MONDO EXTRAS

TWoP: There were a lot of big names in the running. Were you sort of shocked that they picked you?
Smith: Probably as shocked as everyone else, yeah. It was like, "Who the hell is this guy?" Yeah, I mean of course it was a surprise. I went through auditions and I knew I'd done all right... but it's been a surprise since. Here I am in New York talking about this. What's really incredible is that people know about it out here, and I didn't think they would.

TWoP: Oh yeah, we have BBC America. We're all hooked up. I've been watching the show since I was a little kid and we used to be like, "What is that man doing with the police box? Why does he have a funny scarf?"
Smith: And why is he so mental?

TWoP: "Why are these the weirdest special effects?" They're much better now.
Smith: [Laughs] But it kind of works with bad special effects, doesn't it?

TWoP: Yeah, it's fun.
Smith: Yeah, exactly! That's what it's about. It's fun; it's a sense of fun.

TWoP: So, what have you brought to this role, besides the cute little bowtie?
Smith: [Laughs] Well, I hope I've brought a sort of bonkers Doctor, really. I think he's a quite bonkers man. I don't know really... I've brought myself. Whatever that is, in creative terms, I don't know. But I'm clumsy, which means he's a little clumsy, and you know, I've tried to be as inventive and creative as I can as an actor. And, hopefully, that'll be the thing that kind of defines me, is how inventive and how creative I can sort of be with it.

TWoP: The first episode has aired in the UK already -- what's the reaction been like over there so far? What's it like when you walk down the street?
Smith: The reaction has been overwhelming. We didn't know what to expect. The people -- the press, particularly-- have gone mad. Honestly, in England, it's the number one show, so your life changes significantly. Walking down the street is a different thing, because eight million people watch you, and in England, that's a lot. It's not like in America, where you get like, 20 million or something.