Eccleston Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

[The]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

The funny (?) thing is he was quite happy to appear on "The Sarah Silverman Program" in a DW inspired parody.

Pretty much, I think. - and, as with Harrison Ford's mythical hatred of Star Wars, he just doesn't want that one show to be the only thing interviewers ask him about.

He doesn't mind polite fans talking to him about it, AFAIK

I understand that, then. It really leans into the point of not wanting to speak ill on a professional level. I can respect that completely. And, I'm sure he would get tired of "So, in episode six, I noticed your Doctor used a slightly Liverpool accent when he said the word "Hello" to the Dalek, was that to indicate he was thinking about that time in The Chase where The Doctor..." etc., etc.

 

[ria 75]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

Could it be one way that Eccleston be trying to avoid being typecast as The Doctor?

That's a good point! He could just be trying to put it behind him as "just another acting part". But, that's a shame, and a bit short-sighted if you ask me. Chris will never be Tom Cruise, Hugh Grant, or Brad Pitt. He's never going to be one of the "great" Hollywood leading men. So, if he keeps burning bridges like this, he'll just be one of those actors that just fade away at some point as time goes on. Maybe that's what he wants, I don't know. I don't think the pinnacle of an acting career means being any of the Hollywood guys I listed. Still it's a certain measure of popular success. If nothing else, I think it would be wiser for him to at least keep some peripheral ties to a lasting franchise like Doctor Who than to just be out there on his own.

If by "fading away" you mean focusing on a stage career, with the occasional auteur movie that he can be proud of in any social circle, if that's what makes him happy, we'll just have to accept not seeing so much of him as we'd like.

Maybe he doesn't care for too much popular success. Maybe he thinks he's getting enough already.

You are wise to think in practical terms, but in reality I believe it can be the popular TV show typecasting that makes it difficult for an actor to get new parts. Once that is over, no one dares to ask you to do smaller parts that you might like to do.
Look at the Star Trek main casts. How many of them do we remember in other parts? One show doesn't make a career. Usually. Whereas the smaller, guest stars work all the time. They can find jobs anywhere. Maybe they're happier. We watchers only see it from the other end of the spyglass.

I don't so much think that he's trying to burn bridges or become one of the big name actors. It's just that he has a vivid and diverse career and he doesn't want Doctor Who to overshadow his other work.

Exactly.

The funny (?) thing is he was quite happy to appear on "The Sarah Silverman Program" in a DW inspired parody.

A parody. Precisely.


PS: Autographs and pictures? I'm embarrassed enough to stare at a celebrity when I see one! But I'd like to gather the nerve to say "I like what you do", one day. (I'm not sure this is the right phrase. In French, it is.)

 

[DWF]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

Could it be one way that Eccleston be trying to avoid being typecast as The Doctor?

No, he's something of a journeyman actor he never stays in one place for very long. BTW, there's still no official reason why he left the show according to Billie Piper's biography it might've been due to his ailing father, but we still don't know for sure.

 

[The]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

Could it be one way that Eccleston be trying to avoid being typecast as The Doctor?

No, he's something of a journeyman actor he never stays in one place for very long. BTW, there's still no official reason why he left the show according to Billie Piper's biography it might've been due to his ailing father, but we still don't know for sure.

If there's no "official reason", then how can you deny Neroon's theory?

 

[Count Zero]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

Chris Eccleston was in Gone in 60 Seconds? It's been a while since I saw that movie, I really don't remember him in it.

Well, if he ever is in need of money or changes his opinion, he can still appear on conventions, he's got time. I'm sure convention organisers would be happy to have him.

 

[Starkers]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

Oh for God's sake!

We all know why Eccleston left...

link

 

[diankra]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

In the mid-1980s, Tom Baker hated being seen only as the ex-Doctor Who (trust me: I first met him outside a stage door in the late 1980s, and the cold stare was mortifying!). Troughton was cagey about it through most of the 1970s. On chat shows, Honor Blackman visibly froze up when asked about The Avengers for 20 years after she left it. Add in references to ex-Trek stars here...
And later, they all relaxed, and realized that being remembered for one great role hadn't really damaged their careers, and that being remembered for a performance at all was a pretty good thing.
I'm sure it's the same with Eccleston: he does not want to spend spend the next 20 years losing out on roles because 'he's Doctor Who'. But at the same time, if he's got any sense, he knows it'll always be with him, and so long as he gets back to playing a lot of other roles, it won't hurt him.
And, so far as I know, he's always been very good with children who think of him as the 'first' Doctor. The only rumours about him being awkward relate to adult fans who wanted a library signed.

 

[Starkers]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

I dont mind if Eccleston doesn't want to be associated with the part, but you'd think he'd have had an idea about how iconic it might become? Or like Patrick Stewart did he just figure it'd go 7 eps then be cancelled

I still hope that one day CE might be up for a multiple Doctor story. Much as I love Tennant I still kinda prefer Eccleston.

 

[DWF]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

Could it be one way that Eccleston be trying to avoid being typecast as The Doctor?

No, he's something of a journeyman actor he never stays in one place for very long. BTW, there's still no official reason why he left the show according to Billie Piper's biography it might've been due to his ailing father, but we still don't know for sure.

If there's no "official reason", then how can you deny Neroon's theory?

Yeah I guess he was so worried about being typecast that he allowed the use of his Doctor's catchphrase on Heroes. He's also gotten angry before when it's suggested that he left due to typecasting or that he was tired.

