WHO he really is!
- Publication: TV Scene
- Date: 1984-02-04
- Author: Helen Howard
- Page: 24
- Language: English
When Colin won a new role, he just didn't believe
WHEN Colin Baker was told that he had landed the plum role of the sixth Dr Who, taking over from Peter Davison in the new series, he just didn't believe it!
"I was convinced that someone had made a mistake and that Tom Baker had gone back to playing the role," Colin says. "Then I found who really was Who, and I was delighted. "No-one could wish for a more charismatic part, with a built-in fan club of millions. Whoever plays Dr Who always enjoys tremendous loyalty from the fans.
"They don't seem to mind that the face is always changing."
Charisma is something that Colin Baker has always had.
Once. he was very much the dashing young actor-about-town. He was seen in all the best places, dining and wining in all the trendy restaurants and always seemed to be escorting some of the most beautiful young women in showbusiness.
The glamorous girls in his life included actresses Angela Down, Adrienne Posta and Liza Goddard, whom he married in 1976 and divorced four years later. But Colin explains: "I was never really the womaniser I was made out to be.
"My love life was blown out of all proportion. because it just happened that the ladies I knew were recognised by the public. "I've always been useless at chatting up girls — perhaps that was why they liked me so muchr Certainly, none of Colin's romances were short-term affairs. Actress Angela Down was the one girl in his life for several years. After that, he had a tempestuous romance with Adrienne Posta, which lasted less than a year.
And although the speed with which he married Liza Goddard a few months later surprised many friends, Colin explains: "We'd known each other for years."
They met up again when they were starring in the TV series, The Brothers — Colin was a business tycoon and Liza played his fiancee!
Their real-life marriage lasted four years, before they drifted apart and divorced.
Colin has been re-married for more than a year to actress Marion Wyatt. They met about two years ago when "we were appearing in a stage play ... and love just grew from there."
Sadly, their happiness was shattered recently when their two-month-old son, Jack, was found dead in his cot.
Colin was appearing in a play in Stockholm when he heard the news and rushed back to comfort his wife at their home.
The cause of death was the inexplicable "cot death syndrome," which has baffled doctors for years.
Colin spent most of his early life in Yorkshire, where his father was a successful businessman.
His father died from a stroke, and Colin says: "I blamed his death on over-work.
"That helped me to make up my mind that I wasn't going to spend my life working at something I didn't enjoy."
Colin spent five years studying law, then gave up the course just before he was due to take his final examinations. He had decided, instead, to become an actor. Colin, the sixth actor to play Dr Who in 21 years, says the role will enable him to finally be forgotten as the ruthless tycoon, Paul Merroney, in The Brothers.
"Not long ago a perfect stranger came up to me in a shop ... and handed me a bottle of champagne," Colin recalls.
"He explained that he had watched my performances as Paul Merroney, admired my ruthless behavior ... and set out to follow my style of doing things.
"Today, he runs a successful chain of shops!"
Caption: COLIN ... charismatic role.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Howard, Helen (1984-02-04). WHO he really is!. TV Scene p. 24.
- MLA 7th ed.: Howard, Helen. "WHO he really is!." TV Scene [add city] 1984-02-04, 24. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Howard, Helen. "WHO he really is!." TV Scene, edition, sec., 1984-02-04
- Turabian: Howard, Helen. "WHO he really is!." TV Scene, 1984-02-04, section, 24 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=WHO he really is! | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/WHO_he_really_is! | work=TV Scene | pages=24 | date=1984-02-04 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=29 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=WHO he really is! | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/WHO_he_really_is! | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=29 April 2025}}</ref>
