First up – how does Agyeman approach a role like Martha, who comes up against incredible things that people never really have to face? “That’s a very interesting question,” replies the UK actor. “That’s an actor’s question; whoever asked that has designs on an acting career themselves! I don’t have a diagnostic approach to any character I play. With Martha, the character was new to me, new to (executive producer and writer) Russell T Davies, new to Doctor Who. You very much feel it out together; Russell had an idea of the character and we carved it out together with the director, Charlie Palmer, who’d ask me how I thought Martha would respond in this or that situation. But there comes a point as an actor where you have to relinquish some power to someone else while making the character as personal as you can. I respect the decisions of the writer and the director.”
Agyeman left the series with the finale episode, Last of the Time Lords. In 2009, she returned briefly to the role of Martha for a cameo appearance near the end of David Tennant’s final story, The End of Time. Was Agyeman happy with the way Martha’s story played out, given that she was the one companion who walked away? “She walked away with her head held high,” Agyeman responds. “She decided not to put her family in jeopardy. From the beginning she was a strong independent woman; Doctor Who comes across her when she’s settled, happy in her career, she’s not searching for escape or excitement, but she got lost somewhere along the way. The fact is that she is strong enough to leave.” Would Agyeman reprise the role of Martha, who suffered an unrequited attraction to the Doctor, if she were asked to come back? “I feel, that, although I had a great time and I like her, Martha was left with further to go, with more room in terms of character development; there was so much that got stuck for her – she’s a bit lovelorn and forlorn. Perhaps, if there were an opportunity for more from her, without batting her eyelashes, I would do it.”
What effect did playing Martha have on Agyeman’s career? “Doctor Who was a huge turning point in my career,” she answers. “I had worked for six years previously, I was kept busy but Doctor Who made me a household name; it was a massive promotion overnight. It was beyond a baptism of fire; it does change your life quite dramatically. It’s a whirlwind. My career accelerated so fast…obviously it has its pros and cons. It’s this huge media thing. It’s more than going to work and playing a part. I never felt it when I was in the eye of the storm. You’re in a bubble; when you’re working, the excitement is in the acting. The moment when I realised the scale of it came later; once I’d left.”
Appearing at conventions like Supanova is an unreal and amazing experience, says the actor. “I’ve done two conventions in the USA and two in the UK. This is my first in Australia. At first I was unaware – I didn’t know what it was about for the fans, how much it meant to people. After the first one I called my mum and said ‘I’ve just had nine hours of people telling me how much they love the show!’ They repeatedly say how much they love Doctor Who. It’s amazing and so soul-lifting – you don’t really have to do anything. There are massive numbers of fans. It becomes their life. In just two minutes of talk they make you feel so special, for just turning up.” It must feel like she’s baby Jesus in the manger with crowds coming up to adore her, then? “I would liken David Tennant to baby Jesus in the manger,” Agyeman says with a laugh. “He gets some pretty outrageous behaviour directed at him. He gets mobbed like rock stars. We were out somewhere with another actor and we were mobbed, we had to be pushed, bundled and rolled up into a car; we’d gotten used to the public response to David but this other actor had never seen that reaction before. It is a bit rock star, a bit Hollywood; we don’t usually behave that way with actors in the UK. It has quite an impact.”
Where does Agyeman want to end up in terms of her career? “I want to continue to play parts I find interesting. When it comes to acting, different actors have a different perspective. I want to do something that challenges me, something that really scares me, that pushes me a little bit; I’m that sort of actor. And I want to be a mum – I also love being challenged in other things. I love acting but there are other things in my life.”
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
