14 Tales From The History Of Doctor Who From William Hartnell To Jodie Whittaker
8. Sylvester McCoy? Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith? What?
Sylvester McCoy was the actor who played the Seventh Doctor in the main Doctor Who series, seeing the role through to the conclusion of the 1989 season. He would return in 1996 to hand over the part to Paul McGann, leading some to technically call him the longest-serving current Doctor, at almost ten years.
Although Paul McGann also claims that title, with seventeen years between first and last episodes! Wibbly wobbly.
However, Sylvester McCoy is a construct!
He was was born Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith in 1943, originally training for a place in the priesthood. When this didn't pan out, he worked in The Roundhouse box office for a while. He found work as a bodyguard for the Rolling Stones.
He then found fame as part of The Ken Campbell Roadshow. His best known part was as the title character in a play called An Evening With Sylveste McCoy. As a joke on the audience, the play was billed as 'Starring Sylveste McCoy', to convince them that the man was real. A reviewer picked up on this and ran with that publication.
Kent-Smith adopted the name as a stage name, later adding an 'r' to become the Sylvester McCoy that is known and loved today.