Sylvester McCoy

Early life

McCoy was born Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith on 20 August 1943 in Dunoon, Scotland, to an Irish mother, Molly Sheridan, and an English father, Percy James Kent-Smith. His father, who enlisted into the Navy in World War II, was killed in a battle off Sierra Leone in April 1943. McCoy met his father's family in London at the age of 17. His mother suffered a mental breakdown when McCoy was eight years old, and was institutionalised thereafter. prior to adopting his stage name, he was known as "Kent" or "James".

McCoy attended Saint Mun's School. He studied to be a priest at Blairs College, a seminary in Aberdeen, between the ages of 12 and 16,

Career

Early work

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, who worked beside Kent-Smith at the Roundhouse Theatre and originated in the Wolfe Tones version of "Big Strong Man"), 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, conscious that he may have needed to distinguish himself from the American actor Kent Smith as his career progressed, Kent-Smith maintained the stage name. Canadian critic Milton Shulman believed McCoy's name and fictionalised biography were genuine in his review of the Roadshow.

McCoy played Pepe/Epep, a character who lived in the mirror in Vision On. McCoy also portrayed, in one-man shows on the stage, two famous movie comedians: Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton. While playing Laurel, who had adopted his stage name due to the perceived bad luck of his real name containing thirteen letters, McCoy realised his stage name also had thirteen letters and added an "r" to the end of "Sylveste". He also appeared as Henry "Birdie" Bowers in the 1985 television serial about Scott's last Antarctic expedition, The Last Place on Earth (1985).

McCoy starred opposite Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasence in the horror film Dracula (1979).

''Doctor Who''

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 (his twelfth and final serial as the Doctor). 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, with his face concealed by regeneration special effects. 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 season, McCoy used his background in physical comedy to portray 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, using his natural Scottish accent and rolled his rs. In 1990, readers of Doctor Who Magazine voted McCoy's Doctor "Best Doctor", over perennial favourite Tom Baker. Since 1999 he has continued acting in the role of the Seventh Doctor in a series of audio plays for Big Finish Productions.

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

In January 2021, McCoy returned to the role of the Doctor, alongside Bonnie Langford as Mel Bush, in "A Business Proposal for Mel!" This short acted as an announcement trailer for the Blu ray The Collection release of season 24. McCoy returned to the show in the 2022 special "The Power of the Doctor" as a Guardian of the Edge—a manifestation of the Thirteenth Doctor’s subconscious who takes on the Seventh Doctor's form. To mark Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, he reprised his role as the Seventh Doctor in Tales of the TARDIS (2023), reuniting with Sophie Aldred as Ace. In a 2024 interview, McCoy stated that Russell T Davies had reintroduced past Doctors in Tales of the TARDIS as they "may be coming back" in future stories.

Later work

McCoy appeared on the first night of broadcast of Channel 5, playing Michael Sams in the drama film Beyond Fear (1997).

McCoy missed out on a role in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and was the second choice to play the role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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

''The Hobbit'' trilogy

McCoy began filming for The Hobbit, a three-part adaptation of the book, in 2011. He portrays the wizard Radagast, 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 Hobbit films.

Personal life

McCoy and his wife, Agnes Verkaik, have two sons. They were filmed for the Doctor Who serial The Curse of Fenric playing Haemovores, but their scenes were deleted from the finished release. According to McCoy, his sons live in Holland and Thailand.

He was brought up a Catholic by his maternal grandmother and aunts

During the COVID-19 pandemic, McCoy spent some of lockdown living in France.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Short films

