Guess who is now an action figure (From This Is Local London)

Guess who is now an action figure

6:10pm Friday 16th September 2011 in Colin Baker By Colin Baker

When I became an actor, it was not for the fame, the girls or the money – the unrealistic holy grail of all those X Factor wannabees. It was because I wanted to act. I had found something that I could do and hopefully do well enough to earn a living and I gave it my best shot. I was lucky and am still earning a reasonable living from doing a job that is predominantly enjoyable and rewarding.

I had never anticipated as a possibility, let alone longed for, being immortalised as a poseable figure on sale in the shops. When I played Doctor Who in the 80s there was some merchandise around but the BBC was not as commercially minded as it has been obliged to become lately in order to survive. In fact, there was almost an air of corporate disdain at the Beeb for anything that smacked of common commercialism.

Now however the institution has realised what a wonderful commodity it has in Dr Who and they are emulating the football clubs who change kit every few weeks to maximise fan income.

There is not just one small and very well made figure of yours truly, but five now. Heaven knows how many David Tennant and Matt Smith versions there are!

And yes, it is very weird to see a young child approaching me at a fan event clutching a mini-me for me to autograph (with difficulty it has to be said given the contours!).

The merchandising department have been kind enough to let me have a figure of each of the ‘Classic’ Doctors (I don’t get the really desirable new guys). They stand in various tableaux on a shelf in our downstairs loo. My daughters delight in creating varying scenarios that usually glorify my incarnation at the expense of the other doctors. They’re loyal my girls! Tom’s doctor for some reason has a removable head (a bit like Worzel Gummidge – should have been Jon Pertwee?).

The other day I was treated to the beguiling vision of Old Sixie (my Doctor) holding up Tom’s head like a futuristic Perseus holding the Gorgon’s head aloft, with his prostrate decapitated form at my feet and Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy grovelling before the conquering hero.

It’s quite odd to think that one day when I am long gone, I might have some value as an antique figure ‘in original mint packaging’.