Sylvester McCoy

Did you know?!

1. A role that slipped away

   McCoy was the second choice for Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and he also lost out on a part in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

2. About the name

   McCoy's best known act was a stuntman character named Sylveste McCoy in the play An Evening with Sylveste McCoy. As a joke, the program notes credited the part to Sylveste McCoy, and he kept the stage name.

3. About the name

   While playing Stan Laurel on stage, McCoy learned Laurel had adopted his stage name because his real name had thirteen letters, so McCoy added an r to Sylveste for the same reason.

4. First role

   McCoy spent a period working in the box office at The Roundhouse, and it was there that Ken Campbell discovered him.

5. Own stunts

   McCoy played the Fool to Ian McKellen's Lear in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2007 King Lear, a performance that made use of his ability to play the spoons.

6. Getting ready for a role

   McCoy's first season as the Doctor used his physical comedy background for clown-like humor, but script editor Andrew Cartmel changed the character into a darker figure who manipulated people like chess pieces.