An English actor and musician, Arthur Darvin, is most recognised as Rory Williams from Doctor Who. He shares his experience of working in the most ‘terrific’ series
What do you have to say about the Doctor Who series and Asylum of the Daleks, the first episode of the seventh seriesIJ
It’s rather wonderful, the great thing about Doctor Who is that it always tries to better itself and that has really happened this series, it feels like a movie. What is fantastic is that the Daleks are actually scary in this episode. It was quite an odd experience being on set that day, not only because of all of the Daleks but because there was generally a lot more people on set as they were so excited about what was about to happen.
What is your opinion on getting Dinosaurs on a Spaceship for the second episodeIJ
It is such an amazing title but to be honest, I wasn’t sure how they were going to do it. But that episode is made extra special with Mark Williams playing Rory’s dad, he was just hilarious, so lovely and a funny guy. With one of the biggest sets ever built to house the prehistoric creatures, the dinosaurs were huge; going on set was like walking into a massive aircraft carrier.
Amy and Rory’s relationship is in a tricky situation in episode one, how did you find that to playIJ
Every relationship has their rocky moments but it was quite fun to play out a problem in their relationship and it shows a different side to both of their characters and makes them more real. I think that was an important side to show.
In episode three, A Town Called Mercy, we see the doctor and his companions in a Western theme setting, where Amy Pond gets her hands on a weapon. What was your reactionIJ
I am always terrified when Karen picks up anything. Of course there was a guy there to make sure it wasn’t loaded. But Karen is better at these things than she pretends to be, even though she looks like she is made of spaghetti.
So what do you think about your exitIJ
Just brilliant, I was really happy to go out in an episode with the Weeping Angels. They are a relatively new monster but Steven immediately made them a classic. I think they are one of the scariest villains within Doctor Who and the episode five is very creepy.
Are there any other monsters that you favouredIJ
The Silence were pretty good, they look scary. Along with the Weeping Angels, they have a psychological effect. Steven is good at writing those, making quite terrifying television.
We know Matt is fond of pranks on set but did you also torment KarenIJ
During down time on set if there was a lull, a great way to entertain yourself was to tell Karen that a moth was flying around her head. She would literally go mad, flinging her arms around and screaming, it was hilarious. She hates anything with wings.
What will you miss the most about the showIJ
The people, it is such a big family. But me, Matt and Karen still chat every few days and meet up when we can. The great thing about Doctor Who is that you get to work with the best of the best. It has been such a fantastic adventure and I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the ride.
(The show will be broadcast on FX India from May 15)