Why Eccleston left?

[SiHart]

An intersting read: http://badwilf.co.uk/?p=820

In an acting master class at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Christopher Eccleston was asked why he left a such a high paid job as Doctor Who. He responded:

“I left Doctor Who because I could not get along with the senior people. I left because of politics. I did not see eye-to-eye with them. I didn’t agree with the way things were being run. I didn’t like the culture that had grown up, around the series. So I left, I felt, over a principle.

“I thought to remain, which would have made me a lot of money and given me huge visibility, the price I would have had to pay was to eat a lot of shit. I’m not being funny about that. I didn’t want to do that and it comes to the art of it, in a way. I feel that if you run your career and– we are vulnerable as actors and we are constantly humiliating ourselves auditioning. But if you allow that to go on, on a grand scale you will lose whatever it is about you and it will be present in your work.

“If you allow your desire to be successful and visible and financially secure – if you allow that to make you throw shades on your parents, on your upbringing, then you’re knackered. You’ve got to keep something back, for yourself, because it’ll be present in your work. A purity or an idealism is essential or you’ll become– you’ve got to have standards, no matter how hard work that is. So it makes it a hard road, really.

“You know, it’s easy to find a job when you’ve got no morals, you’ve got nothing to be compromised, you can go, ‘Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t matter. That director can bully that prop man and I won’t say anything about it’. But then when that director comes to you and says ‘I think you should play it like this’ you’ve surely got to go ‘How can I respect you, when you behave like that?’

“So, that’s why I left. My face didn’t fit and I’m sure they were glad to see the back of me. The important thing is that I succeeded. It was a great part. I loved playing him. I loved connecting with that audience. Because I’ve always acted for adults and then suddenly you’re acting for children, who are far more tasteful; they will not be bullshitted. It’s either good, or it’s bad. They don’t schmooze at after-show parties, with cocktails.”

[Paul Clement]

Which tacitly confirms his falling out with a director on set. It also confirms the 'He was only ever going to be here for a season' RTD response as nothing more than PR spin to save face.

[Si Hunt]

Hmmm. Several things leap out there.

But then when that director comes to you and says ‘I think you should play it like this’ you’ve surely got to go ‘How can I respect you, when you behave like that?’

I know we don't know the full story, but this sounds very much like "I don't like being told what to do". He didn't create the character, so why does he have a problem with being told how they wanted it played?

They don’t schmooze at after-show parties, with cocktails.

So he wanted to play it, but not promote the series? Maybe?

I didn’t like the culture that had grown up, around the series.

This is a particuarly odd comment, for a show that had been out of production for 15 years and for which every one of the cast and crew were new.

I respect him for his principles but somehow it doesn't add up. If he didn't get on with the director, why would he quit? There were 13 episodes that year and who-ever director he disliked only did a couple?

It sounds very much like he disliked the whole package that went with being the Doctor, namely doing the chat shows, the promotional appearances etc. I don't see David Tennant as a man with few ethics, and he seems to have coped with degrading himself by being the Doctor just fine. Maybe the most telling quote here is "my face didn't fit". Maybe his personality just didn't fit the lifestyle that goes with being a Doctor.

Si.

[Jason Thompson]

I know we don't know the full story, but this sounds very much like "I don't like being told what to do". He didn't create the character, so why does he have a problem with being told how they wanted it played?

That's not what he was saying, though, was it? He's not complaining about being told what to do, he's complaining about not being able to respect the man who's telling him what to do because he's seen him bullying other members of the crew.

There were 13 episodes that year and who-ever director he disliked only did a couple?

That still adds up to a significant chunk of the work, and with a director who would likely be back the following year.

I think at the end of the day Eccleston is a great actor, but perhaps not personally suited to a role like the Doctor.

[Si Hunt]

If you don't like your boss and you are the star of the show, isn't it at least worth trying to get it resolved with the producer, rather than resigning? Maybe he did. Though I think the Director never returned. Maybe he resigned for nothing.

Si.

[Paul Clement]

I left Doctor Who because I could not get along with the senior people. I left because of politics. I did not see eye-to-eye with them.

This implies that it wasn't just that one Director. That may have been the one to have fallen into the public domain somewhat, but it looks like there was more disputes than just that one.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I do kind of respect him for his stance and his ethics. But wonder if anyone else's seen him in The Dark Is Rising?

[Rob McCow]

Very interesting stuff. I find myself liking Eccleston more and more over this.

I distinctly remember him saying that the reason he did Doctor Who was because he wanted to work with Russell again, so it seems unlikely that he resigned because of the Executive producer's attitude. If it was only one director that he was upset with, then surely he would have accepted that directors come and go. So I reckon that there must have been other people in the senior team who he didn't get on with.

Of course, it's only speculation!

It sounds to me like he did try to get things sorted - remember, the shooting for the show went on for months and by the end he was clearly relishing being the Doctor.

The other possibility is that RTD became a complete tyrant when he was put in charge of Doctor Who. Giving his amazing ability to be positive about almost everything this is unlikely, but not impossible.

Does any of this really matter? No, but it's absolutely fascinating.

[Larry]

That's not what he was saying, though, was it? He's not complaining about being told what to do, he's complaining about not being able to respect the man who's telling him what to do because he's seen him bullying other members of the crew.



