Peter Capaldi gets nostalgic about ‘Doctor Who’

Peter Capaldi has been living out a childhood dream portraying the time- and space-traveling Doctor for the last two seasons of the British sci-fi drama “Doctor Who.” But things are going to be a bit different when the show returns in spring 2017 for its 10th season: It will be the last for Steven Moffat as showrunner, and possibly the end of Capaldi’s run as well.

During the cast’s recent visit to Mexico City as part of La Mole Comic-Con, the Scottish actor made time for a nostalgic chat about his run on the show and where the series is headed.

What did it feel like to receive the call announcing that you would be the new Doctor?
It was very exciting and very funny because it seemed like an absurd and unbelievable idea. When my agent called me and said, “What do you think about being the new Doctor?” I just laughed. Honestly, I just laughed because I thought it could never become a reality. You get dizzy because you’re happy, but you also know that your life will change and you will not be able to control that, which is a little scary. But it’s the best call you can ever receive.

How has your life changed since taking on the role?
Wherever I go in the U.K. people recognize me and come up to me, but that’s nice. At first it was frightening, because you cannot do anything without having people watching you, but I think the Doctor is a particularly likable character and people like to meet him.

Why do you think the show is growing with new fans every day?
The best part of “Doctor Who” is that you can bring your own ideas to what happens on the program. There are many people who know that the show has existed for years but do not yet know what it is about, and that does not matter because you can get onboard without trouble, since each mystery is a story in itself. The program activates the imagination of those who see it, and it motivates people to think about what is good and bad.

Just like you, the current producers were fans of “Doctor Who” as children. What is the legacy you are leaving for the next generation?
I hope we’re encouraging creativity among the people who see it. Among the new fans of the show, there are surely future writers, cartoonists, photographers and directors. I think we show with our example, we once were like them and if you strive to develop your creativity, you’ll end up working on something you love.

I think that we will leave the show in good shape for future generations, but the funny thing is that there is no way to ruin it. Even if the program dies, as once occurred, “Doctor Who” lives in the imagination and the soul of the show is real. So there is no way to ruin it.