Veteran actress Anita Dobson has spoken candidly about the challenges of keeping one of Doctor Who’s biggest secrets, as the legendary BBC series hurtles toward a game-changing finale that could redefine the Whoniverse.
Dobson, 76, plays Mrs Flood in the hit sci-fi series, a character who was recently revealed to be none other than the Rani, the iconic Time Lady and long-time nemesis of the Doctor.
First introduced in 1985's The Mark of the Rani and originally portrayed by Kate O’Mara, the Rani has returned to Doctor Who in a bold new form, portrayed by Dobson and Emmy-winner Archie Panjabi, thanks to a mysterious bi-generation twist.
Speaking about the difficulty of keeping Mrs Flood’s true identity a secret, Dobson admitted it was far from easy.
Speaking about the difficulty of keeping Mrs Flood’s true identity a secret, Dobson admitted it was far from easy
BBC
“It was very hard. Very hard indeed,” she said. “You start to say a sentence and you think, ‘No, I can’t go down that road’. You have to do exactly what Russell [T Davies] does which is switch and take the conversation somewhere else.
“It was over quite a long period of time that I kept the secret, so it was hard. It was so exciting, though. I also had to keep my return to EastEnders quiet for a long time. So, I am getting really good at keeping secrets now.”
Dobson and Panjabi share the role of the Rani thanks to Doctor Who's new concept of bi-generation, which allowed both characters to exist simultaneously.
The pair filmed a pivotal scene together as part of the upcoming two-part season finale, Wish World and The Reality War.
“It was so much fun,” Dobson recalled of filming the scene.
“I saw the one they did with Ncuti [Gatwa] and David [Tennant] when Ncuti took over as the Doctor. I thought, ‘wow, how did they do that?’ When I got told it was going to happen to me and Archie, I was blown away. It was actually more difficult than you’d think, but it was great fun. It looked amazing. I have to say, Archie is a dream to work with.”
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Dobson and Panjabi share the role of the Rani thanks to Doctor Who's new concept of bi-generation, which allowed both characters to exist simultaneously
BBC
Reflecting on the Rani’s long-awaited return, Dobson admitted she had her own theories about her mysterious character before learning the truth.
“I had a few suspicions of my own along the way,” she said. “Throughout the series, my makeup artist and I used to discuss it. We’d say, ‘She’s that… oh no, she can’t be’.
“Another day, she’d say, ‘I know, she’s this person’, and I’d say, ‘No, I don’t think so’. I really wasn’t sure. Once I found out, I had to be even more careful not to drop any secrets or give anything away.”
Describing the Rani, Dobson drew comparisons to the Doctor.
“She is a bit like the Doctor. She is the last Time Lady,” she said. “I had thought for a while, ‘Am I the Rani?’ A couple of other people asked me too, and I thought it would be exciting. When Archie came on board, I didn’t quite understand it all until I learned we would be doing the split (bi-generation).
“Then I got it, we’re part of the same thing. We are one, except she plays the bossy one, I sit quietly and make notes. It was quite an exciting alliance. It was good fun to play.”
With the final two episodes of the season promising high-stakes drama, Dobson gave fans a taste of what’s to come
BBC
On her working relationship with Panjabi, Dobson added: “Archie and I clicked on the first day, which is brilliant. That’s what you hope for, this sympathy and connection between each other. We had a lot of fun.
“We worked on a big set for the most part of the finale, and it was mind-blowing. I loved my costumes so much. I couldn’t believe the stuff I was getting to wear. It was all so lovely.”
With the final two episodes of the season promising high-stakes drama, Dobson gave fans a taste of what is to come.
“When I went in to do some audio dubbing, I was really looking at the episode thinking how fantastic it is,” she said.
“I asked if I could watch a little bit further on as I hadn’t watched all my parts back before, I literally gasped out loud. They said ‘I hope you don’t mind but we filmed your reaction because it was so truthful and so amazing’. That’s how exciting it is.”
When asked to sum up the finale in one word or phrase, Dobson didn’t hesitate: “Fantastic! It’s completely unexpected, very exciting and I am very, very proud to be part of it.”
