10 Most Unusual Demands Made By Doctor Who Guest Stars
1. Steven Berkoff's Never To Be Repeated Role As The Shakri - The Power Of Three
In an interview with SFX magazine's J.R. Southall, The Power of Three director Douglas Mackinnon rather diplomatically stated that "you could ask anyone on the cast or crew and they'll agree that his [Steven Berkoff's] participation was extraordinary." As the years have passed, some details have come out in various fan circles that suggest this is code for "he was an absolute nightmare to work with".
Allegedly, he refused to act, delivered lines in bizarre ways and threw numerous tantrums. The day's shooting with Berkoff was virtually unusable and Chris Chibnall had to hastily rewrite dialogue to work with what they could salvage. The Shakri was never originally intended to be a hologram, but Berkoff's stock still performance necessitated such a rewrite.
In an interview a few years later, Berkoff complained about being worked to death and spending the majority of his 15 hours in the make-up chair. Perhaps by the time he'd been made up as the Shakri he was ready to go home? It's no excuse for unprofessional behaviour, though. The biggest laugh is that Mackinnon had worked with Berkoff before, one can only imagine how he'd behaved with an unfamiliar director!