Billie Piper’s Doctor Who concerns

OHMYGOSSIP — Billie Piper was concerned ‘Doctor Who’ would “die a death” and admits she struggled with the tough filming schedule when the show relaunched in 2005.

The 30-year-old actress – who was the Time Lord’s companion Rose Tyler for the first two series and again in the fourth season – admits she struggled with the tough filming schedule initially when the sci-fi show relaunched in 2005, and wondered whether it would be worth the effort.

She said: “At first, I didn’t know whether the show as going to be a success or die a death. It was such a hard shoot – nine months, with pretty much everyone using CGI for the first time. There were times when I thought, ‘Is this ever going to pay off?’

“But it did. I remember being in a London hotel for the launch of the first episode. There was a buzz; it was thrilling. I called a friend and said, ‘I’m going to remember this feeling for the rest of my life.’ “

The role of the Doctor’s companion Rose helped launch Billie’s acting career, and while fans were initially sceptical of the then-singer being cast in the show, she thinks they quickly grew to appreciate her.

Speaking to The Guardian Weekend magazine, she added: “‘Doctor Who’ launched my acting career. I was in this awful transitional period, going from singing to acting, so getting the part of Rose Tyler felt like a real vote of confidence.

“I’m not sure the fans were as happy – loads seemed hacked off, as they often are about change – but they soon seemed to accept me.

“I’ve signed quite a few fans’ bodies over the years, but my fan mail has been very gentle – these are smart people, with sci-fi intellects.”

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