Peter Capaldi was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Nancy (Soutar) and Gerald John Capaldi. His parents owned an ice cream business. He is of Italian (from his paternal grandfather), Scottish, and Irish descent. Capaldi attended drama classes and was accepted into the Glasgow School of Art. After graduating he secured his breakthrough role in Local Her...
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Peter Capaldi was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Nancy (Soutar) and Gerald John Capaldi. His parents owned an ice cream business. He is of Italian (from his paternal grandfather), Scottish, and Irish descent. Capaldi attended drama classes and was accepted into the Glasgow School of Art. After graduating he secured his breakthrough role in Local Hero (1983). Prior to becoming an actor he also worked as a graphic designer for BBC Scotland TV.Peter was announced as the Twelfth Doctor in Doctor Who (2005) on 4th August 2013 on a BBC special programme. He had to hide it from his daughter who remarked to him why it is his name never came up during the buzz. It was a huge relief not to have to keep the secret anymore. His agent called and said "Hello Doctor" when informing him he had gotten the part. Show less «
The Americans just have a great sort of wit about them.
The Americans just have a great sort of wit about them.
[Speaking to a young Doctor Who (2005) fan at 2016 Dallas Comic-Con] You've got to be nice to your M...Show more »
[Speaking to a young Doctor Who (2005) fan at 2016 Dallas Comic-Con] You've got to be nice to your Mum. You've got to be kind to people. You've got to work hard, and make the very best of the gifts that you have, of your talents, and take them out into the world. You're a clever, and bright, and creative person. That's the most important thing to take forward; to take forward that belief in yourself, and a belief of how valuable it is to bring creativity into the world. Show less «
I could sit and watch Jon Pertwee do anything. I could just sit and watch him read the telephone boo...Show more »
I could sit and watch Jon Pertwee do anything. I could just sit and watch him read the telephone book. He's such authority and if you're in trouble you want those doors to swing open and Jon Pertwee to come storming in with a flap of his cape. Show less «
What annoys me about it is that your fate is always in somebody else's hands. It's always up to some...Show more »
What annoys me about it is that your fate is always in somebody else's hands. It's always up to somebody else to decide whether or not they want you in their show and so the majority of actors have to play out a waiting game. The constant fear is that it could all end tomorrow. Show less «
The biggest thing I have realised was that you have to choose your collaborators very carefully, and...Show more »
The biggest thing I have realised was that you have to choose your collaborators very carefully, and that not everybody can like you. The process of filmmaking is so difficult, there's no point in doing it unless you can do it the way you want. Show less «
When you're a child, you just want to be whichever Doctor is on TV, whether that's William Hartnell,...Show more »
When you're a child, you just want to be whichever Doctor is on TV, whether that's William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker. Show less «
I destroyed all my geek stuff because I didn't want to be a geek, and I regret it to this day. Consu...Show more »
I destroyed all my geek stuff because I didn't want to be a geek, and I regret it to this day. Consumed in the geek bonfire of the vanities was a collection of autographs and letters from Peter Cushing, Spike Milligan and Frankie Howerd, the first Doctor Whos, actual astronauts and many more. I wish I'd known that one day the geek would inherit the Earth. Show less «
When I was acting, I was always asking abut the mechanics of filmmaking. I decided I would learn wha...Show more »
When I was acting, I was always asking abut the mechanics of filmmaking. I decided I would learn what everyone on set was doing, so I would feel less threatened. Show less «
Scottish men of a certain age have a black response to almost everything as a measure of how sophist...Show more »
Scottish men of a certain age have a black response to almost everything as a measure of how sophisticated they are. I have a very long fuse that eventually explodes after building up a nice head of steam, although it's only happened three times - usually at work when someone takes me for granted. Show less «
Patrick Troughton is one of the most extraordinary actors, just his delicacy, his ability to jump fr...Show more »
Patrick Troughton is one of the most extraordinary actors, just his delicacy, his ability to jump from being irate to being kindly and clownish. Show less «
I never really think of acting and directing as being separate; they are just different expressions ...Show more »
I never really think of acting and directing as being separate; they are just different expressions of the same thing. Show less «
The Ladykillers (1955), the movie, is one of those rare things that's an almost perfect movie but it...Show more »
The Ladykillers (1955), the movie, is one of those rare things that's an almost perfect movie but it's just full of all this great stuff that you can't leave alone. It's very, very stylish, it has this almost ghoulish quality about it. Show less «
It's weathered many a storm, but the British film industry is, thankfully, still afloat.
