Peter Capaldi, famous for playing Doctor Who, has revealed his biggest regret from his time on the show, explaining that it significantly altered his life.
The popular Scottish actor portrayed the Doctor in the long-running series from 2014 to 2017, following Matt Smith in the role. He’s mentioned feeling pressure to live up to fans’ expectations.
Capaldi admitted he has some slight regrets about leaving Doctor Who. While he enjoyed playing the Doctor, he found the role incredibly stressful.
It feels like you’re always ‘on’ and aware of others’ expectations. People often want to meet the ‘Doctor Who’ version of me, even though I’m not currently playing the role, so I always try my best to live up to that image and not disappoint them.
He told BBC News that he’s naturally a rather sad person, something that became clear to him later in life. He realized, though, that it wouldn’t work to be gloomy while playing Doctor Who. He felt a responsibility to be cheerful and avoid disappointing fans, so he made an effort to always appear happy.
He added: “It’s nice to sit in the TARDIS, it’s nice to go to work and blow up Daleks. That’s fun!”
Capaldi, who also said he declined an offer to be on Celebrity Traitors, has previously stated he wouldn’t reprise his role, though he seems to have enjoyed the experience.
He previously described it to TopMob as an amazing experience, explaining that he was suddenly immersed in the wonderful world of Doctor Who, surrounded by passionate fans.
I was listening to Tom Baker discuss his time on Doctor Who, and he mentioned that he enjoyed doing a lot of promotional work because playing the Doctor was more enjoyable than just being himself. I think I’d feel the same way – being Doctor Who seems like it would be a lot more fun than everyday life.
It’s wonderful to receive so much love for the character I play. It’s flattering, and a bit surreal, to remember that people are connecting with someone different from me – and it’s a really nice feeling.
It’s definitely a challenging situation to maintain long-term, but it’s heartwarming to witness everyone at their best.
The popular science fiction series will be back this Christmas. Ncuti Gatwa will finish his time as the Doctor with a surprising transformation – the character will regenerate into Billie Piper, in a special episode written by the show’s creator, Russell T Davies.
Doctor Who will return this Christmas on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
Hey, I’m Louise Griffin, and I basically get paid to obsess over the best sci-fi and fantasy out there! I’m the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor at TopMob, so I cover everything from classics like Doctor Who and Star Wars to the latest hits like House of the Dragon and Good Omens – even Marvel, of course. Before this, I was a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Metro, and I actually studied English Literature, so I’ve always been a bit of a story nerd!
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2026-04-13 19:04