Terry Molloy is an actor who lives just outside Norwich in Bawburgh. He has been a member of the cast of BBC Radio Four's radio soap opera, The Archers, playing Mike Tucker, since 1973 and has won awards for his work on radio.
On television, Molloy is best known for playing the mad scientist Davros, the creator of the Daleks, in the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who.
He also plays Michael Lord in acclaimed sci fi web series 'Kosmos'.
Daisy and I met Terry when Daisy was a designer with Southwold Summer Theatres and he has been a friend ever since. Last year we invited him to be the patron of Strange Fascination Theatre to which he generously obliged. We are very grateful for his support and guidance.
1. Hello Terry, I hope you are well on this glorious day! What have you been up to this week?
Ooof! Lying in bed, sweating and wheezing and coughing my way through a horrid bout of man flu! When I should have been enjoying a two day audio book recording! Such is an actors life!
2. You have had a very successful career as an actor, in television, stage, film and radio: How did you start out and what was your 'big break'?
Instead of going into the music business when I left Liverpool in the late 60s, and with a thirst for insecurity, I chose the 'acting business'...because it seemed easier to me, and there were more days off - that proved very true!
I don't think I ever had a 'big break'...just lots of little ones, that built up to help boost my career as it progressed!
3. We all love Doctor Who and you have been a big part of it, playing the iconic villain Davros, but what went into your incarnation of him; how difficult was he to bring alive?
Actually BEING an evil intergalactic villain in real life helped enormously! Always draw on the strengths within you!
The part was offered to me when I had no idea what the character was. I sat down and watched Genesis of the Daleks with Michael Wisher in the part, and went from there. Building the character vocally had a vast amount to do with Davros' success as a villain.
4. You also play Mike Tucker on the Archers, the much loved soap opera. Do you prefer radio work to live action?
I've always loved and preferred audio to any other media. For an actor, it enables you to really step outside yourself and take on parts you would never be offered on stage or film because physically you don't fit the image! On radio, the voice is the image created in the listener's mind!
5. What do you see when you look at the acting industry today?
I see a hard cruel road that new actors now have to travel, with such a lack of opportunities to develop their careers. There is no forging ground of the old Repertory System left anymore, as we had when I was in my 20s to learn the craft, with new writers.
We seem to be in a 'fast food' world of expectation, where everything has to come to you NOW....or at least before you are 25, or you are labelled as some sort of failure!
And the increasing pressure for talented, trained actors to work for free fills me with fury! If companies cannot afford to pay their talent, they cannot afford to produce the product! Respect is due to those who have that burning desire and need to share their creativity and emotions with an audience...whether it be stage, screen or audio!
6. The onus of a lot of public perception of acting has always been 'luck' ~ how much 'luck' have you had in your career?
It's amazing how 'lucky' you get when you put the hard work and effort into preparing for and chasing jobs down!
But yes, I have had 'lucky' moments in my career...I got Davros because of a 'lucky' BBC strike that postponed production of Revelation of the Daleks, so it had to be remounted with a new director....I had been 'lucky' enough to have just finished doing a TV series with!
7. It has to be asked; tell us about the most embarrassing moment of your career (if you can!!)
1970 - The Old Victoria Theatre, Hartshill Road, Stoke on Trent.
A Theatre in the Round Production of Under Milk Wood.
As the performance came towards its close, the main stage was occupied by the two narrators while the rest of us cast were sprinkled up the stairways among the audience with an independent spotlight that came on as we each gave our final speeches....we had all finished our speeches and relaxed in the comfortable enveloping darkness as the focus drew toward the final lines from the narrator on stage.
An inexplicable mistake in the lighting box suddenly brought up my spotlight, as I sat on the stairs among the audience with my finger firmly planted up my nose!
Be ever vigilant!
8. If you were able to speak to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give him?
Be true to yourself.
Relax and ENJOY being who you are.
Follow your gut feeling about people and work opportunities.
Do not be swayed by either blandishments or criticism.
Be always honest, but know humility.
Mostly...have fun!
9. How do you like to spend your spare time?
Asleep! And if there is a beach nearby, asleep on a beach with the sound of the sea in my ears.
10. And finally, what's next for you?
This year I already have a large number of Conventions and workshops booked, both here and in the US. There are several audio projects coming up but sadly no theatre as I have barely time between one event and another to rehearse and perform (I dearly miss doing theatre).
