"I think it's time for white middle-aged males to step aside"

New Eccleston interview:

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a29116956/doctor-who-christopher-eccleston-ninth-doctor-woman-billie-piper/


"In 2004, in me they picked yet another white skinny male to be the Doctor. If somebody had said in 2004 it should have been a woman, there'd have been outrage. But only 14 years later it's acceptable."

""I think it's time for white middle-aged males to step aside. And if Billie Piper ever wants to play the Doctor, I'll [be her companion]. Who wouldn't? I think that's what they should have done, I was saying backstage. Rose should have moved up to become the Doctor... but it was just too early."


This has to be fake. Surely?

It’s not surprising that Eccleston has said this, considering the ideals of those currently working on NuWho (and much of those in the modern entertainment industry, which have sought to prioritise superficial racial and sexual traces over credibility, when being progressive is surely to not judge someone’s talent based on such traces), but the sheer irony of this statement is the fact that Eccleston was very much playing Rose’s sidekick.

As Burrunjor has acknowledged, there are many instances in series 1 where RTD would sideline the Doctor and render him passive in order to force Rose’s agency into the script, which Moffat would push to its unbearable limit with Clara (especially with the Death In Heaven opening titles, where Clara literally replaces the Doctor for no valid narrative reason).

To be honest, saying something like this was inevitable. A lot of actors are talking about how they should have done a female Doctor years ago (some more for saving themselves from controversy). This just doesn't surprise me anymore, I've just treated this section as white noise.

To the comments about 9 being pushed to the sidelines in favour for Rose, I've actually been rewatching Series 1, and to be honest, 9 does do quite a lot, despite a different method being placed. All the side characters do save the day, but I noticed that all of them did it because they were influenced by the Doctor and his philosophy. Characters like Pete Tyler, Nancy, Harriet Jones and Charles Dickens all saved the day on their own yes, but the Doctor just gave them that little push, which I find to be a unique way for him saving the day. Plus, he still holds gravitas, like treating Rose like a child rather than a smug lover like 10 did (I mean he did plan to ditch Rose in Father's Day because of her stupidity), and him calling people stupid apes (in fact, that's actually one thing that I didn't like about his and 4's character, whenever they berated the human race). I don't know, maybe it's because of his story about anorexia and how he was blacklisted from the BBC, but I've recently grown more on his Doctor and Series 1.

Honestly, after his recent story about his anorexia and blacklisting, I actually don't blame him for trying to avoid Doctor Who. I think Billie Piper was anorexic at that time as well (my theory is that RTD or the BBC wanted actors to be thinner, as evidenced by the two leading actors, Tennant being skinny as hell, and I think Catherine Tate joked about how the BBC wanted her to be thinner, in which case, RTD can actually go fuck himself to hell). Plus, it looks like he's learning from his mistake, and is now interacting with fans more, so I've got to commend him for that.

SomeCallMeEnglishGiraffe wrote:To be honest, saying something like this was inevitable. A lot of actors are talking about how they should have done a female Doctor years ago (some more for saving themselves from controversy). This just doesn't surprise me anymore, I've just treated this section as white noise.

To the comments about 9 being pushed to the sidelines in favour for Rose, I've actually been rewatching Series 1, and to be honest, 9 does do quite a lot, despite a different method being placed. All the side characters do save the day, but I noticed that all of them did it because they were influenced by the Doctor and his philosophy. Characters like Pete Tyler, Nancy, Harriet Jones and Charles Dickens all saved the day on their own yes, but the Doctor just gave them that little push, which I find to be a unique way for him saving the day. Plus, he still holds gravitas, like treating Rose like a child rather than a smug lover like 10 did (I mean he did plan to ditch Rose in Father's Day because of her stupidity), and him calling people stupid apes (in fact, that's actually one thing that I didn't like about his and 4's character, whenever they berated the human race). I don't know, maybe it's because of his story about anorexia and how he was blacklisted from the BBC, but I've recently grown more on his Doctor and Series 1.

Honestly, after his recent story about his anorexia and blacklisting, I actually don't blame him for trying to avoid Doctor Who. I think Billie Piper was anorexic at that time as well (my theory is that RTD or the BBC wanted actors to be thinner, as evidenced by the two leading actors, Tennant being skinny as hell, and I think Catherine Tate joked about how the BBC wanted her to be thinner, in which case, RTD can actually go fuck himself to hell). Plus, it looks like he's learning from his mistake, and is now interacting with fans more, so I've got to commend him for that.

