‘My new Doctor adventure’
Actress Alex Kingston couldn’t be happier about revisiting Doctor Who with daughter, Salome
Actress Alex Kingston is over the moon that she has been joined by her daughter Salome fora new Doctor Who adventure on audiobook. Alex, who played the enigmatic Professor River Song in the TV series, revisits her character in the eighth Doctor Who audio spin-off, The Diary of River Song. She is joined by her daughter Salome (20) who plays River’s synthetic humanoid companion.
“Working with my daughter has been terrific fun. I am super-impressed by her,” says Alex.
Strictly speaking this isn’t the first time they have been together on an acting job. Alex was pregnant with Salome when playing surgeon Elizabeth Corday on the long-running US medical drama ER. Alex’s pregnancy was written into the script and Salome, whose father is German writer Florian Haertel, was just weeks old when she joined the cast as Elizabeth and Dr Mark Greene’s baby girl.
“Yes, Salome was in my belly on ER, then played the our baby girl Ella Greene,” Alex laughs. “She’s secretly always had the desire to act, but I was always adamant she finish her
‘I think my daughter’s generation are incredibly resilient... this generation just get up and do it’
education first. Starting out as a young actor today is totally different to how it was for me. We’re in a different world made even stranger with theatres still staying dark. That will change, though. I think my daughter’s generation are incredibly resilient, not to mention creative. I have every confidence that Salome and her peers will do things differently – as mine did.”
Alex says the young are also super-aware of their rights. “When I was working on ER, I thought I wasn’t allowed to get pregnant. I didn’t want to offend the producers as that’s not what they intended for my character. I thought I would need to ask permission.
“It was actor Anthony Edwards, who played my on-screen husband in ER, who said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous, don’t wait for them to allow you – if you want to have a child, have a child. They will work round you.’ So, I took his advice. I grew up with this notion that one had to be polite and always ask permission. This generation don’t. They just get up and do it.”
Could it be that Alex (58) may even take on the Time Lord title when the current Doctor, actress Jodie Whittaker, vacates the role?
“Well, my Tardis door is always open! My next Doctor Who project, after the River audiobook, is actually a novel called The Ruby’s Curse in which River battles to find the Eye of Horus – a mythical ruby that may hold the secret to the location of Cleopatra’s tomb. Having had absolutely no idea of the journey I would be taking when I first played River Song, I am very excited to be able to continue her adventures on the written page.”
■ The Diary of River Song Series Eight audio CD and audiobook, rrp £34.99
■ The Ruby’s Curse, by Alex Kingston, BBC
Books, is out May 20, rrp £16.99 (hardback)