On television, Molloy is best known for playing the mad scientist Davros, the creator of the Daleks, in the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who.
He also plays Michael Lord in acclaimed sci fi web series 'Kosmos'.
Daisy and I met Terry when Daisy was a designer with Southwold Summer Theatres and he has been a friend ever since. Last year we invited him to be the patron of Strange Fascination Theatre to which he generously obliged. We are very grateful for his support and guidance.
1. Hello Terry, I hope you are well on this glorious day! What have you been up to this week?
Ooof! Lying in bed, sweating and wheezing and coughing my way through a horrid bout of man flu! When I should have been enjoying a two day audio book recording! Such is an actors life!
2. You have had a very successful career as an actor, in television, stage, film and radio: How did you start out and what was your 'big break'?
Instead of going into the music business when I left Liverpool in the late 60s, and with a thirst for insecurity, I chose the 'acting business'...because it seemed easier to me, and there were more days off - that proved very true!
I don't think I ever had a 'big break'...just lots of little ones, that built up to help boost my career as it progressed!
3. We all love Doctor Who and you have been a big part of it, playing the iconic villain Davros, but what went into your incarnation of him; how difficult was he to bring alive?
Actually BEING an evil intergalactic villain in real life helped enormously! Always draw on the strengths within you!
The part was offered to me when I had no idea what the character was. I sat down and watched Genesis of the Daleks with Michael Wisher in the part, and went from there. Building the character vocally had a vast amount to do with Davros' success as a villain.
4. You also play Mike Tucker on the Archers, the much loved soap opera. Do you prefer radio work to live action?
I've always loved and preferred audio to any other media. For an actor, it enables you to really step outside yourself and take on parts you would never be offered on stage or film because physically you don't fit the image! On radio, the voice is the image created in the listener's mind!
5. What do you see when you look at the acting industry today?
I see a hard cruel road that new actors now have to travel, with such a lack of opportunities to develop their careers. There is no forging ground of the old Repertory System left anymore, as we had when I was in my 20s to learn the craft, with new writers.
We seem to be in a 'fast food' world of expectation, where everything has to come to you NOW....or at least before you are 25, or you are labelled as some sort of failure!
And the increasing pressure for talented, trained actors to work for free fills me with fury! If companies cannot afford to pay their talent, they cannot afford to produce the product! Respect is due to those who have that burning desire and need to share their creativity and emotions with an audience...whether it be stage, screen or audio!
6. The onus of a lot of public perception of acting has always been 'luck' ~ how much 'luck' have you had in your career?
It's amazing how 'lucky' you get when you put the hard work and effort into preparing for and chasing jobs down!
But yes, I have had 'lucky' moments in my career...I got Davros because of a 'lucky' BBC strike that postponed production of Revelation of the Daleks, so it had to be remounted with a new director....I had been 'lucky' enough to have just finished doing a TV series with!
7. It has to be asked; tell us about the most embarrassing moment of your career (if you can!!)
1970 - The Old Victoria Theatre, Hartshill Road, Stoke on Trent.
A Theatre in the Round Production of Under Milk Wood.
As the performance came towards its close, the main stage was occupied by the two narrators while the rest of us cast were sprinkled up the stairways among the audience with an independent spotlight that came on as we each gave our final speeches....we had all finished our speeches and relaxed in the comfortable enveloping darkness as the focus drew toward the final lines from the narrator on stage.
An inexplicable mistake in the lighting box suddenly brought up my spotlight, as I sat on the stairs among the audience with my finger firmly planted up my nose!
Be ever vigilant!
8. If you were able to speak to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give him?
Be true to yourself.
Relax and ENJOY being who you are.
Follow your gut feeling about people and work opportunities.
Do not be swayed by either blandishments or criticism.
Be always honest, but know humility.
Mostly...have fun!
9. How do you like to spend your spare time?
Asleep! And if there is a beach nearby, asleep on a beach with the sound of the sea in my ears.
10. And finally, what's next for you?
This year I already have a large number of Conventions and workshops booked, both here and in the US. There are several audio projects coming up but sadly no theatre as I have barely time between one event and another to rehearse and perform (I dearly miss doing theatre).
Apart
from that, like the rest of us, I await the that call from my agent!
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