At the RegenerationWho convention, they pulled off an amazing Skype call wtih special guest Tom Baker for an hour. It was one magical hour. Tom Baker is the sweetest and kindest man with that grandpa quality we all wish we could be around all the time. And he has the most infectious laugh you'll hear and you'll just start giggling anytime he bellows it out. It's adorable! He's adorable!
I did not videotape the entire interview due to contractual agreements between the convention and Tom Baker's associates. But here is a snippet of one of the questions about how it was to wear the scarf all the time, did it get in the way, etc.
I cannot transcribe the entire Q&A either but here are many snippets and quotes from the session. We all wished it lasted longer. He was such a doll to talk to! And imagine him taking his time answering the questions and kind of rambling on, in the best possible way, but when he realizes he's rambling, he immediately, straight-faced and eagerly says, like a child, "Ask me another one!" heehee
-As a child Tom Baker saw his name in lights. "I enjoy being worshipped."
-On becoming the Doctor: he had to keep the news secret for two weeks. It was a great relief to get the job. He didn't have to reach for the part because he, like the Doctor, believes in the impossible and being kind. It was easy being the Doctor because he's been the Doctor forever.
-His thoughts on his costume:
-It was very old student look; with big trousers and the jacket
-The costumers sent all this wool yarn to Pegonia Pope to make a scarf. But no one told her when to stop and she never bothered to ask. So they visited her to see the progress or what she did make and it was 58 feet long! They cut it down of course but it was still so long that he tripped over it a lot while shooting scenes!
-Someone asked "Why Jelly Babies?" To which he simply stated that he just thought it would be funny when faced with a really evil villian, to suddenly just offer some jelly babies to them and see what happens. Haha
-When asked what he thought about the latest incarnation of the Doctor, Peter Capaldi as the twelfth Dcotor, Mr. Baker says he thinks Capaldi's bony face looks like "he comes from...someplace else..."
hehe
-Speaking about getting recognized while in public:
-He said he was at a pub with friends and he kept getting interrupted to sign autographs. Here he is still sober and still on his first drink and his friends were already on their fifth pint getting drunk... So he later goes to another bar, more of a hole in the wall type place. And someone comes up to him with a paper and he is tired and still sober but thinks, "Fine.." and the guy is pointing to the paper but not saying much, so he proceeds to sign it and hands it back to the man. The man looks at him and says, "What's this?" Tom: My autograph! Man: What? no! He flips over the paper -- I need directions to here! Tom had a good laugh over that one.
-Another time he saw a whole school bus of kids and he said they all recognized him and he described it as the bus was going to tip over because they all gathered on the one side of the bus to see him! So they all pile out of the bus and surround him with hugs and adoration. And he loved it!
-He is not interested in those not interested in love.
-He mentioned that he wanted to play the Master and waited by the phone for that call. He lost a lot of weight waiting. Haha
-When he discussed what it was like to come back and do the Big Finish audio, and asking if any other companions would join him now: He said it was nostalgic to bring him back. It was like going back to childhood to when the fans were young so no other companions could come in now that two of the other actresses have passed away.
-When asked about life after Doctor Who, he commented that he may have hung up the scarf but he never stopped being Doctor Who. Nothing he did after Doctor Who was ever as successful.
-On other acting gigs after Doctor Who: he says that he just kept playing the Doctor, It was fun and it was for the fans because he knew any fans that came in, they wanted to see the Doctor, it was for them, not the other actors, which the other actors probably didn't care for. haha But he says if he stopped playing the Doctor, then no one would love and recognize him anymore.
-Discussing watching Doctor Who now:
-He never even watched his scenes when they aired because he doesn't like watching himself. He merely loved working on it and being a part of it. The job fulfilled him so much and he was unhappy when he wasn't working on it. He loved playing that crazy character!
-He discussed other acting jobs and said he will not take on anything that have violent parts. Those parts don't hold any interest him because he "lives in cloud cukoo land". He believes that heroes live and wants to do gentler things. He wants people to be happy. (I love that he made a Lego Movie reference haha)
-Tom Baker says he's full of affection and he loves meeting people and fans. And that being here, as fans at this convention, confirms his approval of him.
heehee
-He currently owns five cats and a dog. Two cats are Burmese and three are Siamese. He recites Shakespeare sonnets to his dog whilst on walks in the woods.
-He once wrote a book in 1999 about a very vile boy who gets it in the end. It's still for sale and being published which he's amazed at. He says it sells very well in the Jewish section of Liverpool.
-He says he's a master of self delusion
-He says no one has failed at playing the Doctor and that anyone can play the role. He says that Johnny Depp could have played the role back in the day.
-If he could play any part in Sherlock in the current incarnation, would he and what part?
-He's played Sherlock twice already
-And he played both Holmes and Moriarty in the same play as the plot was that Moriarty had surgery to look like Holmes so Baker had to play both parts. It was written in such a way that the characters weren't on stage together but the audience would get confused as to which character he was at that moment, Holmes or Moriarty?
-He is very tender towards Watson. And during the show Watson dressed in drag and Baker pretended not to notice.
-He has read all the Sherlock stories though
-But no, he would not want to play it anymore. He wants nothing more to do with the character.
-Appearing on Skype must feel much like appearing on the Tardis view screeen. Baker wants to learn how to use Skype more so that he can Skype all his enemies! Ha!
-Have you beaten K9 at chess?
-No -- But he loved K-9. Though he loved the actor who played K-9 in rehearsals and his voice actor better than the mechanical dog. Especially because that actor would get Baker coffee and such. Ha!
-He had to be on his knees a lot during any two-shots with K-9 because they couldn't fit them both in on screen otherwise. He disliked that part of it a lot.
-He loves special effects work. It challenges him and it's fun. There was a scene where he had to blow up Daleks and when the strings were coming closer and closer together he said "I can't do this! I love the Daleks! If it was the BBC..." haha The journalists were on set that day. One had a field day with that and the headline the next day in the paper was "Tom Baker has a rat and wants to blow up the BBC!" Well then people tweeted back that they would have liked to as well! Ha!
-Any last words of wisdom for fans?
-He laughed heartily at this question and said "Beware old men doling out words of wisdom. The world is run largely by old men and look at the state of it!" Big laughs were had at that.
-He says he has no other words of wisdom though. Just thankful for this opportunity to speak with fans across the pond as he probably won't be able to come over to the states as he gets older.
No, thank you, Mr. Tom Baker! You are awesome, funny, sweet, kind and I can laugh because you have a loveable and infectious laugh! It was a pleasure to have this Skype call with you!
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| Tom Baker during the Skype call |
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| View of the Skype call from my seat |
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| Before the call started Tom Baker put his stuffed bear to the screen and made him peak out of the screen and such. Adorable. |
