Every chance?
Until about a year ago he kept absolute silence on the subject. Which people complained about as well; as if they had a right to demand he say something.
Eccleston turned down chance to be in 50th Anniversary story
- Thread starter JoeZhang
- Start date
Every chance?
Until about a year ago he kept absolute silence on the subject. Which people complained about as well; as if they had a right to demand he say something.
I have hopes for an appearence during NuWho's tenth anniversary.
Time to wish my life away for the next 50 years. 
Well Christopher Eccleston seems to have a good sense of humour..........
Well Christopher Eccleston seems to have a good sense of humour..........
Eccleston's statement hit me as funny and not passive aggressive.
I know Joe Ahearne wanted to do some more of his own stuff after directing almost half of Series One, but it really baffles me that they've never managed to get him back.
Almost as baffling as that they've never gotten back Hettie MacDonald.
Almost as baffling as that they've never gotten back Hettie MacDonald.
They had every right to demand it, and he had every right not to comply.
The scuttlebutt is that doing five episodes almost without a break (partly because they'd noticed how well he and Eccleston worked together so he was asked back to handle the finale in place of the director who was already lined up) left Ahearne so exhausted that his partner banned him fro.m going back: sort of "I can't stop you working yourself into an early grave but I won't stick around to watch it happen."
I think that just as Tom Baker later regretted not doing The Five Doctors, Chris will regret not doing this. The reason can be seen in his '100th anniversary' joke - namely, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Even if the show is on air in 10 years (and as we know, it wasn't on-air for its 30th and 40th anniversaries), the 60th won't have quite the same impact as the half-century. Matt and David might get to appear again in 10 years, just like Troughton and Pertwee did the 10th and 20th anniversary episodes but, for another 50 years, this year's is the big one.
For the sake of a few week's work, alongside a production team that's largely changed from his time, Chris had the chance to be a part of it, to bask again in the adulation, to know that fans would be delighted to see his return, etc. It's of course his right to decline but I'm baffled by it - I just can't see what the downside would've been for him. And I suspect that when he looks back at his career in years to come, he'll wonder the same thing.
For the sake of a few week's work, alongside a production team that's largely changed from his time, Chris had the chance to be a part of it, to bask again in the adulation, to know that fans would be delighted to see his return, etc. It's of course his right to decline but I'm baffled by it - I just can't see what the downside would've been for him. And I suspect that when he looks back at his career in years to come, he'll wonder the same thing.
Unfortunately, I don't think he will. I don't know if it's arrogance on his part, anger, or so called "artistic integrity" that stopped him this anniversary. To me (and I hope most fans), it doesn't matter. It was a bad decision and a selfish one (no matter what the reason was).
I'm hugely disappointed he won't be in the 50th, especially as his Doctor was such an important gateway drug for the modern audience.
He seems very bitter about his time on the show though, and I can't see that attitude mellowing any day soon. It isn't selfish of him to turn down a job, and he doesn't owe more than the 13 episodes he signed up for.
He seems very bitter about his time on the show though, and I can't see that attitude mellowing any day soon. It isn't selfish of him to turn down a job, and he doesn't owe more than the 13 episodes he signed up for.
He doesn't owe anyone anything. How hard is that to understand?
That's your opinion. A celebrity DOES owe something to the fans or they wouldn't be celebrities. How hard is THAT to understand. It's a selfish position (unless he was abused by the people who are there NOW, not then). Sorry, they wouldn't have their fame, money or ability to pick roles they like without the fans. You don't seem to understand that and neither does Chris. There are a few other reasons why it would be acceptable to give the fans the finger and that would be 1, the pay the producers offered was too low or 2, a scheduling conflict.
Most actors agree that it's thanks to the fans that they are where they are. Why do you thing RDJ is coming back as Iron Man? He doesn't need the money. He said he didn't want to disappoint the fans (and have someone else replace him, for now).
All CE had to give up was maybe...maybe 2 or 3 weeks to film a few scenes and get paid.
Sorry, celebs do owe it to the fans (to a certain extent).
Most actors agree that it's thanks to the fans that they are where they are. Why do you thing RDJ is coming back as Iron Man? He doesn't need the money. He said he didn't want to disappoint the fans (and have someone else replace him, for now).
All CE had to give up was maybe...maybe 2 or 3 weeks to film a few scenes and get paid.
Sorry, celebs do owe it to the fans (to a certain extent).
Eccleston doesn't really want to be a celebrity in the way that say, John Barrowman does.
Huge fucking money, and it's a job he actually enjoyed. All of us have surely had jobs we just loathed and wouldn't go back to?
I'm disappointed that the Ninth Doctor isn't returning, but Eccleston has earned my respect with the way he has handled this situation over the years. I'd have totally flipped my shit during an interview by this point, and completely called out which personnel had ruined my experience. Eccleston always stays ice cool, and tries to just get on with things.
The self-entitlement in that post is scary - get a grip.
'Selfish' is putting it strongly and he owed nobody anything. But, on the other hand, he must have known that he could have made a lot of people very happy with (as far as I can see) no great personal cost or inconvenience. It wasn't tremendously selfless of him, I'd say.
Just thinking about it, I'd look at it this way. I once read in Popbitch, the gossip site, that David Tennant was doing some advert work a few years ago. During lunch, at the canteen, someone approached him and happened to mention that the kids at a special needs care home where he worked were big DW fans. Apparently Tennant spent his lunchtime in character as The Doctor recording greetings and so forth for the fan to record on his smartphone to play to the kids.
He didn't have to do it, he didn't owe it to anyone to do it and, had he not suggested doing it, I wouldn't regard him as selfish. He just decided to do it out of generosity. But, and maybe I'm comparing apples with oranges, when I contrast that approach to Eccleston's, I feel a lot more well-inclined to DT than to his predecessor.
He didn't have to do it, he didn't owe it to anyone to do it and, had he not suggested doing it, I wouldn't regard him as selfish. He just decided to do it out of generosity. But, and maybe I'm comparing apples with oranges, when I contrast that approach to Eccleston's, I feel a lot more well-inclined to DT than to his predecessor.
He is indeed an actor and any celebrity status is unintentional, which he seems to work against a bit. That's allowed. License fee was paid, he did what he was paid for.
I still think it's about the old doctors, he didn't want to give his support to that.
And that shows that DT appreciates his fans.
Maybe it's because I'm used to US Television where you have a six year contract and do 22-26 episodes a season (series for you UK people). CE did 13 episodes, and you can deny this if you want, but he became famous world wide because of it.