Before anybody gets too intrigued, please note the "not really" part of the thread header. As far as I know nothing was seriously considered, but rumor had it that Tom supposedly joked about playing the Master whenever he retired as the Doctor. And it's likely that anecdote is nothing more than Whovian urban legend. Funny thing is, there's a circumstance that could have lead to that scenario. Consider this. In Tom Baker's next to last story, "The Keeper of Traken", the Master (as played by Geoffry Beevers) intends to use the "Source Manipulator" to steal the Doctor's remaining regenerations for himself, repairing his horribly "decayed" form. Of course, he fails his grander scheme, but he gains just enough energy to "possess" the body of Tremas (played by Anthony Ainley), the father of Nyssa. From that point Ainley portrays the Mater until the conclusion of the original series. Obviously, the production already had their plans. Baker as the Doctor encounters Ainley as the Master in the next serial, "Logopolis" and while stopping the destruction of the cosmos, the Doctor is mortally injured and regenerates into Peter Davison. From from a narrative perspective, things could have unfolded quite differently. Imagine if the Master absorbed a bit more power, not enough to steal all of the Doctor's regenerations, but just his existing one. Baker fades into the visage of Peter Davison and Beevers in his burn makeup fades into the features of Tom Baker...with a devilish goatee and mustache! How might that appear? Heh, heh, take a look at these series of screen captures someone took from "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" with a pre DW Baker as the "black prince" Koura. http://thomas-stewart-baker.com/koura.html He does make for a rather nefarious fellow, doesn't he? TCM played "Golden Voyage..." earlier today and seeing Baker in the makeup reminded me of this lil' scenario I imagined some time ago. I thought I'd share my ramblings. Sincerely, Bill
It was a 2004 interview, seemingly, that he toyed with the idea of coming back as the Master. Don't know that they would, but it would be a funny way to finish up finding Gallifrey, the Master as Lord President and being a decent one unlike so many past ones. 'Why Doctor, I am Master of time and space now, it's all I've ever wanted. I'll most likely get bored eventually, though. Perhaps, I should plan some sort of retirement for that eventuality. Perhaps, curating at a museum of the eclectic?'