Hypothetical people have often asked me what my favorite aspect of my favorite show–Doctor Who, don’t ya know–happens to be: is it the time travelling? Is it the often complex storytelling? Is it the idea of the TARDIS and its myriad scientific wonders? Is it all the awesome villains, or the hilarious banter? I mean, I like all of it, but maybe my favorite thing is how the Doctor is ultimately a good guy who uses kindness and intellect to win the day. It’s an ethos that stands him well apart from other heroes. It also extends to the actors who’ve played him, as this video from Dallas Comic-Con illustrates.
Peter Capaldi, who is currently filming his third series as the Twelfth Doctor, has established himself very early on as being someone who wants to make the show’s youngest fans feel special and listened to. Being a big ol’ fanboy himself probably doesn’t hurt, nor does being a father. But he speaks to children very directly, without spoiling the magic of the show. The young man in the clip (originally shared by Zap2It) wants to know how he can be involved in making Doctor Who and Capaldi’s words are universal.
“You’ve got to be nice to your Mum,” he began. “You’ve got to be kind to people. You’ve got to work hard, and make the very best of the gifts that you have, of your talents, and take them out into the world.” That’s good for anybody at any time and any place! He continued that with luck, when the boy is old enough, the BBC might let him be on it. However, the main big of amazing advice came at the end when he said that the boy’s ambition to be on the show proves “you’re a clever, and bright, and creative person. That’s the most important thing to take forward; to take forward that belief in yourself, and a belief of how valuable it is to bring creativity into the world.”
This is the Doctor, folks. You should definitely take his word for it. Let us know your favorite Doctorly advice in the comments below!
Image: BBC
Kyle Anderson is the associate editor and the resident Whovian for Nerdist. Follow him on Twitter!