It's weathered many a storm, but the British film industry is, thankfully, still afloat.
I've been really terrible in a lot of things because I learned by making mistakes. That makes you a ...Show more »
I've been really terrible in a lot of things because I learned by making mistakes. That makes you a different kind of actor, because you have to figure out for yourself what you do. Show less «
I've been influenced by the entire history of Doctor Who (1963) and by every actor who's played Doct...Show more »
I've been influenced by the entire history of Doctor Who (1963) and by every actor who's played Doctor Who (1963), and everybody who's worked on the show and made those episodes. I wouldn't be here doing this if it hadn't been for the twelve actors who brilliantly played the part, often in times when it wasn't as easy to be Doctor Who (1963) or as welcome to be Doctor Who (1963) as it is now. So really I stand on their shoulders. Show less «
The big reason that Doctor Who (2005) is still with us is because of every single viewer who ever tu...Show more »
The big reason that Doctor Who (2005) is still with us is because of every single viewer who ever turned on to watch this show, at any age, at any time in its history and in their history and who took it into their heart -- because Doctor Who (2005) belongs to all of us. Everyone made Doctor Who. Show less «
Real heroes are all around us and uncelebrated.
Real heroes are all around us and uncelebrated.
I suppose I just like being arty. That's all. Arty.
I suppose I just like being arty. That's all. Arty.
A girl once came to my beery flat in Kensal Green, opened the blinds and cooked me breakfast. I marr...Show more »
A girl once came to my beery flat in Kensal Green, opened the blinds and cooked me breakfast. I married her. Show less «
Even though I am a lifelong Doctor Who (1963) fan, I've not played him since I was nine. I downloade...Show more »
Even though I am a lifelong Doctor Who (1963) fan, I've not played him since I was nine. I downloaded old scripts and practised those in front of the mirror. Show less «
I love the last episode of Frontier in Space (Doctor Who: Frontier in Space: Episode Six (1973)). Is...Show more »
I love the last episode of Frontier in Space (Doctor Who: Frontier in Space: Episode Six (1973)). Isn't that one of the great Doctor Who (1963) episodes ever? Because you've got everything in that. Show less «
[on declining an OBE] Well, I'm not really that interested. I think it's lovely that people get them...Show more »
[on declining an OBE] Well, I'm not really that interested. I think it's lovely that people get them, but it's not really my thing. Show less «
My adolescence was a kind of motorway pile-up. I wish I had known that one day the geek would inheri...Show more »
My adolescence was a kind of motorway pile-up. I wish I had known that one day the geek would inherit the Earth. Show less «
STG and the Ramshorn Theatre are a vital part of Glasgow's rich cultural history. To abandon them no...Show more »
STG and the Ramshorn Theatre are a vital part of Glasgow's rich cultural history. To abandon them now is to abandon not only our past, but our future. Show less «
I hated improvisation because in my early days as an actor, improvisation meant somebody had just co...Show more »
I hated improvisation because in my early days as an actor, improvisation meant somebody had just come down from Oxford and they were doing a play above a pub in Kentish Town, and the biggest ego would win. Show less «
If you put me in a real TARDIS, I dread to think what would happen to the universe.
If you put me in a real TARDIS, I dread to think what would happen to the universe.
Doctor Who (2005), like time, cannot stand still. It must always move and change.
