The Mind-Blowing Secret the Doctor Who Companion Actor Hid from the Matt Smith Era Cast

Summary

Alex Kingston had to keep the secret that her character, River Song, was Amy and Rory's daughter from the rest of the Doctor Who cast.

To maintain the genuineness of their performances, the actors were deliberately kept unaware of specific plot twists. In order to safeguard the secrecy of the hidden storyline, the crew might have been provided with varying sections of the script.

During her time on Doctor Who, Alex Kingston, who portrays River Song, the Doctor's wife and the secret daughter of Amy and Rory Pond, demonstrated that actors too must sometimes maintain secrets. Kingston's character on the show is shrouded in intrigue, rarely caught off guard by Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor and his associates. As the Doctor and River lead their lives backwards, one always possesses more knowledge than the other.

This dynamic extends beyond the characters to the actors themselves. Prior to the release of the 60th Anniversary specials, Kingston spoke with RadioTimes.com about her experiences on Doctor Who. She recounted a particular instance where the shocking revelation about River's parentage was disclosed. Although Kingston was entrusted with this secret, she was instructed to keep it concealed from the rest of the cast. See her quote below.

On this specific occasion, I was asked about my availability, and Steven also reached out to me, providing me with the storyline details before anyone else. He wanted to keep it a secret from the other actors, as he didn't want their performances to be influenced. Interestingly, in the episodes we had already filmed, I was unaware of the storyline as well. This lack of knowledge contributed to the authentic and genuine performances from all the actors. I quite enjoyed this approach because it allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the present moment without any distractions. With Steven, you always have to stay focused and not overthink, as he tends to introduce various narrative threads that seem disconnected until they are later tied together. So, when Steven shared this insight with me, I had to keep a significant secret. Karen, Arthur, and Matt knew that I was hiding something, but I refused to divulge the information. Attempts were made to bribe me, but my commitment to secrecy remained steadfast. Even on the day of filming, the reveal wasn't included in the script. Steven purposely kept it out to ensure none of the crew members knew about it beforehand, and to preserve the element of surprise for the audience when they watched it on TV. I have a suspicion, and Steven may disagree or accuse me of fabricating this, but I believe the crew was given different versions of the script so that they only discovered the secret when it was spoken during the scene. Perhaps Karen, Arthur, and Matt were finally informed about it either on the day of filming or the night prior. It was a momentous occasion and, in a peculiar way, it intensified the emotional impact when we portrayed it... I must say, I am exceptionally skilled at keeping secrets!

Source: RadioTimes.com