Sylvester McCoy Will Try to Play the Spoons in “The Hobbit”

Sylvester McCoy, who will play Radagast the Brown in “The Hobbit,” was recently interviewed with his “Doctor Who” co-star Sophie Aldred for by Shadowlocked for MinisterOfChance.com. Most of the interview is about their roles as The Seventh Doctor and Ace, respectively, but there are a few moments of interest for fans of “The Hobbit.”

“I cannot divulge anything about ‘The Hobbit,’” McCoy said, as he covered his mouth with his hand. This is his familiar comic routine every time he’s asked about the films. “Weta have got ahold of me and programmed me not to be able to talk about it at all.”

McCoy is known for his musical prowess on the spoons—his instrument of choice. When asked if he will be playing the spoons in “The Hobbit,” he suggested that he hadn’t filmed any jam sessions yet. “But I haven’t finished filming ‘The Hobbit’ yet, so who knows?” He explained that he got the idea of inserting his favorite instrument into every project he does from “the great and glorious and heavenly W.C. Fields.” Fields started off as a comedy juggler before he became known as a comedic actor.

“He was asked to play Mr. Micawber [in Dickens’ ‘David Copperfield’],” said McCoy, “and they gave him the script, and he read it and said, ‘Where’s the juggling scene?’ And they said, ‘Well, W.C., Dickens didn’t write a juggling scene.’ And he said, ‘Well, he has now. It’s in my contract.’ It was in his contract that he had to have juggling in every film he did. And that inspired me. That’s why I try to get the spoons in everything.”

Obviously, a lot of people recognize McCoy from his days as The Seventh Doctor, but he’s already seen his fanbase expand to fans of Peter Jackson’s yet-unseen films. “People are popping up at conventions, asking questions about ‘The Hobbit’ and about that whole world,” he remarked. “There’s a rumbling there, and think, ‘Oh my goodness. There’s a whole new fanbase out there. A rather big one, I believe.’”

Would he like to do more movies of “The Hobbit’s” scale? “Oh gosh, yes! I mean, if that came along, great. But if it didn’t, it doesn’t matter; I’ve had a great time doing this one. An amazing time. Working with Peter Jackson has just been such a joy,” he said. His face lit up when talking about the second unit director, Andy Serkis. “We got on really well because he’s a physical actor and I was a physical actor. We had a shorthand. We were part of the same tribe. So far, it’s been a joy being in it, and if there are more jobs like that coming along, yes! Bring them on.”

Click here for the full video. The discussion of “The Hobbit” begins at 33:48.