Tom was working in a dead end job on a building site and probably thought his life couldn't get any worse when he landed his dream job. I know he'd had some success in the past, appearing in a Sinbad film and working in the theatre, but this would have been like winning the pools to a resting actor in 1974. The role made him and he made the role, seeing Doctor Who's ratings reach 14 million at times as the stories were so good and people liked his portrayal so much.
It was probably easy for Jon Pertwee to become the Doctor, he'd had a hugely successful career as a comedy actor in the fifties and sixties and appeared in a horror film when he took the role, but to a relative unknown I can imagine the success being a bit much to handle. However, off stage, Tom always had time for his fans and was always prepared to talk to them.

He was on TV before Waterhouse was born. Besides, I think it's very telling about Waterhouse's opinion of himself.

[quote=davidnumen;80205023]He was on TV before Waterhouse was born. Besides, I think it's very telling about Waterhouse's opinion of himself.[/QUOT

Weellll, he was an arrogant kid at the time. And I think he remembers it a bit differently to Peter D. Whatever, it's a funny story seeing as Mr Todd was doing TV in the early 1950's!

I think the stuff about M Waterhouse giving R Todd acting tips is taken out of context

There's no doubt that T Baker had issues that very seriously affected him throughout the 70s and into the 80s. Drinking and partying impacted on his behaviour, his health and his work. He was very difficult to manage and, once he got into his stride as the Doctor, could be quite unpleasant. Matthew Waterhouse, Lalla Ward, Graham Williams, Alan Bromly, Chris Boucher, and any number of guest-actors, all attest to this. Someone who was on the Paris location shoot told me a couple of hair-raising anecdotes about Tom's behaviour.

John Nathan-Turner stood for no nonsense and was determined that he was the boss of the show, not Tom Baker.

Oh I'm not naive, I'm very aware that it wouldn't all be one person's fault. But I also don't think we've just heard Louise jameson's side as others have talked about him being difficult, not just with her but others. As mentioned, I've actually interviewed Chris Boucher so have heard first hand his recollections of Baker's attitudes, not just to Louise but generally on set at that time (including to and about Boucher himself) and it does appear that he very much wanted his own way (fair enough he was the star) and often didn't show respect or consideration to others work or feelings and that is not going to help make working conditions very pleasant. So, to my perception, that says that he could, at least at times, be difficult to work with which is what I thought the opening question was.

Personally I feel that respect should not have to be earnt - you should treat everybody you meet with respect simply for being a human being, and in a professional capacity a colleague until such time as they do something to prove that they are not worth that consideration. That is just my personal belief and attitude and I respect that others feel differently but it does mean that I would find it very hard to relate or respect somebody that treated me badly immediately with an explanation of "I'm not going to respect you until you earn it". As such, I'm more inclined to sympathize with a person that seems to have been in that situation.

But i do understand and appreciate what you are saying.

Oh I didn't know there had been official allegations made against him. I can't say I'm entirely surprised though, unfortunately.

I think Waterhouse himself admits that he was an arrogant, puffed up kid who could be very annoying so it was probably inevitable that he and Baker would rub each other up the wrong way, even in good circumstances and the circumstances during the filming of Season 18 were anything but good with Baker clashing with JNT, having his bluff called re quitting, relationship problems with Lalla Ward and poor health issues.

Re Baker getting on with people now, it doesn't really surprise me. Part of it will be down to a mellowing with age but also some people are just very different in and out of work. I have worked with people that i could happily strangle whilst in the office but got on like a house on fire socially, even when just out after work at the time. Once any conflict re differences as to how we worked were taken out of equation by one or both leaving the company, there has been no obstacle to the friendship and we've just got closer and closer.

Any more details about this?

I'm not sure i really want to go into details (ie specific names) as it could be considered libelous, both to the famous people and fans involved. I know that might seem like a cop out so just making things up but i'd rather be safe than sorry and of course people are entitled not to believe me.

But, without naming names, i was quite heavily involved with Dr Who fandom in the 80s/90s, including helping to organise a couple of conventions and there were a few people that did seem to enjoy the adoration they received and maybe used it (especially the bar in the evenings) as a bit of a pick up joint.

