Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Victoria Johns

Peter Capaldi reveals 'over excited' Brian Blessed punched him unconscious on BBC set

Peter Capaldi says he still has the scar from when Flash Gordon star Brian Blessed punched him in the face.

The Doctor Who actor, 63, and Brian, 85, were filming BBC's The History of Tom Jones in the nineties when the incident occurred.

Admitting that his co-star had got a "bit over excited" during one of the show's scenes, Peter revealed the punch landed him in hospital.

The Scot said: "I've got a scar under my eyebrow that runs the length of my eyebrow. That's when Brian Blessed punched me in the face. I got nine stitches.

"We were filming the old BBC version of Tom Jones and I was playing a fop in a powdered wig and make-up, he was playing a squire, from the country.

Peter Capaldi says he still has the scar after the unfortunate incident (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for Wa)

"I was attempting to seduce his daughter and in the scene he punched me, but he got a bit over-excited," he told Empire magazine.

Peter revealed that when he finally regained consciousness, he was taken to hospital still in his 'fop outfit'.

He added that "poor Brian was absolutely distraught".

Brian 'was distraught', according to Peter (Redferns)
He's known for his booming voice (Getty Images)

Brian, known for his booming voice was offered a role in Doctor Who when Peter was still sporting the Time Lord's red velvet trousers.

Brian said: “When Peter was the Doctor, they offered me a part as some kind of vampire lizard creature. It was a Viking who was really a monster and sucked people’s brains out… But I turned it down because I couldn’t bring myself to look at him again since the day I punched his head."

Peter has since moved on to big budget Hollywood films, including The Suicide Squad, but did admit he looked back at his tenure as the Time Lord with fondness.

He remembers his Dr Who days with fondness (BBC)

Speaking to Digital Spy, Peter he insisted he liked the "cobbled together" quality of it.

Comparing his time as The Doctor to playing The Thinker in The Suicide Squad, Peter said: “Everything about [The Suicide Squad] was bigger. And also, you know, we had this incredible cast.

“Also there was more money, you know... [at] Doctor Who, we don’t really have enough – everything on Doctor Who falls to pieces, all of the props fall to pieces and the costumes have to be stuck together with duct tape and velcro and stuff.

“You know that there’s never really quite enough money, but the ideas are often very special – that’s what I like."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.