.

that's the impression I get - Chris, has been in the acting business long enough to know that it's a directors job to suggest and ask the actors to do things differently and put more emotion into certain scenes so I don't for one minute believe Chris has a problem with that.

“I left Doctor Who because I could not get along with the senior people. I left because of politics. I did not see eye-to-eye with them. I didn’t agree with the way things were being run. I didn’t like the culture that had grown up, around the series. So I left, I felt, over a principle.

It's an interesting and seems a pretty honest confesion from Chris - there would of been a lot of preasure on these "senior people" to get things right and perhaps that's why there was a lot friction behind the scenes. I have a lot of respect for Chris, sticking to his principles and I have no reason to doubt anything he has said but there are always two sides to an argument and it would be interesting to see/hear what these "senior people" have to say.

[Si Hunt]

It matters in terms of him not coming back, which I'm sure will be all our loss.

Si.

[Dino]

“If you allow your desire to be successful and visible and financially secure – if you allow that to make you throw shades on your parents, on your upbringing, then you’re knackered. You’ve got to keep something back, for yourself, because it’ll be present in your work. A purity or an idealism is essential or you’ll become– you’ve got to have standards, no matter how hard work that is. So it makes it a hard road, really.

I'm sorry Mr Eccleston, but that's not a good enough reason to turn down working at the chicken factory, so we're going to have to stop your benefit payments...

Interesting article. And I remember when Chris appeared on Blue Peter, one of the presenters (I think it was Barney) tried on the Doctor's jacket and it looked like Chris was going to thump him! Thanks for your work on the show Chris, but seriously? A problem with the top people but no problems working on big American dumbass films like "Gone In 60 Seconds" (which ok, was 5 whole years before Dr Who) where there was more pressure from the directors on prop and lighting people?

[Perry Vale]

and then suddenly you’re acting for children, who are far more tasteful; they will not be bullshitted. It’s either good, or it’s bad. They don’t schmooze at after-show parties, with cocktails.”

Children can't schmooze at after-show parties, because they've raised the bar too high...

Glad this has finally come out, RTD's explanations were rather insulting, frankly (imo).

I distinctly remember him saying that the reason he did Doctor Who was because he wanted to work with Russell again, so it seems unlikely that he resigned because of the Executive producer's attitude. If it was only one director that he was upset with, then surely he would have accepted that directors come and go. So I reckon that there must have been other people in the senior team who he didn't get on with.

Mal Young, perhaps? Keith Boak was, apparently, Mal Young's preferred choice, having recently worked with him on Holby City.

[Rob McCow]

Perhaps - According to his Wiki page, Mal Young left the BBC for Simon Cowell's production company after 2004. So he only did the one year on Doctor Who then. I can't recall him turning up on Confidential and I've got no idea what he even looks like. But it's a dangerous hobby, trying to guess people's personalities from their DW:C appearances.

[Si Hunt]

The tide is turning to reveal that, in fact, Eccleston did leave (add "them in the lurch" if you want to cast a not-that-wild interpretation on it) rather than it being "the plan all along" which was previously an option. But, hang on, didn't he get in a strop at the time when the BBC released a statement and claimed this was the case?

Si.

[Perry Vale]

No, as I recall he got in a strop because the news reports suggested he couldn't cope with the schedule, and it was making him ill (or something along those lines). He quite rightly, imo, maintained this was harmful to his career, and might make potential employers not offer him jobs because of it.

From a BBC news report on March 31st 2005...

An initial statement issued by the BBC said Eccleston feared being typecast and had found the series gruelling - although the BBC later accepted the statement was not correct and said it had not spoken to Eccleston before releasing it.

A BBC spokesman said it had hoped, rather than expected, that Eccleston would continue in the role.

[Si Hunt]

Oh, sorry, I was misremembering.

Si.

[Larry]

Thanks for your work on the show Chris, but seriously? A problem with the top people but no problems working on big American dumbass films like "Gone In 60 Seconds" (which ok, was 5 whole years before Dr Who) where there was more pressure from the directors on prop and lighting people?

well I'd like to bet the preasure and interference/politics from the "senior people" on the American, networks is far worse than it is in the Uk, in fact it's not unkown for shows in America to be cancelled because a programms producer didn't get on with the "senior people".

[Perry Vale]

As we don't know the exact nature of Eccleston's problems with the "senior people" on DW, it seems to me to be a pretty pointless excercise to try and compare it to working on a $90 million American blockbuster movie. Especially one that Eccleston wasn't the major lead/star in, like he was on DW.

[Llordllama]

Strikes me this is a touch of the Toms all over again after he left. Wait til he's old and grey and then he'll jump at the....well maybe not.

[Jeff]

I do kind of respect him for his stance and his ethics. But wonder if anyone else's seen him in The Dark Is Rising?

*raises hand*

[Andrew Curnow]

they've raised the bar too high...

I'm quite pleased to hear him say "It was a great part. I loved playing him." Other than that, this only seems to be adding a little more detail to rumours/speculation that have been around for a while.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

What does "throw shades" mean?

[Si Hunt]

He does seem to be harping on about this quite a lot lately. Given other people have managed to play the Doctor for 50 years without a problem, maybe it's time he got over it?

Si.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Well he was asked.

[Larry]

He does seem to be harping on about this quite a lot lately. Si.

may be he just got sick and tired of all the abuse he gets from some sections and feels it's time to set the record straight.