It's been 11 years since Christopher Eccleston played the Ninth Doctor, but his time in the role ended up being short-lived when he departed after only one season.
It's since been revealed that the Thor: The Dark World star was unhappy with the way the show was being run - and he recently refused to appear in the fiftieth anniversary special 'The Day of the Doctor' - but in an interview with 774 ABC Melbourne’s Drive Ecceleston admitted that he had some regrets about not staying the course for a second season:
"It was kind of tragic for me, that I didn’t play him for longer. He’s a beautiful character and I have a great deal of professional pride and had I done a second season, there would have been a marked improvement in my performance. I was learning new skills, in terms of playing light comedy. I was not known for light comedy and, again, production did not allow for that".
"It’s very important on a first series that you make a very informed and intelligent choice, even if it means breaking the budget", Eccleston continued. "About getting the first director who is going to set the tone for the season, for the way the actors relate and that did not happen. Disaster".
Given that Eccleston recently declined to appear in Doctor Who's fiftieth anniversary special 'The Day of the Doctor', it would seem that the actor's animosity towards the BBC hasn't yet softened. Here's hoping that isn't the case by the time the show's sixtieth anniversary arrives.
Images: BBC