That’s a very interesting stance- you’ve raised many brilliant points in this post, and I should probably re-watch series 1 again properly. I hadn’t considered that point you made concerning the Doctor being a more indirect influencer, even if I still think his frequent lack of direct involvement is a little suspect (that, and Rose being pushed to the forefront as I said). I also hadn’t considered RTD’s possible approach to the physical weight of his actors- if this is true, it makes those stereotypically moronic and materialistic fat caricatures in Voyage Of The Damned all the more patronising in their portrayal, as well as the Slitheen being considerably large. It’s as if RTD has some sort of strange dislike for large people, though this is mere speculation of course. This might be bollocks.

Pretty ironic, given RTD is hardly Mr Svelte himself!

If he said it, fuck it, Eccles is a CUNT like all the rest of the sellouts. I bet he wouldn't like it if all his future acting roles were taken from him and given to more "diverse" choices, though, would he? Cretin.

SomeCallMeEnglishGiraffe wrote:it looks like he's learning from his mistake, and is now interacting with fans more, so I've got to commend him for that.

Shame he charges fans a fortune just to get his autograph. I'd only be willing to pay £95 or above for Queen Langford's signature. I wouldn't spend more than £30 on anyone else.

All I can say to Eccelston is this.



I've honestly never seen a bigger load of self loathing shit outside of Mr TARDIS' twitter feed.

Speakng as someone who has suffered from depression in the past, I don't think that absolves Eccelston of criticism. Obviously yes I appreciate him speaking out about it, but ultimately that doesn't mean we can't criticise him as much for other stupid things he says like this.

Christopher Eccelston wrote:And if Billie Piper ever wants to play the Doctor, I'll [be her companion]. Who wouldn't? I think that's what they should have done, I was saying backstage. Rose should have moved up to become the Doctor... but it was just too early."

LOL that's what they did! His Doctor was the first castrated version of the character.

SomeCallMeEnglishGiraffe wrote:I've actually been rewatching Series 1, and to be honest, 9 does do quite a lot, despite a different method being placed. All the side characters do save the day, but I noticed that all of them did it because they were influenced by the Doctor and his philosophy. Characters like Pete Tyler, Nancy, Harriet Jones and Charles Dickens all saved the day on their own yes, but the Doctor just gave them that little push, which I find to be a unique way for him saving the day.

Sorry IMO but that still means he is undermined. A hero should save the day properly in his or her own show. Would Sherlock Holmes be thought of as a great analytical mind if all he did was just inspire smarter people to solve cases?

Having said that the Doctor/Donna is still the most appalling instance of a lead character being undermined in possibly any work of fiction I've ever seen.

SomeCallMeEnglishGiraffe wrote:Honestly, after his recent story about his anorexia and blacklisting, I actually don't blame him for trying to avoid Doctor Who.

Me neither. I will say I have a lot of respect for him for not only having standards as an actor, but not naming names in interviews (though its pretty obvious that it was RTD LOL.)

Pepsi Maxil wrote:

SomeCallMeEnglishGiraffe wrote:it looks like he's learning from his mistake, and is now interacting with fans more, so I've got to commend him for that.

Shame he charges fans a fortune just to get his autograph. I'd only be willing to pay £95 or above for Queen Langford's signature. I wouldn't spend more than £30 on anyone else.

Seriously 95 pounds for Bonnie Langford's autograph?



About 15 is the limit for me. 95 is fucking ridiculous for anybody. Some actors don't charge anything for their autograph's like Charisma Carpenter for instance.

burrunjor wrote:

Pepsi Maxil wrote:

SomeCallMeEnglishGiraffe wrote:it looks like he's learning from his mistake, and is now interacting with fans more, so I've got to commend him for that.

Shame he charges fans a fortune just to get his autograph. I'd only be willing to pay £95 or above for Queen Langford's signature. I wouldn't spend more than £30 on anyone else.

Seriously 95 pounds for Bonnie Langford's autograph?

I honestly would pay that much to meet her. I'd pay her even more to park that beautiful bubble butt on my face.

In general, is he saying that up and coming talented actors should step back and turn down roles offered to them, give up acting and apply for jobs in local supermarkets or whatever?

Eccles' reasoning is arse about face imho. The entertainment industry exists to satisfy the demands of its customers and what entertainment they want to watch. It doesn't exist to indulge the ideologicall and economic interests of dodgy intellectuals and vested interests in the industry unless that coincides with what the viewers want to see. Popular reactions to things like ghostbusters 2016, captain marvel and season 11 of Nuwho seem to suggest there is no such convergence.

Eccles is a good actor from what i have seen. The Shadow Line was brilliant althougth the stars of that were Rafe Spall and Freddie Fox imho. However i do sometimes wish chris could find it within himself to switch the mute button on.