The final episode of Doctor Who series 11 sees the Doctor, Graham, Yaz and Ryan travel to a destroyed battlefield on the planet of Ranskoor Av Kolos, where they meet a mysterious new character.
Which means we get to meet another guest star.
Find out more about actor Mark Addy’s Doctor Who character below.
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Who is new Doctor Who character Paltraki?
Paltraki is a mysterious commander who has lost his memory. But what’s his story? What happened to him? Why did his memory vanish on this battlefield?
Well, you’ll have to wait and see, but we do know he will be ably played by British actor Mark Addy, who has previously starred in The Full Monty and A Knight’s Tale.
“Mark was number one on our list to play Paltraki,” showrunner Chris Chibnall told Doctor Who Magazine.
“I think he’s one of our finest actors – he’s got such strength and such humanity and such vulnerability and such truth,” Chibnall added. “Paltraki is a mysterious character caught in a difficult situation and Mark absolutely nails the part.”
Who is Mark Addy?
Mark Addy was born in York in 1964. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in the early 80s, and began making a career in television dramas.
His first TV role came in The Ritz, a comedy drama about three bouncers protecting their club from a rival. During the mid 90s he featured in the second series of BBC police sitcom The Thin Blue Line starring Rowan Atkinson.
It was the Sheffield-based British film The Full Monty, however, which unveiled Addy’s talents – in more ways than one – to a wider audience. He was nominated for a Bafta for his portrayal of former steelworker Dave, who helps his friend Gaz (Robert Carlyle) raise money for child support by putting on an all-male strip act.
After that, Hollywood came calling: Addy featured in the 1998 family comedy Jack Frost as the best friend of a blues musician played by Michael Keaton.
Then came a string of big screen roles, including most notably A Knight’s Tale (2001) alongside the late Heath Ledger.
He also featured in CBS show Still Standing, starring alongside Jami Gertz and showing off an impeccable American accent. The comedy followed a classic family sitcom format: Addy played a slightly too laid-back blue-collar father, who along with his more uptight wife, is trying his best to bring up kids in Chicago.
And then, of course, there’s Game of Thrones. Addy proved a commanding presence as King Robert Baratheon way back in season one.
He will no doubt bring all this experience – and some Baratheon gravitas – to the role of Paltraki in Doctor Who.
Doctor Who series 11 episode 10, The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos, airs on Sunday 9th December at 6.25pm on BBC1
from Radio Times https://ift.tt/2zZ9MeP