10 Most Unusual Demands Made By Doctor Who Guest Stars
7. Simon Callow Insisted Dickens Be Treated With Respect - The Unquiet Dead
Actors will sometimes avoid roles that may damage their reputation, often by being connected with work that doesn't appear worthy of their talents. Simon Callow is slightly different, and was reticent to appear in The Unquiet Dead because he was fearful that it would sully the reputation of Charles Dickens. Having written about the author and having played him in a one-man show, Callow is a proper DIckens scholar and was uncomfortable with the idea of him being a guest in a Doctor Who story.
His fears were rooted in the idea that the author is often deployed as a cheap way to add some Victorian character to a ropy old period piece. He'd clearly seen what Doctor Who did to HG Wells in Timelash!
So Callow was adamant that the script be respectful to the Dickens legacy. He was therefore pleasantly surprised when he realised that Gatiss was almost as big a Dickens fan as he was. Callow was drawn to the script that saw the author worry about his legacy and his value as he nears the end of his life. It's one of the great Doctor Who performances and was perfect to re-launch the series' historical adventures.