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Sylvester McCoy

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Sylvester McCoy
McCoy in 2018
Born
Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith

(1943-08-20) 20 August 1943 (age 81)
Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Occupation(s)Actor, physical comedian
Years active1965–present
TelevisionDoctor Who (1987–1989, 1996)
Websitewww.sylvestermccoy.tv

Sylvester McCoy (born Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith; 20 August 1943) is a Scottish actor and physical comedian.[1] He is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to 1989—the final Doctor of the original run—and briefly returning in a television film in 1996 and in 2021 for a special trailer, put together for a Limited Edition Collector Set. He is also known for his work as Radagast in The Hobbit film series (2012—2014).

Early life

McCoy was born Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith in Dunoon,[2] on the Cowal peninsula, to an Irish mother and English father who was killed in action in World War II a couple of months before his son was born. His maternal grandmother was from Portadown, Northern Ireland.[3] He was raised religious, but is now an atheist.[4]

He was raised primarily in Dunoon,[5] where he attended St. Mun's School. He then studied for the priesthood at Blairs College, a seminary in Aberdeen between the ages of 12 and 16, but he gave this up and continued his education at Dunoon Grammar School. After he left school he moved to London where he worked in the insurance industry for five years.[6] He worked in The Roundhouse box office for a time, where he was discovered by Ken Campbell.[7]

Career

Early work

McCoy in 2014

McCoy came to prominence as a member of the experimental theatre troupe "The Ken Campbell Roadshow". His best known act was as a stuntman character called "Sylveste McCoy" in a play entitled An Evening with Sylveste McCoy (the name was coined by actor Brian Murphy, part of the Roadshow at the time), where his stunts included putting a fork and nails up his nose and stuffing ferrets down his trousers, and setting his head on fire. As a joke, the programme notes listed Sylveste McCoy as played by "Sylveste McCoy" and, after a reviewer missed the joke and assumed that Sylveste McCoy was a real person, Kent-Smith adopted this as his stage name. Some years later, McCoy added an "r" to the end of "Sylveste", in part because of the actors' superstition that a stage name with thirteen letters was unlucky.

Notable television appearances before he gained the role of the Doctor included roles in Vision On (where he played Pepe/Epep, a character who lived in the mirror), an O-Man in Jigsaw and Tiswas. Every episode of the innovative ATV schools maths programme Leapfrog featured Sylveste (sic) as "Bert" in wordless sequences filmed out of doors, as he attempted to form regular geometric patterns from different numbers of logs or carpet squares. He also appeared in Eureka, often suffering from the inventions of Wilf Lunn and as Wart, assistant to StarStrider in the CITV series of the same name. McCoy also portrayed, in one-man shows on the stage, two famous movie comedians: Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton. He also appeared as Henry "Birdie" Bowers in the 1985 television serial about Scott's last Antarctic expedition, The Last Place on Earth.

McCoy also had a small role in the 1979 film Dracula opposite Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasence, and has sung with the Welsh National Opera.

Doctor Who

With Sophie Aldred during filming of Remembrance of the Daleks (1988)

McCoy became the Seventh Doctor after taking over the lead role in Doctor Who in 1987 from Colin Baker. He remained on the series until it ended in 1989, ending with Survival (see List of Doctor Who episodes (1963–1989)). As Baker declined the invitation to film the regeneration scene, McCoy briefly wore a wig and appeared, face-down until the last moment before the regeneration commenced, as the sixth Doctor. He played the Doctor in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time, and again in 1996, appearing in the beginning of the Doctor Who television movie starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor.

In his first series, McCoy, a comedy actor, portrayed the character with a degree of clown-like humour, but script editor Andrew Cartmel soon changed that when fans argued that the character (and plots) were becoming increasingly lightweight. The Seventh Doctor developed into a much darker figure than any of his earlier incarnations, manipulating people like chess pieces and always seeming to be playing a deeper game. A distinguishing feature of McCoy's performances was his manner of speech. He used his natural slight Scottish accent and rolled his rs. At the start of his tenure he used proverbs and sayings adapted to his own ends (e.g. "There's many a slap twixt cup and lap" – Delta and the Bannermen), although this characteristic was phased out during the later, darker series of his tenure. In 1990, readers of Doctor Who Magazine voted McCoy's Doctor "Best Doctor", over perennial favourite Tom Baker.[8] Since 1999 he has continued acting in the role of the Seventh Doctor in a series of audio plays for Big Finish Productions.

