Billie Piper reveals today how quitting Doctor Who still makes her
cry — and admits she won’t be able to watch the new series.
Blonde Billie adored playing the Timelord’s
helper Rose Tyler — but felt it was time to go in case she became “complacent”.
She says: “It was
such a hard decision. I still cry about it, I’m such a cry baby.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able
to watch the next series. I’ll probably have to sit behind the couch with a cushion over my eyes.”
Critics
were surprised when, in 2004, former teen popstar Billie won the role of Rose.
She had spent a few years in the professional
wilderness with ex-hubby Chris Evans after walking away from her stressful singing career.
But she excelled to help produce a ratings winner for the BBC —
and revive a much-loved telly sci-fi classic. Billie, 24, won two National TV Awards for her role as bolshie Rose, so it was
a shock when she decided to leave during filming for the second series.
She explained: “I just thought it was time to do something
new — not because I felt tired, the material was crap or the people were nasty — but just because I felt like
doing something else.
“I’d spent nine months filming in Cardiff and that’s
a long time to be away from your family and friends.
“I’m a real London girl, I absolutely love it. I found
it increasingly hard to be away.
I felt like if I’d stayed there any longer I would have become a bit complacent.
And, suddenly, you’ve been doing it for five years and you’re too scared to leave.”
The hardest part was telling show writer Russell T Davies. Billie
says: “He was upset and I was upset, but he’s such a wonderful man and completely supported me.
“But life has to move on and there are great things happening
in British TV. I just hope I don’t regret leaving!” In Rose’s final scene the Doctor (David Tennant) tries
to tell her he loves her as she is left on a world to which he can’t return.
Billie says: “I cried about that
too . . . it’s so sad because it’s the end of a love story.”
And Billie says she’s “met a really good friend in David”.
She continues: “He’s a lovely guy, super-duper down to earth, super-duper smart. Women love him, my mum and her
mates obsess over him.”
When asked if SHE fancies him, Billie replies: “I’ve
always thought he was a good-looking guy, but if I’d fancied him badly it would have been quite hard working with him.”
She raises eyebrows over rumours they got too close, saying: “Every
person I do a job with — I’m going out with them, that’s just the way it goes . . . it becomes quite an
intensive relationship.”
She adds: “I think David will be the Doctor for a while, he
really loves the show. It has certainly completely changed my life and has given me confidence to try to do other things.
“I had been quite scared about doing something new.”
Billie will be seen playing Victorian heroine Sally Lockhart in
the Beeb’s Ruby In The Smoke over Christmas, then Fanny Price in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park for ITV next year.
She laughs: “I do like a feisty woman.” On going to
Hollywood, Billie says: “It would have to be the right project. I’ve been acting properly for only three years,
so it’s a bit soon.”
After the chaos of her teens, she is settled and happy.
She says: “I have a nice home life and great circle of friends.
I feel very chilled. I think it’s because I love my work so much.
Source: The Sun : December 2006