 

[DWF]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

In the mid-1980s, Tom Baker hated being seen only as the ex-Doctor Who (trust me: I first met him outside a stage door in the late 1980s, and the cold stare was mortifying!). Troughton was cagey about it through most of the 1970s. On chat shows, Honor Blackman visibly froze up when asked about The Avengers for 20 years after she left it. Add in references to ex-Trek stars here...
And later, they all relaxed, and realized that being remembered for one great role hadn't really damaged their careers, and that being remembered for a performance at all was a pretty good thing.
I'm sure it's the same with Eccleston: he does not want to spend spend the next 20 years losing out on roles because 'he's Doctor Who'. But at the same time, if he's got any sense, he knows it'll always be with him, and so long as he gets back to playing a lot of other roles, it won't hurt him.
And, so far as I know, he's always been very good with children who think of him as the 'first' Doctor. The only rumours about him being awkward relate to adult fans who wanted a library signed.

The only real question hovering over Eccleston and Dr. Who is the reason why he left, it didn't take Tom Baker long to regret not being a part of The Five Doctors. If Eccleston ever answered that question the pressure would off of him, other than that he's really even getting much press even for his other roles.

 

[The]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

No, he's something of a journeyman actor he never stays in one place for very long. BTW, there's still no official reason why he left the show according to Billie Piper's biography it might've been due to his ailing father, but we still don't know for sure.

If there's no "official reason", then how can you deny Neroon's theory?

Yeah I guess he was so worried about being typecast that he allowed the use of his Doctor's catchphrase on Heroes. He's also gotten angry before when it's suggested that he left due to typecasting or that he was tired.

Well, that's fine speculation. But you came right out and said Neroon was wrong, and then turned around and said there's no official reason given. So, I was just wondering how you would correlate those two contradictions. The truth of the matter is that any of us can "guess" why he left, but we don't know. Thus, the fun of speculation, thus the fun of this thread...

 

[DWF]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

If there's no "official reason", then how can you deny Neroon's theory?

Yeah I guess he was so worried about being typecast that he allowed the use of his Doctor's catchphrase on Heroes. He's also gotten angry before when it's suggested that he left due to typecasting or that he was tired.

Well, that's fine speculation. But you came right out and said Neroon was wrong, and then turned around and said there's no official reason given. So, I was just wondering how you would correlate those two contradictions. The truth of the matter is that any of us can "guess" why he left, but we don't know. Thus, the fun of speculation, thus the fun of this thread...

Since he's gone to other science fiction and fantasy parts even spoofing in a way Dr. Who, I don't think typecasting has been a problem. And RTD did say he was only given a one year contract. And in any event Neroon knows I wouldn't stear him wrong on purpose, he knows me better than that.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

I'm sure it's the same with Eccleston: he does not want to spend spend the next 20 years losing out on roles because 'he's Doctor Who'.

I think he knows exactly what he's doing. There was a time when everybody thought of Eccleston as DCI David Bilborough from "Cracker", and he managed to leave that behind him by starring in "Our Friends in the North", and then he played in all kinds of different kinds of movies, etc... Not letting any part leave any lasting mark on his carreer seems to be his M.O.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

It's actually slightly more complex and tragic.

He does prefer to be known just an actor who's done many things rather than "former Dr Who", and he did want to be able to stay around his father more.

But... AIUI he wobbled a bit after he saw how much the kids were liking the look of stuf while filming, so he made noises about being willing to stay beyond his one-year contract. Two or three times he said "OK I'll stay" as RTD hoped, and two or three times he changed his mind. At one point he went off for a few days' break, having last said he wouldn't stay, but while he was away two things happened- the deadline for signing the second season paperwork passed, and he decided to come back. But because the two things happened at the same time, when he returned to work saying "OK I'll sign" he was too late - Tennant had been signed.

Naturally Eccleston wasn't best pleased about this, but at the same time everyone involved seems to recognise that it was nobody's fault, just a fluke of the timing.

That's the most comprehensive and reliable version I've been told, anyway.

 

[jamestyler]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

Chris Eccleston was in Gone in 60 Seconds? It's been a while since I saw that movie, I really don't remember him in it.

I didn't either. He's the big bad villiany type. I think. Either that or I'm getting my films mxed up.

 

[Starkers]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

Chris Eccleston was in Gone in 60 Seconds? It's been a while since I saw that movie, I really don't remember him in it.

I didn't either. He's the big bad villiany type. I think. Either that or I'm getting my films mxed up.

No you're not wrong, he was the villain who for some reason had a carpentry fixation!

 

[Count Zero]

Yes, I rewatched the movie. No wonder I didn't recognise him with all that hair gone...

 

[Stevil2001]

Re: Ecclestone Doing Something at the Old Vic ?

But he's SO GOOD AT IT!!! I watched Revenger's Tragedy because of Doctor Who! I even watched his parts in Gone in Sixty-Seconds (forwarded the other bits), Heroes, and the freakin' Kloot video because of his Doctor! I swear I'll watch everything he has ever done or will do if he comes back for the anniversary episode! LOL!

Revengers Tragedy is fantastic. If you really want to see him act his socks off, though, pick up RTD's The Second Coming.

 

[The]

Okay....here's where it gets weird, though. While I love Ecclescake, I just did NOT enjoy Second Coming. And believe me, I was ready to be W-O-W-E-D. But, for some reason, I just never got into it. Maybe I'll give it another shot...

 

[Sci]

Ecclescake,

And you wonder why the poor man is reluctant to embrace Whodom?