Peter Davison, McCoy and Colin Baker at the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration Weekend.

In November 2013 McCoy co-starred in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.[9]

In January 2021, Sylvester McCoy returned to his role of 'The Doctor' alongside Bonnie Langford, in 'A Business Proposal for Mel!' This short, acted as an announcement trailer for 'The Collection: Season 24' Blu-Ray set, which is due for release later that year.

Later work

McCoy's television roles since Doctor Who have included Michael Sams in the 1997 drama Beyond Fear, shown on the first night of broadcast of Channel 5. He has also returned to play the Seventh Doctor in a series of audio plays by Big Finish Productions. In 1988, while still appearing in Doctor Who, McCoy presented a BBC children's programme called What's Your Story?, in which viewers were invited to phone in suggestions for the continuation of an ongoing drama.

He has also acted extensively in theatre in productions as diverse as pantomime and Molière. He played Grandpa Jock in John McGrath's A Satire of the Four Estaites (1996) at the Edinburgh Festival. He played the role of Snuff in the macabre BBC Radio 4 comedy series The Cabaret of Dr Caligari.

McCoy missed out on a role in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl[10] and was the second choice to play the role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.[7] In 1991, he presented the Doctor Who video documentary release The Hartnell Years showcasing selected episodes of missing stories from the First Doctor's era.

McCoy appeared as the lawyer Dowling in a BBC Production of Henry Fielding's novel, The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling. In 2001 he appeared in Paul Sellar's asylum comedy "The Dead Move Fast" at the Gilded Balloon as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, playing the role of Doctor Mallinson. In 2012 he played the part of the suicidal Mr. Peters in JC Marshall's play, Plume, at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow.[11]

McCoy performing with Sandi Toksvig in The Lovely Russell Concert in June 2008

McCoy has appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and in King Lear in 2007, playing the Fool to Ian McKellen's Lear,[12] a performance which made use of McCoy's ability to play the spoons. The RSC production with McKellen and McCoy was staged in Melbourne, during late July/early August 2007 and Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand, during mid to late August 2007. It came into residence at the New London Theatre in late 2007, ending its run in January 2008. He reprised the role for the 2008 television movie of the production.[13]

In May 2008 he performed with the Carl Rosa Opera Company in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, playing the title role. He only performed with the company briefly, for the week of the show's run performing at the Sheffield Lyceum. Despite being set in Japan, he was able to demonstrate his ability to play the spoons by using his fan. In 2009 McCoy played the character of Mr. Mushnik in the Chocolate Factory's production of Little Shop of Horrors.[14]

He has also made guest appearances in the television series The Bill, the Rab C. Nesbitt episode "Father" as Rab's mentally ill brother Gash Sr.[15] and the Still Game episode "Oot" (AKA "Out"), where he played a hermit-type character adjusting to life in modern Glasgow, having remained in his house for over 30 years. In October 2008, he had a minor guest role as an injured ventriloquist on Casualty. In the same month McCoy guest starred in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors, playing an actor who once played the time-travelling hero of a children's television series called "The Amazing Lollipop Man". The role was written as a tribute to McCoy.[16][17]

In January and February 2016, McCoy appeared in the three-part BBC series The Real Marigold Hotel, which followed a group of celebrity senior citizens including Miriam Margolyes and Wayne Sleep on a journey to India.[18]

In 2017 he returned to the stage at the Edinburgh Fringe, in the production A Joke alongside Star Trek:Voyager actor Robert Picardo.[19]

Video games

McCoy returned to the role of the Seventh Doctor in 1997, recording new audio for the video game Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors.

The Hobbit trilogy

McCoy began filming for The Hobbit, A three-part adaptation of the book, in 2011. He portrays the wizard Radagast,[20] alongside fellow King Lear actor Ian McKellen who reprises his role as Gandalf.

