Peter Capaldi: 'Being Doctor Who was more fun than being me'

While he's been open about the fact that he wouldn't return to the role, he clearly looks back fondly on it, exclusively telling RadioTimes.com: "It was just an incredible experience. Suddenly, you're in the middle of this fantastical world, surrounded by people who love Doctor Who.

"I was watching Tom Baker talking about something, and he said that when he was Doctor Who he would do tons and tons of publicity and stuff, because being Doctor Who was much more fun than being Tom Baker, and I would say the same, probably, being Doctor Who is much more fun than being me.

"Certainly, you're in a very privileged position, because you receive the affection for that character. It is a character, it's not me, and it's a delightful place to be.

"It would be a hard part to sustain, I think, forever, but you do see the best of people, which is lovely."

While Capaldi won't be returning to the Whoniverse anytime soon, he's reprised his role as another character with a "complicated relationship with time" in The Devil's Hour season 2, as his character Gideon hunts a monster alongside Jessica Raine's Lucy.

In season 2, the pair have formed an uneasy alliance, after Gideon escaped from his cell at the end of season 1.

Although last season saw Capaldi ask writer and creator Tom Moran for his character to be more "human", this time he's requested a more "cosmic" element to him.

"I went the other way this time, probably because there was more grounded stuff," the actor told RadioTimes.com.

"Last time, it was just me in a cell, and so I requested that we give him more humanity in that what he does has a cost, because I think originally, it was slightly more veiled - I wanted to make him more vulnerable.

"But this time, because he's out and about in the world, we see him doing things and we see the cost to him, so this time I said, 'Let's make sure he's still a bit cosmic.'

"Poor Tom! I'm always asking him for more. I don't want grounded, I want cosmic this time!"

Doctor Who will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer at Christmas. The Devil's Hour season 2 will stream on Prime Video from 18th October 2024 – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.

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