In the latest The Big Issue magazine, Christopher Eccleston revealed how he felt he was made to feel like a villain as fans celebrated the return of Doctor Who in 2005.
“Nobody worked harder than me on my 13 episodes of Doctor Who. I adored playing the character. The problem was that as it was being celebrated, I was being vilified. I felt a lot of anger a certain individuals that excluded me from enjoying what I had achieved.”
Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, Billie Piper as Rose
Who are the individuals to whom Eccleston is referring? Showrunner Russell T Davies, the producer and co-producer. He most recently spoke of the rift at New York Comic Con.
“I left because my relationship with the showrunner and the producers broke down – the politics of the show. I left only because of those three individuals, and the way they were running the show. I loved playing the character and I loved the world. That’s one of the reasons I’ve started doing these conventions, to make that clear – I loved playing the Doctor.”
In The Big Issue, Eccleston goes on to describe his convention experiences.
“I was wary of fan conventions, but now I sit all day signing things.”
And how he relates his experiences when he meets fans.
“It’s important to demystify what we [actors] do — so if a young lad is shaking and thinks I am amazing because I played Doctor Who, I will be quick to address that. At the height of my success, I was a very insecure, damaged person and I think it’s important that is communicated.”
Christopher Eccleston has been interviewed in many publications and at conventions recently to promote his new autobiography, I Love the Bones of You.
The Big Issue, an award-winning magazine offering employment opportunities to people in poverty, is available from the vendors it helps support and on The Big Issue website.
