Actor Terry Molloy, best known for his portrayal of Davros alongside Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy in the 1980s as well as his reproduction of the character for Big Finish will be making several appearances during November. Speaking ahead of the Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Australlia, Molloy has spoken on his time as the Daleks terrifying creator and how he came into the role
“There was a BBC technicians’ strike in 1983, which meant several productions got pushed back by a couple of months, Resurrection of the Daleks was one of those . . . Michael Wisher was meant to be doing it, but after it got shunted back he was no longer available. There was a great atmosphere when we were making it – everyone wanted to be doing it, everyone enjoyed doing it.“
However Molloy, 66, certainly seems happy to no longer have to don Davros’ famous travel machine skirting
“It was just made out of four-by-two timber with two 12-volt car batteries in the back, and you dragged it along with your toes, it was based on a supermarket trolley, so it always wanted to go one way while you were trying to go another way.”
Since then Molloy has reprised the role of Davros on numerous occasions for Big Finish Productions including in the recently released Daleks Among Us alongside Sylvester McCoy and Tracey Childs. Molloy is of course well versed in the audio medium through his long running role in The Archers as Mike Tucker (no relation to the author and special FX wizard… that we know of!)
“The audio actually kept Doctor Who going once the classic series was pulled by the BBC, until the new series started,” he says. You were able to develop the characters much more than you were on television, because it’s obviously a cheaper medium to do that, and everyone knows the pictures are so much better on radio. I always say it’s a little pool of sanity in an otherwise sane world, but really what the BBC has done with The Archers is they’ve always very actively reflected the reality of living in a rural environment in the UK.”
Yet you get the sense that Molloy gets the most joy out of his work on Doctor Who
“Playing baddies is always the best . . . there’s so much more fun in them, although, the more actors I’ve found who’ve played baddies are always the nicest people . . . we expunge a few ghosts and demons when we take on parts like these!”
Terry Molloy will be attending the Supanova Pop Culture Expo at the RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane Australlia from November 8 to 10 and then returning to London for the official Doctor Who 50th celebration between November 22 and 24, the Doctors most frightening nemesis is for one certainly looking forward to it
“It’s building up to quite a fever pitch among fans, being part of Doctor Who and involved with fans is a bit like being in a giant extended family and it’s a lovely feeling to be a part of that family.”
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