So Who is he really?
Time lord famous for potty mouth
PETER Capaldi is recognised all over the world for his depiction of mild-mannered legendary time lord Doctor Who.
But on the street and at autograph sessions, fans want him mostly as “foul-mouthed cyclone” Malcolm Tucker.
Capaldi, who is on the Gold Coast this weekend for the Supanova Pop Culture Expo at the convention and exhibition centre, Broadbeach, is a hit on cult British series The Thick of It.
The show follows the inner sanctums of parliament and the expletive-ridden Tucker as a high-powered political spin doctor.
“Fans usually ask me to swear at them or write obscene things,” Capaldi, 60, told the Bulletin.
“I have to be very careful because some people want the rude things written all over their photographs so I have to make sure (The Thick of It’s swearing) doesn’t spin off into (Doctor Who).
“My favourite (Tucker) line was one which didn’t make it into the show but we’d filmed it anyway called Malcom’s law.
“If some (expletive) can (expletive) something up, that (expletive) will pick the worst possible time to (expletive)ing (expletive) up because that (expletive)’s a (expletive).
“Somebody once sent it to me embroidered on a tea towel.”
Capaldi is the big-name drawcard at this weekend’s event, the sixth to be held on the Gold Coast, and is expected to be in high demand, having only visited Australia briefly once before.
In 2014 he became the first Doctor to visit Australia while still in the role. He was named as the iconic character’s portrayer in 2013 after being a lifelong fan of the series and retired last year after three series to be succeeded in the role by Jodie Whittaker.
Capaldi said he relished the free time he had after leaving the demanding job and said he had not taken any souvenirs from the set.
“I realised it was nice to stop and hang around and have breakfast and play the guitar. I needed to recharge my batteries and reconnect with myself,” he said.
“Doctor Who is great but it takes up an enormous amount of energy and it is nice to try and get me back again.
“I took nothing from the show. I am 60 and I didn’t take any bits or pieces. I did the show, I had a great time but that’s enough..”
The Academy Award winner, who lives in London, said he enjoyed meeting his fans.
“It is really great to meet the fans and it still takes me by surprise how passionate they are. Of course in Australia it is part of the landscape and people have grown up with it so it is familiar to them as it is here (in the UK).
“These kind of events are fun. They are filled with families and people always think they are slightly weird but they’re not.”
DR WHO IS GREAT BUT IT TAKES UP AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY.
PETER CAPALDI