Michelle Gomez exits Doctor Who: 'I don't want to be Missy to anyone else but Peter Capaldi, so I'm off!'

Michelle Gomez has starred as Missy since 2014

Viewers can expect fireworks as Missy returns, yet Michelle Gomez says the female incarnation of The Master is about to be history...

The Doctor is horrified when villainous Time Lord Missy returns to Doctor Who in spectacular fashion this Saturday (7.25pm, BBC1) and the pair are soon locked in an epic struggle that could destroy the entire universe!

We knew Peter Capaldi – who plays the 12th Doctor – is departing this year, but now it looks like we could be losing the female incarnation of The Master as well.

In the first episode of a new three-part adventure, Missy’s arrival sends the Doctor, Bill and Nardole, on a dangerous mission into the Vatican’s secret library of blasphemy to find The Veritas, a book said to contain ‘the ultimate truth’.

After losing his eyesight during last week’s space mission, how will the Doctor read the book? Why has Missy (Michelle Gomez) returned and what is her plan? More importantly, will this be Missy's final bow?

Actress Michelle Gomez tells us more…

What can you tell us about Missy’s return? "She’s back, but we don’t know why. She’s sort of changed a little bit as well. If you thought she was odd before, she’s going to get even more odd. When Missy turns up you know something is going to go down. It’s probably going to be quite enjoyable to watch!"

She saved the Doctor in her last appearance – are we going to see a different side to their relationship this year? "You never quite know what Missy’s motives are. At times you hope that they’re good, but they’re not! What you do get this year is more development, a deepening of their relationship, which is basically a friendship that has gone very wrong over time. But you still feel like there’s such a strong connection and that they’re drawn to each other and yet they repel at the same time, sort of odd reverse magnetism going on there. We go deeper with that this year."

You’ve always said that you don’t see her as a villain… "Like every psychopath I just think it works better if I play her so she thinks everything she’s doing is completely acceptable, no matter whether it’s good or bad. No matter if that’s deleting people, killing people, it doesn’t seem to have any impact on her whatsoever. There’s nothing evil about it, it’s just... 'If you’re boring me this much, you’ve got to die'."

How does it feel to know that Missy has become such a firm favourite with the fans over the last few years? "Yes, of course, it’s amazing. I’m so thrilled that I got away with it in the first place and then I get to do it again and again. Everything has its shelf life and after three years in, we’ve seen everything, we’ve seen all of Missy’s tricks. Or at least we will have done at the end of this series!"

Peter Capaldi and Michelle Gomez star in 2014 episode, Death In Heaven

Peter Capaldi and Michelle Gomez star in 2014 episode, Death In Heaven

 

How have you found working beside Peter Capaldi? "He’s been an absolute joy to work with and is such a wonderful actor. This has been one of the best jobs I’ve ever worked on and that’s largely down to Peter. If he’s going, then I’m going, because I don’t think you can get any better than him. I don’t want to be Missy to anybody else’s doctor, so I’m off as well!"

Will you miss working with him? "I really will because we turn up on the day and something magical happens. We lock in and something catches fire and we see each other’s energy. It’s been wonderful, very rarely do you get that with another actor so consistently. I’m going to miss him – although Missy won’t!"

The Master

John Simm as The Master

 

John Simm will be returning as the Master later in the series, how was it working with him? "I only found out that The Master was coming back on the read-through, because I hadn’t read the script beforehand. I walked into the room and John was there and I thought ‘Oh that’s nice!’ Then we started reading and it was complete shock, I was like ‘O,h now I know why you’re here!’ It was really weird, I shrieked at certain moments and it was very clear that I hadn’t read the script!"

We can’t wait for those episodes – is this Missy’s greatest storyline ever? "It’s up there it really is, it’s sort of an acting challenge as well which is brilliant. Steven Moffat has got one hell of an imagination! You think you’ve got a handle on something, especially after playing a character for three years. You think you know what you’re doing and then he pulls the rug from underneath your feet. He’s gives you something to get your teeth into and wrap your head around. It’s exciting to have something very fresh to attack right at the end!"

 

Sean Marland

Sean is a Senior Feature writer for TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week, who also writes for whattowatch.com. He's been covering the world of TV for over 15 years and in that time he's been lucky enough to interview stars like Ian McKellen, Tom Hardy and Kate Winslet. His favourite shows are I'm Alan Partridge, The Wire, People Just Do Nothing and Succession and in his spare time he enjoys drinking tea, doing crosswords and watching football.