Scotland where he realised a life in acting and performing was his chosen path. Even though he was studying for the priesthood at the time.
“I’m really looking forward to coming to Aberdeen, because I used to go to St Mary’s College Blairs, just outside Maryculter on the other side of the Dee,” said Sylvester who will be thrilling fans when he appears at Comic Con Scotland (North East) at P&J Live.
“I had a great time and enjoyed it immensely. I came from Dunoon which in those days was rather insular. And I was locked up in a seminary, which was a bit like a borstal really, but it gave me a view of the rest of the world.
Acting choice started glittering career for Doctor Who star Sylvester
“It opened me up to classical music, to poetry, to paintings, things you wouldn’t have found on the High Street of Dunoon. That was the ironic thing, I was locked up and saw the world.”
It was a formative experience that brought Sylvester – a “show off” from an early age – to the realisation he wanted to be an actor, not a priest.
He said: “Wanting to become a priest was an early sign of being an actor. A priest has got his own stage, he’s got great costumes, he’s got a captive audience, when the collection is good, the money is good – and there’s wine with the job as well.”
It was a decision that saw the performer and actor carve a glittering career on stage and screen from early appearances on kids’ TV such as Vision On, as well as regular Edinburgh Fringe shows, through to playing the wizard Radagast in The Hobbit films.
But it was his time in the Tardis that cemented Sylvester as a household name and one of the most loved actors to play the Doctor, taking over from Colin Baker in 1987 until the run of classic Who ended in 1989.
He loves the fact the appeal of the Time Lord still sees fans flocking to meet and greet him, wherever he is in the world as he globe-trots the convention circuit.
“I’ve been to India and to the Amazon rainforest. I was once on the Trans Siberian Express and the train stopped for an hour and a half in Siberia. I got off to stretch my legs and was met by a Dalek. I was gobsmacked, but I now know the word for ‘exterminate’ in Russian,” said Sylvester.
Sylvester McCoy looking forward to meeting fans at Aberdeen’s Comic Con
And he is very much looking forward to meeting more fans at Aberdeen’s Comic Con, which runs this Saturday and Sunday, with a host of big names from popular cultural including the likes of Stranger Things and the Back To The Future moves.
So what will Sylvester be up to during the event?
“Five feet two,” he joked. “I used to be five foot six but they gave me new hips and shrunk me.
“But to answer your question, I’m, looking forward to seeing the fans, because it really is all about the fans. They just want to chat to you, they are awesome.”
He will be joined by a clutch of other Doctors, too, with Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Paul McGann all appearing, as is Sophie Aldred, who was Sylvester’s companion, Ace, during his Time Lord days.
Aberdeen Comic Con to get five Doctor Who stars
“Almost all the Doctors of the 20th Century will be there,” said the 79-year-old, laughing.
With all that Time Lord talent, they could almost film their own Doctor Who special at P&J Live.
“Funnily enough we did that for the 50th anniversary,” said Sylvester. “The BBC decided not to have us in the special they made, so we made our own. It was called The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot and it was hugely successful.
“Now the 60th anniversary is coming up and we’re not in that one either. The fans desperately want us to do another one ourselves, but the BBC have refused to give us the rights. I think they are frightened because ours was definitely better than their 50th.”
Sylvester McCoy loved his surprise return to Doctor Who
Sylvester did recently make a surprise return to the Doctor Who universe with a guest appearance during the special episode celebrating the BBC’s 100th anniversary, as Jodi Whittaker prepared to bow out of the role.
“When I was asked to do the 100th anniversary, I was delighted, because I knew the fans would love it. And I was delighted to do Jodi’s last one because she’s such a wonderful, lovely, bubbly, glorious person. I never thought I would ever fancy a Doctor,” he joked.
Sylvester takes great pride in the fact that he was the first Scottish Doctor – followed by David Tennant, Peter Capaldi and now Ncuti Gatwa, who is taking over the role from Jodi.
What is it about Gallifreyans being Scottish?
Scottish link to Gallifreyans
“I don’t know, perhaps they got it mixed up with Galloway,” said Sylvester.
“When Ncuti got the job, Paul McGann phoned me up to tell me he was Scottish. I didn’t know that. So I sent Paul a message back saying ‘Scotland 4 – Liverpool 2’ because Paul and Tom Baker are both Liverpudlian.”
Sylvester is delighted to see Sex Education star Ncuti – who was brought up in Edinburgh and is an alumnus of Dundee Rep – taking on the mantle of the Time Lord. He has some advice for the young actor as he begins his Doctor Who journey.
“Learn the lines and don’t bump into the monsters,” he deadpanned. “But my advice would be don’t read anything about it. Just get on with it.
“Every time there is a new Doctor, even though fans love the programme, there are those fans who only love their Doctor. If anyone comes along and takes over, they can be very nasty and say horrible things. But you have to be thick-skinned, get on with it and believe in yourself.
“But Ncuti will be great. He’s a great actor and he’s got a great team around him. Russell T Davies is the man.”
Sylvester McCoy wants fans to come along and enjoy Aberdeen’s Comic Con
The Doctor is famed for having an air of mystery around them … something Sylvester carries on in real life when asked about what he’s working on now.
“I have something coming up on Netflix, but nowadays you’re not allowed to talk about things,” he said.
What he can say for sure is that he wants fans to have a great time at Comic Con at P&J Live this weekend.
“Have fun, enjoy and embrace. For those who have never been before, just come along because it is astonishing,” he said.
“The costumes that the fans make are much better than the ones the BBC did.”
For more information on Comic Con Scotland (North East) visit P&J Live at pandjlive.com
Conversation