Although the character of Radagast is only alluded to in The Hobbit, and only a minor character in The Lord of the Rings, the part was expanded for the films.

Personal life

McCoy has a daughter and two sons, one of whom is Sam Kent-Smith, a 3D artist who worked on the Doctor Who video game Return to Earth.[21] McCoy is married to Agnes.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1979 Dracula Walter As Sylveste McCoy
All the Fun of the Fair Scotch Jack
1987 Three Kinds of Heat Harry Pimm
1995 Leapin' Leprechauns! Flynn
1996 Spellbreaker: Secret of the Leprechauns Flynn
2000 The Mumbo Jumbo Mr. Tallman
2002 The Shieling of the One Night Fergus
2004 Griffin Grim
2006 The Battersea Ripper Duncan
2008 Pass Them On The Administrator
2009 The Academy Felix
The Academy Part 2: First Impressions Felix
2010 Punk Strut: The Movie DJ
2012 Eldorado General Zwick
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Radagast
2013 The Christmas Candle Edward Haddington
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Radagast
Quest: A Tall Tale Ardan
2014 The Seventeenth Kind Rusty
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Radagast
2015 The Last Conjuror Arthur Roberts
2017 Slumber Amado
2020 The Owners Dr. Richard Huggins
Lost at Christmas Ernie

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1965 Vision On Various
1973 Roberts Robots Robot Entertainer Episode: "Dial C for Chaos"
1975 Lucky Feller Sylveste Pilot episode
1977 For the Love of Albert Cast Member Unknown episodes
1978 Leapfrog Bert All 28 episodes
1979 Jigsaw O-Man
Turning Year Tales Turps Episode: "Big Jim and the Figaro Club"
Jackanory Reader Episode: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
The Secret Policeman's Ball Sylveste McCoy
1980 BBC2 Playhouse Kerwin Episode: "Electric in the City"
1981 Big Jim and the Figaro Club Turps 5 episodes
Tiny Revolutions Cabaret comedian TV movie
Tiswas Various
1982-1986 Eureka Various All 32 episodes
1984 Starstrider Wart
1985 The Last Place on Earth Lt. 'Birdie' Bowers 6 episodes
No 73 Moving man Episode: "Moving Space"
Dramarama Donald Episode: "Frog"
1987–1989 Doctor Who Seventh Doctor 42 episodes
1988 What's Your Story? Narrator / Presenter
1989 The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow Seventh Doctor
1990 Search Out Science Seventh Doctor Episode "Search Out Space"
1991 Thrill Kill Video Club Spoons Video
1993 Jackanory Storyteller 2 episodes
Dimensions in Time Seventh Doctor TV short
The Airzone Solution Anthony Stanwick Video
1994 Frank Stubbs Angus Episode: "Mr. Chairman"
The Zero Imperative Dr. Colin Dove Video
1996 Rab C. Nesbitt Gash Senior Episode: "Father"
Doctor Who Seventh Doctor TV movie
1997 The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling Mr. Dowling 4 episodes
Beyond Fear Michael Sams TV movie
1999 See It Saw It Jester 1 episode
2001 See It Saw It The Lord High Chamberlain /
Aunt Grizelda		 Episode: "Courage and Adventure"
Do You Have a License to Save This Planet The Foot Doctor Video short
Casualty Kev the Rev Episode: "Life and Soul"
2001–2002 Doctor Who: Death Comes to Time The Seventh Doctor 5 episodes
2002 Hollyoaks Leonard Cave 1 episode
The Bill Ian Drew Episode: "010"
2004 Still Game Archie Episode: "Oot"
2006 The Bill Morris Shaw Episode: "457"
Mayo Reverend Beaver Episode: "Late of This Parish"
2008 Great Performances The Fool Episode: "King Lear"
King Lear The Fool TV movie
Casualty Ashley Millington Episode: "The Evil That Men Do"
Doctors Graham Capelli Episode: "The Lollipop Man"
2009 Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder Nazi Doctor 1 episode
2013 The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot Sylvester McCoy
2015 Crims Mr. Dunlop Episode: "Day Thirty-Six"
2017-2018 Sense8 The Old Man of Hoy 4 episodes
2017-2018 Zapped Lord Protector 3 episodes
2017 Sarah & Duck Comet Episode: "Comet's Coming"
2018 Holby City Clive Brooker Episode: "All Lies Lead to the Truth"
2019 Thunderbirds Are Go Aezethril the Wizard Episode: "Endgame"

