Quote: Rustle T Davis @ February 2 2009, 8:49 AM GMT
Incredibly rude. At first you think it's tongue in cheek, but as the interview progresses you realise that he really is an ass. I have a copy of the interview - my friend who buys the DW magaizine sent it to me. Here are a few samples:
Benjamin Cook: Hello, Clive. I'm recording this interview on tape, if that's OK.
Clive: Don't you know shorthand?
Ben: I find that dictaphones are more reliable in interview situations. I want to quote what you say accurately.
Clive: A lot of actors won't do interviews on tape.
Ben: I've never noticed that, in almost a decade of doing this job.
Clive: I'm an actor. As soon as you switched that thing on, I'm performing. I think you'll find that proper journalists know shorthand.
Ben: I think you'll find that I'm not a proper journalist, in that case.
Clive: Don't be silly. I'm quite aggrieved. Why should I do this? I'm not getting paid, am I? (Awkward silence). Well, get on with it!
Ben: Right. Could you tell me a bit about your character in Voyage of the Damned?
Clive: You don't need me to tell you that. Have you read the script? That's what I perform. YOU can tell them about my character. What a silly question.
He then goes on to admit having no clue about Doctor Who, having never read another Doctor Who script (and presumably never seeing the programme), had no idea his character was an alien, didn't know which decade the Titanic sank in... etc., etc.
Further on in the interview:
Ben: Have you always wanted to act?
Clive: I've always wanted to perform which is slightly different.
(goes on about his caberet show in which he plays Richard Bucket from Keeping Up Appearences).
Ben: Do people shout "Richard" at you in the street?
Clive: Sometimes. I tell them to f**k off.
Ben: Right. One final question...
Clive: I think that's more than enough, isn't it? How many pages are you going to have on Mr Copper? (his DW character).
Ben: Well, I was just going to ask...
Clive: There's no reason why I should talk to you at all, so you shouldn't push it. I'm sure you'll write something very nice (stoney silence). I know that you all think that this is a big world, this Who business. But it isn't. There are much bigger things than this.
Ben: Maybe, but it means a lot to a great many of us.
Clive: Yeah, yeah, goodbye.
What a lovely man.
Wow, what a shocking interview! And to say the F word like like, especially when talking about fans. Terrible.
Thanks for the transcript.