Doctor Who (2005), like time, cannot stand still. It must always move and change.
[on his performance in Local Hero (1983)] I don't think I had any capacity to act. I think I was jus...Show more »
[on his performance in Local Hero (1983)] I don't think I had any capacity to act. I think I was just a bit of a... twat. Show less «
I don't like parties. There was never a party I was at where I didn't wish I was somewhere else.
I don't like parties. There was never a party I was at where I didn't wish I was somewhere else.
[on Doctor Who (2005)] The things I've always adored are still there. That relationship between ligh...Show more »
[on Doctor Who (2005)] The things I've always adored are still there. That relationship between light and dark, the domestic and the epic. There's a feeling you could step from a supermarket car park on Earth into the Andromeda Nebula or whatever. Show less «
I'm not an extravagant man. The fact that I can have a coffee out whenever I want still makes me fee...Show more »
I'm not an extravagant man. The fact that I can have a coffee out whenever I want still makes me feel grateful. Show less «
I can't imagine I'll be the new George Clooney. That's not really in the cards.
I can't imagine I'll be the new George Clooney. That's not really in the cards.
I haven't played Doctor Who (1963) since I was 9 on the playground.
I haven't played Doctor Who (1963) since I was 9 on the playground.
Planet of the Spiders (Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders: Part One (1974)) proved once again the sco...Show more »
Planet of the Spiders (Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders: Part One (1974)) proved once again the scope and quality of the popular Doctor Who (1963). All involved must be congratulated on producing a classic story leading excellently to the metamorphosis from Jon Pertwee's Doctor to Tom Baker's. The storyline was powerful, introducing exciting chase sequences, mysterious ceremonies and chilling monsters. The acting was first-class, particularly Jon Pertwee's performance when the Doctor faced his greatest fear, the Great One! And of course the visual images of senior visual effects designer, Bernard Wilkie, were wonderful to watch. Show less «
Hollywood producers aren't going to say, 'Get me that swearing, grey-haired, headless chicken. We ne...Show more »
Hollywood producers aren't going to say, 'Get me that swearing, grey-haired, headless chicken. We need him for our new High School Musical (2006) movie!' Show less «
I grew up in the Sixties with Doctor Who (1963) and The Beatles and Sunday Night at the London Palla...Show more »
I grew up in the Sixties with Doctor Who (1963) and The Beatles and Sunday Night at the London Palladium and school milk and bronchitis. All that stuff. It's part of my DNA. When I had my first proper TARDIS scene there was a nice props guy telling me how to work the console. Secretly I was thinking, "I know how to work the TARDIS! I've known for a long time - probably longer than you". Show less «
The nice thing about Doctor Who is, whatever people say, you know someone somewhere loves you. And t...Show more »
The nice thing about Doctor Who is, whatever people say, you know someone somewhere loves you. And they always will. The more everyone else hates you, the more that person will say, "He's my Doctor". Show less «
The difference between movies and TV is that in TV you have to have a trauma every week, but that ev...Show more »
The difference between movies and TV is that in TV you have to have a trauma every week, but that event may not be the biggest event in the characters' lives. Show less «
I don't want to find myself at the age of 60 waiting by the telephone for someone else to decide if ...Show more »
I don't want to find myself at the age of 60 waiting by the telephone for someone else to decide if I am capable of being in what might be a crummy TV production. Show less «
The only time I've tried to make plans, the cosmic sledgehammer has intervened and something else ha...Show more »
The only time I've tried to make plans, the cosmic sledgehammer has intervened and something else has happened. You just have to wait and see what comes your way, so that's what I do. Show less «
One of the very, very exciting things I have found here in L.A. is that no one talks to you about be...Show more »
One of the very, very exciting things I have found here in L.A. is that no one talks to you about being Scottish. Whereas, if you are in London and you are trying to put films together and be a film-maker, there is a kind of unspoken sense that, if you are Scottish, you have something to overcome or else you cannot really do that project. Show less «
[in 1974] Jon Pertwee's Doctor of the frock coat and gadgets has gone. But that character was but on...Show more »
[in 1974] Jon Pertwee's Doctor of the frock coat and gadgets has gone. But that character was but one of the facets of this eternal time lord, the greatest science fiction character ever created. There is an infinite number of further faces and natures to choose from. Tom Baker must select one and play it to the best of his ability. It is this infinite number of characters that ensures Doctor Who (1963)'s future. For, like time, Doctor Who (1963) will go on forever. Show less «
I love people where, at the end of the day, they'll pick up a paintbrush and paint clouds. They can ...Show more »
I love people where, at the end of the day, they'll pick up a paintbrush and paint clouds. They can physically make things. Show less «
At 17 years old, STG took me under its wing and shared its resources and wisdom with me, even allowi...Show more »
At 17 years old, STG took me under its wing and shared its resources and wisdom with me, even allowing me to take part in a show at the Edinburgh Festival. Without STG and the Ramshorn Theatre, I would not have found access to the world of drama that I later made my profession. Show less «
I'm pretty good for an old geek.