Audio drama

Year Title Role Notes
1998–2000 The Time Travellers The Professor BBV Productions
1999–present Doctor Who: The Monthly Range Seventh Doctor

77 releases

2001 Doctor Who: Last of the Titans
Doctor Who: Death Comes To Time 5 part webcast on BBCi
2002 Doctor Who: Excelis Story: Excelis Decays
2006 Doctor Who: Return of the Daleks
2007 Bernice Summerfield Story: "The Final Amendment"
2010 Doctor Who: The Four Doctors
2011 Doctor Who: The Lost Stories 4 stories
2012–2016 Doctor Who: Novel Adaptations 8 stories
2012 Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles Story: "Project: Nirvana"
UNIT: Dominion
Bernice Summerfield Story: "Many Happy Returns"
2013 Doctor Who: The Light at the End
2014–2015 The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 7 stories
2015 The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty: The Dragon And The Raven Cedric the Shipwright
The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure Seventh Doctor Story: "The Brink of Death"
Doctor Who: Doom Coalition Story: "The Eleven"
2016 Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters Story: "Harvest of the Sycorax"
The Diary of River Song 2 stories
2018 The Seventh Doctor: The New Adventures 4 stories
2019 The Eighth of March Story: "The Big Blue Book"
Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time 2 stories

Direct to video

Year Title Role Notes
1991 The Hartnell Years Presenter
1996 Bidding Adieu Himself Documentary

Video games

Year Title Voice role Notes
1997 Destiny of the Doctors Seventh Doctor
2015 Lego Dimensions Archive voice

References

  1. ^ Muir, John Kenneth (2008). A Critical History of Doctor Who on Television. McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-0786437160. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  2. ^ MARK FISHER (1 March 2012). "Interview: Sylvester McCoy, actor – Performing Arts". Scotsman.com. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  3. ^ Professional Biography on official website
  4. ^ So you believed in God back then? "I did, yeah" And do you now? "No, I think it's awful", Doctor Who Magazine, 19 August 2010.
  5. ^ "Sylvester McCoy Says ..." The Sci-Fi Sea Cruise website. Retrieved 3 February 2007.
  6. ^ Sylvester McCoy TV Biography. Retrieved 19 November 2013
  7. ^ a b "People buy Doctor Who drinks". icBerkshire. Trinity Mirror. 3 April 2003. Archived from the original on 15 January 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  8. ^ McCoy 32.3%, Tom Baker 28.7%, Doctor Who Magazine, May 1990.
  9. ^ "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot", BBC programmes, retrieved 26 November 2013
  10. ^ Courtney, Kevin (15 September 2012). "Then & now Sylvester Mccoy, actor". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  11. ^ Fisher, Mark (5 March 2012). "Plume – review". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  12. ^ "King Lear – cast list". RSC web site. Archived from the original on 9 March 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
  13. ^ Higgins, Charlotte (26 November 2008). "Ian McKellen's King Lear to ring in the Christmas cheer for Channel 4". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Little Shop of Horrors (Mon 4 – Sat 9 May 2009)". Liverpool Empire. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  15. ^ "Father, Series 5, Rab C Nesbitt – BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  16. ^ "BBC One Programmes – Doctors, Series 10, "The Lollipop Man"". BBC. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  17. ^ David, Semple. "How I brought back Sylvester McCoy as Doctor Who". Den of Geek. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  18. ^ BBC
  19. ^ [1]
  20. ^ "Sylvester McCoy Is Radagast the Brown". Filmonic. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  21. ^ KnowledgeBase. "Doctor Who: Return to Earth". VGFacts. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
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