Paul McGann has revealed that classic Doctor Who star Janet Fielding helped convince him to accept the role of the Eighth Doctor.
McGann made his debut as the Time Lord in the 1996 TV movie, taking over from Sylvester McCoy in a one-off relaunch of the BBC sci-fi series.
Speaking at a BFI screening of Doctor Who: The Movie – restored in 4K for a new home media release – McGann reflected on how Fielding, best known to fans as Fourth and Fifth Doctor companion Tegan Jovanka, helped him understand the significance of what he was taking on.
“Once we got to Canada and started work on it, and the fact that my agent was Janet Fielding… we started talking, and she said, ‘Look, you know, this ain’t going to be like the other jobs. [You’ll] still be talking about this in 30 years’ time.'”
The actor also revealed that Fielding’s input was crucial when producer Philip Segal was pursuing him for the role, suggesting he may not have taken the part without her guidance.
“We never had the conversation until Phil Segal was chasing me to do this, and then we talked about it, but she really helped, it really helped having her input, and I might not have accepted it had it not been for her telling me to do that.”
Fielding appeared in Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984, starring opposite Tom Baker and Peter Davison, and has since returned to the franchise in both audio dramas and the 2022 BBC centenary special The Power of the Doctor.
McGann, meanwhile, only led one full TV story, but his version of the Doctor has become a major part of Doctor Who mythology, living on through Big Finish audio adventures and later leading the 50th anniversary mini-episode, The Night of the Doctor.
Doctor Who: The Movie is set to return in a newly-restored edition for its 30th anniversary, having been brought back to life from the original 35mm film elements for the first time.
The release will be available as a Limited Edition Steelbook featuring the 90-minute adventure on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray, alongside standalone 4K and standard Blu-ray editions.
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