Direct to video

Video games

Other works

Stage

Audio drama

Web

References

Citations

Sources

References

1. (2013). "Doctor Who: Who-ology". BBC Books.
2. Muir, John Kenneth. (2008). "A Critical History of Doctor Who on Television". McFarland & Co.
3. Smith, Kenny. (13 March 2018). "Doctor Who star steps back in time to Dunoon childhood". Scottish Field.
4. Pelley, Rich. (20 November 2020). "Sylvester McCoy's teenage obsessions: 'I was the twist king of Dunoon'".
5. (2021). "''Doctor Who'': The Collection Season 24". [[BBC Studios]].
6. "Professional Biography".
7. (3 April 2003). "People buy Doctor Who drinks". [[Trinity Mirror]].
8. McCoy, Sylvester. (17 November 2023). "Sylvester McCoy".
9. McCoy 32.3%, Tom Baker 28.7%, ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'', May 1990.
10. Jeffery, Morgan. (24 June 2017). "Big Finish: How a gang of fans reinvented Dr Who".
11. "Big Finish to end monthly Doctor Who audio range in 2022 revamp". [[Radio Times]].
12. Jeffery, Morgan. (26 November 2013). "'Doctor Who': The inside story on 'The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot'". Digital Spy.
13. "A Business Proposal for Mel! The Collection: Season 24 Announcement Trailer Doctor Who". BBC Studios.
14. Jeffery, Morgan. (23 October 2022). "Doctor Who brings back classic Doctors for centenary special". [[Radio Times]].
15. (30 October 2023). "Doctor Who: Welcome to The Whoniverse where every Doctor, every companion and hundreds of terrifying monsters live". BBC.
16. Mellor, Louisa. (31 October 2023). "Doctor Who Anniversary: What Actually is Tales of the TARDIS?". [[Dennis Publishing]].
17. Hannam, Conor. (Dec 10, 2024). ""They may be coming back..." Sylvester McCoy on his Doctor Who future FULL INTERVIEW".
18. Bythrow, Nick. (2024-12-12). "Classic Doctor Who Star Reveals How Russell T Davies Set Up A Return For Former Doctors: "They May Be Coming Back"".
19. Courtney, Kevin. (15 September 2012). "Then & now Sylvester Mccoy, actor". [[The Irish Times]].
20. "Sylvester Mccoy Credits". tvguide.com.
21. (5 March 2012). "Plume – review". Guardian News and Media Limited.
22. "King Lear – cast list". RSC web site.
23. Higgins, Charlotte. (26 November 2008). "Ian McKellen's King Lear to ring in the Christmas cheer for Channel 4". [[The Guardian]].
24. "Little Shop of Horrors (Mon 4 – Sat 9 May 2009)". Liverpool Empire.
25. "Father, Series 5, Rab C Nesbitt – BBC Two".
26. "BBC One Programmes – ''Doctors'', Series 10, "The Lollipop Man"". BBC.
27. David, Semple. "How I brought back Sylvester McCoy as Doctor Who". Den of Geek.
28. "BBC One - The Real Marigold Hotel, Series 1 - The female residents".
29. "Theatre review: A Joke - The Scotsman".
30. "Sylvester McCoy Is Radagast the Brown". Filmonic.
31. "Sylvester McCoy | A Brief History Of Time (Travel)".
32. "The Curse of Fenric".
33. MacKenzie, Steven. (21 March 2021). "Sylvester McCoy: 'Wisdom? Me? What wisdom have I got?'".
34. but is now an [[atheist]].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.
35. Westthorp, Alex. (2014-04-16). "Dr Who: films of Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy".
36. "Spellbreaker: Secret of the Leprechauns {{!}} Cast and Crew".
37. "The Mumbo Jumbo {{!}} Cast and Crew".
38. "King Lear {{!}} Cast and Crew".
39. "Punk Strut: The Movie {{!}} Cast and Crew".
40. Bell, Chris. (2017-01-23). "Eldorado: the bizarre story of the worst movie ever made". The Telegraph.
41. Child, Ben. (2012-11-30). "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – the wait for reviews begins". The Guardian.
42. Lambie, Ryan. (2013-12-08). "The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug review".
43. Harvey, Dennis. (2017-11-29). "Film Review: ‘Slumber’".
44. "Slumber {{!}} Cast and Crew".
45. Clarke, Stewart. (2019-05-07). "Maisie Williams Movie ‘The Owners’ Rounds Out Cast".
46. "Lost at Christmas {{!}} Cast and Crew".
47. Khan, Sana. (2022-04-28). "'The Munsters': Rob Zombie Reveals Sylvester McCoy's Look As Igor [Photo]".
48. "Dead Before They Wake {{!}} Cast and Crew".
49. "Doctor Who movie producer says BBC didn't want Sylvester McCoy to appear".
50. "The Airzone Solution {{!}} Cast and Crew".
51. Farnell, Chris. (2024-03-13). "Why Has There Never Been a Truly Great Doctor Who Video Game?".
52. (18 May 2022). "Fallout London - Official Gameplay Trailer".
53. McNulty, Thomas. (2022-05-19). "Fallout: London Mod Boasts Doctor Who Voice Talent".