I myself did find one actors attentions, slightly forward when i was about 17 - just little things like taking too long to brush my very long hair (at that time) off my name badge which was pinned to my chest rather than just asking me my name. Didn't go any further than that but i think it probably could have as i've heard stories about him from other female fans. I was 16, nearly 17 at the time.

I'm not for one moment suggesting any force was ever involved or fans were underage, anything like that but some people might still view it as being predatory or using their fame to get with people that wouldn't be interested if it wasn't somebody connected to their favourite show and with people being encouraged to look back due to Operation Yew Tree, it is slightly concerning.

Could this result in a TOTP rerun style situation, if things came out, without naming names?

There was an interview with Paddy Russell where she said, "That girl [Louise Jameson] went through hell on that programme," in reference to Baker. And Russell was a right old boiler and tough as old boots, so it must have got pretty bad to have been "hell" by her standards.

No i don't think so as nothing was on BBC premises unlike TOTP.

It's not exactly a secret JNT & Gary Downie were interested in finding "Doable Barkers" at conventions, teenage fans that would be willing to have sex with them because of Dr Who.

I'm pretty certain it was his first wife Anna Wheatcroft.

Does it really matter? 1981 was 24 years ago its 2015 now.

I think you've been in the Tardis too long!

(2015-1981 = 34)

I believe it was actually when he was over shooting the new Zealand Ad for a telecoms company in costume.
It was his son Piers he didn't recognise as Tom hadn't seen him in quite a long time at that point. Piers approached him at a resterant and had to tell him he was his son.

In his autobiography, Who On Earth Is Tom Baker? which The Daily Mail starts serialising on Monday, he reveals how, at 31, he abandoned his children daniel and Piers from his first marraige and didn't see them again for nine years. Even then, contact remained so rare that last January he failed to recognise his youngest son, Piers, now 36, when they met, by chance, in New Zealand.

Tom, in Auckland filming a commercial, was sitting in a resturant with his third wife, Sue, when the waiter informed them that a young man at the bar wanted to pay their bill. Assuming it was a fan, Tom sauntered over to make small talk. What happened next simply beggars belief.

'The tall young man introduced himself as Piers Baker and said he was my son,' recalls the actor, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. 'I didn't recognise him - but I hadn't seen him for 16 years. He was working in New Zealand as a horticulturalist, but the coincidence seemed just too bizarre.

'When the truth sank in I was astonished, completely astonished. The first emotion I felt was pride. Maybe it is a sign of emotional shallowness, but i kept thinking how nice-looking he was and what a marvellous voice he had.'

Then the regrets began. 'I realised how much I'd missed him when he was little, after my first marriage broke up. I felt saddened that I had not seen him for such a long time, and realised that I was partly responsible.'

From experience, and friends too, I would hardly say he's mellowed that much.

These days he does work that he is pleased to do, so he's generally In a good mood doing such. However (and only recently) he sometimes has to promote such-and-such as part of a contract, and generally speaking he's still a devil to work WITH. But he is always a joy to the fans, But believe me he's still "tricky" when you book him !

Had Waterhouse?

The curator? lol

Teenagers will do anything to get fame. Look at Mandy SMith/Bill Wyman incident.

Miss the days when an actor was allowed to stay 7 yrs in the role...they'd never allow it now.

Interesting thread this.

I can only go on what I've read and seen.

In the 4th Doctor handbook, Christopher Barry, the director of his first story, notes how different TB was off-camera when he returned to the show several years later and how much more domineering he was after six years in the role from when he worked with him on Robot.

Plus if you've ever seen the extra's on The Leisure Hive DVD, you'll have seen how stroppy he could get.

So I would say it's probably true, but the pressure of doing a show for that long and being a bit bigger than the show itself at the time probably contributed to his behaviour.

I remember him telling the story about an ex-wife that's why I said Anne Wheatcroft.

I don't think that's true at all. If they'd wanted to I think any of the Nu Who Doctors would still be in the role,none were got rid of. But if an actor has any ambition he's going to want to do other roles.