I'm pretty good for an old geek.
[on playing an older Doctor] Whereas with Matt and David before me there was this romantic thing goi...Show more »
[on playing an older Doctor] Whereas with Matt and David before me there was this romantic thing going on, we don't do that. We have something else which I really like. There's not another relationship you can compare it to. It's not like uncle and niece. He is not a grandfather figure. But because Jenna's so wonderful, we've found something that's different, and yet it works. Show less «
[on Doctor Who]It has to slip between the epic and the domestic. The great trick of Doctor Who is th...Show more »
[on Doctor Who]It has to slip between the epic and the domestic. The great trick of Doctor Who is that he'll be at the edge of the galaxy watching stars being born, but he'll drop you off in the mall outside KFC. Show less «
Being asked to play the Doctor is an amazing privilege. Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a s...Show more »
Being asked to play the Doctor is an amazing privilege. Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight. I can't wait to get started. Show less «
What I've learnt being an actor is that you've got to be lucky. I got less lucky, and nobody was int...Show more »
What I've learnt being an actor is that you've got to be lucky. I got less lucky, and nobody was interested. If a part came up, it would be for the main corpse's friend's brother who was having problems with his marriage. Show less «
[on Doctor Who: The Ark in Space: Part One (1975)] I love The Ark in Space. I think The Ark in Space...Show more »
[on Doctor Who: The Ark in Space: Part One (1975)] I love The Ark in Space. I think The Ark in Space is great because I love Tom Baker, his hair is just like the most wildest hair ever. I think later on as you watch the rest of his time as Doctor Who (1963) I think he started to get a perm or something, he looks more like Harpo Marx towards the end of his run. But in his first season he's just got this absolute mess of bohemian hair, what would you call it, a Tom-fro, a Doc-fro? He's got a big Doc-fro. And also his speech in that about human beings, he just takes grasp of the role of Doctor Who (1963) in that season, in that story, so completely. Show less «
There's almost a Grimms' fairy tales element to the show. The Doctor appears and takes people deep i...Show more »
There's almost a Grimms' fairy tales element to the show. The Doctor appears and takes people deep into the forest where there are monsters, but he delivers them back safely at the end. That's very, very attractive. Plus I love monsters. Everyone does! Any shows with monsters in them work. Show less «
My childhood growing up in that part of Glasgow always sounds like some kind of sub-Catherine Cookso...Show more »
My childhood growing up in that part of Glasgow always sounds like some kind of sub-Catherine Cookson novel of earthy working-class immigrant life, which to some extent it was, but it wasn't really as colourful that. Show less «
What you're doing is acting with yourself. Well, I'm my favourite actor, so in a way it's quite stra...Show more »
What you're doing is acting with yourself. Well, I'm my favourite actor, so in a way it's quite straightforward for me. Show less «
