Interview Eighteen

Interview Eighteen - Tom Baker

TOM BAKER
Interviewed by Cardinal Cox

During his tour to promote his autobiography "Who On Earth is Tom Baker?" the world famous actor visited Peterborough on Friday December 5th. First he met the fan's at Dillons Bookshop and there accepted a cheque on behalf of Shelter from Cult TV. Then he signed some more books at the Waterstones Bookshop in Queensgate. During this I was lucky enough to get him to answer a few questions.

In the Ray Harryhausen film 'The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad', how difficult was it to act to monsters that would be added later?

I found it quiet easy because I'm a very imaginative person. I'm used to seeing strange creatures. I think I got on well with Ray because I could understand the script and storyboard, and act to thin air.

You have played Sherlock Holmes a couple of times, how do you prepare for a role that is so well known to the general public?

Its very difficult with Holmes because he is such a humorless character. He's rude to his friends, has a dodgy attitude to women, smokes far too much Black Shag, takes drugs, a terrible person. I always had difficulty keeping a straight face. The actor I think who got it right was Jeremy Brett. He played it as though he was in another world. Actually, I was recently chatting to Edward Hardwick, who played Watson to Jeremy's Holmes. Italian TV want to do a series where Dr. Watson meets a character very much like Dr. Who. Interesting.

What technical difficulties were there in playing your role in 'Medics' - Did you have to have special coaching?

Oh doctors are easy, they speak such a load of old bollocks.

I then changed tack a little by asking him about the legend I'd heard about him having known Jim Morrison of 'The Doors'. To reply, Tom looked completely blank and said no. That crushes that tale!

Moving on, I then asked if he had any roles he would still like to play?

I do like hypocrites, and Dickens wrote some marvelous characters. Pecksniff, who was played so well in the recent adaptation of 'Martin Chuzlewitz' is the greatest hypocrite. I'd like to play an old Count Dracula, Or the Lord of the Fairies from 'Midsummer Night's Dream'. Oberon. Wouldn't matter who was the Titania, I think I'd be a good elderly Oberon.

I'd also like to play Lady Bracknel from Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Ernest'. You seldom get a chance to play what you are not in the theater these days. They won't 'allow' a white actor to play Othello. Does that mean that only actors with hunched-backs can play Richard II or only murderers can play Macbeth? I know a woman played King Lear not too long ago, but that is so rare these days.

My wife works on documentaries so we're always having transvestites and transexuals ring up. This happens in the real world of Maidstone, and I suppose here in Peterborough, so I think I'd make a good Lady Bracknel. Or Miss Prism.

Have you considered retirement?

No.

(Good).

But the business seems to be considering me for retirement. There's not a lot of work around. I suppose I could write another book.

Thankyou.