"I'm not very dainty with the tights situation."

[teyla]

John Simm, you are an odd, odd man.

I just watched the confidential for End of Time 1. Apart from the fact that watching confidentials makes me ridiculously happy--I love watching the show, of course, but watching the confidentials is much more likely to make me tear up and jump up and down with glee, because seeing so many people working on something I love and seeing them love it just as much is just wonderful--I also find it really interesting to see the reaction of the actors to what the script had them doing. In this case, of course, John I-am-six-billion-people Simm was the most interesting.

When Simm gives an interview, he never looks at the person he's talking to. He doesn't look at the camera, anyway, of course, but you will very rarely see him looking at the interviewer, either. He usually looks down, or sideways, or is scratching his cheek or whatever, just to be able to avoid looking at the interviewer. He seems really embarrassed when he's talking about his acting and his work. Except then, from time to time, you get these little moments when he forgets that he's being interviewed, and then you get quotes like the one I used as a subject for this entry. (Which, by the way, had me pausing the confidential and just lol'ing for a good minute. I feel your pain, John. I am not very dainty with the tights situation, either.)

But, yes. John Simm seems to be a bit of an odd guy. Not odd in a bad way, of course. It must be hard, though, having to feel so awkward and embarrassed about something you're so bloody good at--acting, in this case. Or maybe it's not that. Maybe he's just not very good with being aware of what he should and shouldn't say, and gets paranoid about it. Which is understandable, if you consider that this is the guy who freely shared that he used to be a cage dancer. >_>

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Comments

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I've heard that John Simm is painfully shy and shy people have a tendency not to make eye contact. I certainly used to be that way myself. Maybe it's a habit he picked up when he was a child and he reverts back to it when faced with people he doesn't know or uncomfortable situations. In the commentary for 24-Hour Party People, Steve Coogan seemed shocked that "shy little John" was up on stage with New Order for one of their concerts. Well, John Simm was basically dragged on stage by the lead singer, who kept having to haul him back to the microphone when he tried to sneak away. *g*

I totally loved the Doctor Who Confidential for "End of Time". If you haven't checked it out already listen to the commentary for the second part of "End of Time". John Simm is really funny at times. I wish he and David Tennant could do more things together.

[teyla]

Yeah, I've heard that about John Simm, too. It's a strange thought, since he has a tendency to play these really nutso characters--the Master, of course, but I've seen him in other stuff as well where he was playing people who were anything but shy. I suppose acting would probably an outlet of some sort in this case. That's gotta be hard to deal with, though--your job dragging you into the limelight like that, if you personally hate having people's attention on you.

Oh, I love all the confidentials. And the commentaries; I've so far only listened to the Last of the Time Lords one, but am definitely planning to give the End of Time one a listen, too. Just need to get around to doing it at some point. >_>

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

That's gotta be hard to deal with, though--your job dragging you into the limelight like that, if you personally hate having people's attention on you.

I've read that shy actors (and there are quite a few of them around) don't find it a problem because they're playing a particular role and, so, have everything scripted already or, at least, I assume that's part of the logic. I get the impression that a lot of actors don't feel comfortable in their own skins (which could account for the shyness), but love becoming other people. Maybe it's similar to the security you might feel in adopting a cyber pseudonym and not revealing your real identity. It's certainly an interesting phenomenon whatever the reasoning is behind it. As you said before, I think it often is a kind of outlet. For example, John Simm can do and say all of these outrageous things he would never normally do himself when he plays the Master. Of course, I can't think of anyone who would say or do the kinds of things the Master does! *g*

[teyla]

Yeah, no, I meant the way that being an actor drags you as a person into the limelight--with interviews and fans and people asking for your autograph etc etc. For people like David Tennant, I don't think it would be as much of a problem, since that man can't walk past a camera without grinning and waving at it anyway. But if you're naturally shy, and then end up having a job that focuses a whole lot of people's attention on you, that's gotta be hard to deal with.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

*Smacks forehead* Of course! Sorry! I should have realized that you were talking about things like interviews and autograph sessions. Yes, that definitely would be a problem for a shy actor!