Tom Baker has slammed Rowan Atkinson for not being "very fun to work with".

Tom Baker

Tom Baker

The 85-year-old actor portrayed sailor Captain Redbeard Rum in an episode of 'Blackadder II' and claims the 64-year-old star - who played the titular lord - was so "anxious", he didn't have a good time filming his scenes.

He said: "It was an incredible performance. Some people were amazed I ever worked again.

"Rowan Atkinson was so anxious - he wasn't very fun to work with."

And Tom claimed Rowan urged him to make his performance as "boring" as possible and said it was advice given to all guest stars on the historical comedy.

He added to Radio Times magazine: "You know Tom, I'm very experienced in this and the part you're playing here, this sea captain, I think you're actually doing too much. I think he should be as boring as you can make him.

"So, we then had the final run-through, and I did this boring routine, and the producer came down and said, 'What's going on, are you ill?' 'I said, 'No, no, no, I'm just taking in the notes from your boss'.

"And he then said, 'Tom, he does that every week. He gives those same notes to the visitors every week.'

"Weird isn't it? A comic genius and yet he has these anxieties."

Tom is best known for playing the lead role in 'Doctor Who' from 1974 to 1981 and he believes portraying the Time Lord "liberated" his acting style.

And he added: "I've been playing him ever since."

Tagged in