Sylvester McCoy at 80: Doctor Who legend looks back on his career

In the second instalment of a 3-part interview, Doctor Who legend Sylvester McCoy looks back on his career, reveals how he landed the part of the Doctor... and how he'd originally wanted to play the Time Lord's sixth incarnation...
Part 3 is out tomorrow (Monday, 21st August). For more Doctor Who news, interviews and features, visit www.radiotimes.com/doctor-who/
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[@Alan1701b]

Happy birthday, Sylv! I was 6 in 1987 and my Doctor Who journey started properly with you so a massive Thank You for taking me through those wonderful adventures for three years and launching the fan within me! I am a Whovian forevermore thanks to you!

[@finnsempire5671]

Happy Birthday my 7th incarnation you are my 7th favourite doctor who 😊

[@c0nvict_pleb174]

“He was 10 and fourTEEN! I was… 6 and 7-I got there first!” 😂 never change McCoy, never change

[@rayvenkman2087]

Thinking about it, McCoy does a have an extensive list of firsts tied to his Doctor including being apart of the very first Big Finish audio and the star of the first series of original novels not based on TV scripts in the Virgin New Adventures.

[@c0nvict_pleb174]

@@rayvenkman2087 fair! But I’d always seen Paul McGann as the flag ship incarnation of Expanded media and such from the EDA’s to the audios. Plus his incarnation’s adventures on audio are canon thanks to “Night of the Doctor”

[@geoffjoffy]

He's a living legend. I remember him in Vision On. Long may he reign. Here's to his 90th!!

[@hinduismwithpremananddasbhagat]

Sylvester is the grandfather we wish we all had!

[@Icelandic_Sand]

I love Sylv, one of the best Doctors. A very happy 80 to him.

[@liamatsutv]

he's so generous, kind, and captivating! what a wonderful man!

[@jeebay5188]

80 yrs young, keep on trucking doctor.

[@Pacnakes]

YEAH! SYLVESTER! He's my favorite incarnation of The Doctor :]

[@leonhughes134]

My doctor. He does look timeless. Happy birthday !!😊

[@craigix]

Loved him in 'The Owners', a horror movie where he plays a doctor with Maisie Williams. Check it out if you've not seen it, it's great.

[@Limes_not_Lemons]

One of the many doctor's I've always wanted to meet. I'm so busy and can never make it to conventions or major events so I'll probably never be able to meet many (if any) of them, but Sylvester just seems so damn nice to talk to

[@edwardbracken5211]

Happy 80th birthday Sylvester. You were my Doctor growing up and I thank you for being so. It was great to meet you in Swansea in 2005

[@patrickgibson3992]

I met Sylvester at a comic con a few months ago and he’s such a nice guy to talk to 😊

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

Sylvester was my first Doctor. I was 5 when Time and the Rani first aired. I became a Whovian around the same time as I was a Trekkie and an F1 fan :)

[@emiltiwaz1022]

I adore him as Radagast the Brown.

[@hunyesmith03]

He’s my favourite Doctor from the classic series, & Ace is my favourite companion of the classic series!

[@cheyennebrennan966]

When the Doctor, companion AND Master all share the same birthday; And it's the day after mine! Happy birthday Sylvester and Sophie. And happy Heavenly birthday to Anthony Ainley. You're all Ace! ❤❤

[@Budbrothers420]

As if he’s 80 😮

[@Tony_Baloney_69420]

What are you going on about?

[@kalinystazvoruna8702]

@@Tony_Baloney_69420 Budbrothers420 is stating that Sylvester doesn't look a day over 50.

[@finnsempire5671]

I think that Sylvester McCoy is the first official real-life version of the Doctor in the actual real world too nowadays 😮😊😂❤ he is now literally an 80 year alien in an old man’s human body

[@frglee]

I really loved Sylvester McCoy's role in one episode of 'Rab C. Nesbitt' where he plays a younger brother of Rab, driven insane by their violent and bullying father, and institutionalised in a care home. Incredible acting, playing a desperately sad character in this peerless BBC comedy series.

[@sg-zd8eb]

Dear Wanda Ventham who was in Doctor Who in 1967, 1977 and 1987.

[@SpecialWeaponsDalek]

Happy 80th birtdhay, you're my favourite doctor!

[@richardpaulcaird9192]

This guy is a true legend... 👏🏻🙌🏻🙏🏻👍🏻😄❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓❓forever my Doctor... 💖

[@SurlyInsomniac]

I think the first thing I ever saw him in was a small role in the Frank Langella version of Dracula. I think he had maybe one line but he was a memorable presence. He then went on to play the Doctor in some of my favorite Who stories, ever. Happy Birthday Sylvester!

[@SamuelBlack84]

My Doctor 😊I remember watching him at my grandmas a long time ago

[@danielwilliamson6180]

Sylvester McCoy was a good Doctor Who. Sylvester sounds like a Dalek at 7:47.

[@Tejiknasten]

My Doctor 🫶

[@warrennewman5325]

Happy birthday my fav doc

[@sabrinatirabassi3529]

Fancy that, the actors who played two Doctors are both scottish...

[@Charlie_Duz]

Three, surely. Four including Ncuti.

[@sabrinatirabassi3529]

@@Charlie_Duz Ncuti didn't play two Doctors, we must see him playing his Doctor yet...

[@sabrinatirabassi3529]

@@Charlie_Duz And who's the third?

[@Timmymantwo]

​@@sabrinatirabassi3529The four Scottish Doctors are Capaldi, McCoy, Ncuti, and Tennant.

[@RopeDrink]

@@TimmymantwoYall are missing the point. They said "the actors who played two Doctors" are Scottish (6+7 via McCoy, and 10+14 via Tennant). They are not talking about how many Doctors were played by Scottish actors in general. For example, Capaldi has been in the franchise three times - once in Torchwood, and twice in Doctor Who, but he has only played one incarnation of the Doctor, hence he is not included in the above list (despite also being Scottish).

[@MattitudePlays]

MY Doctor 💙

[@hinduismwithpremananddasbhagat]

When I was a boy (here I am at 46) and all of us kids would be playing in the yard I'd always have a fake name. I'd always be Sylvester, cause I was watching him every Sunday.

[@DTM-Books]

Easily my favorite Doctor Who after Tom Baker (I’m an American, can’t ya tell?) and the McCoy era is massively underrated.

[@thomaslance5428]

What episode is that thumbnail pic from? I don't recall. I know that's what's her name from Willow. She played as a companion during the William Hartnell years, but the episodes are lost. Blanking on her name. Really wish I could have seen those episodes!

[@WarpedFlange]

“Battlefield” 🙂

[@that70sgeek]

Archie's come oot !

[@nzrockboi]

Mel was pretty pretty unbearable at times u might say, screaming like chalkboards and fingernails. But she was tough as nails (despite the nails), loyal AS F**K, and while u might be stumpted between your morals Mel never wavered and never faltered and Mel was always right.

[@chriswinwood6501]

I’ve always loved that Mel undoes the leg bomb things in the Rani and does bits and bobs with computers. The character has far more to her than people recognise

[@nzrockboi]

​@@chriswinwood6501more than Bonnie thought too which is kinda weird

[@rayvenkman2087]

@@chriswinwood6501Big Finish had the same idea.

[@akshaytrayner1960]

Lol he doesn’t look

[@StephenFiedor]

Terrible a dosaster