Question time

Interview by Hannah Pool
Freema Agyeman makes her debut as Doctor Who's companion this Saturday. She talks about Billie Piper, race and kissing a time lord
Wed 28 Mar 2007 19.05 EDT

The new series of Doctor Who starts this weekend. Do you feel prepared?

Every time I think I've got it under control I do something else that makes me realise just how big and surreal this is.

So, Billie Piper - hers are quite big shoes to fill ...

Rose is an iconic, hugely popular character and Billie did a great job, but I didn't want to start filming focused on how am I going to live up to Rose and Billie Piper. You could spend the whole time allowing it to overwhelm you.

I read that Billie was really jealous when she saw a picture of you on the cover of the Doctor Who magazine - that she wanted to scratch your eyes out.

It's funny how things translate. I could see that it wouldn't have been meant with venom, but the Doctor Who family is such a unique and exclusive and wonderful environment to be in that you can appreciate that once you're out of it it must feel different.

How are you playing Martha?

There are similarities with her and Rose. She's a feisty girl; she's a go-getter, she's not a wallflower.

Are you doing her as a stereotypically "feisty black woman"?

Stereotypically feisty how? It's a coveted lead female role. There are no stipulations. The BBC has chosen to cast it black. I'm proud to be an actor, I'm proud to be black, but in this case the two are not synonymous.

Do they make references to your being black or is it politely ignored?

It's not politely ignored but it's not the whole point of the character, so of course it's acknowledged and rightfully so. But at what point do you get the balance? Because the flip side is a continuous labelling "black companion", "black, black, black, black".

So does it do your head in that you are always referred to as the first black companion?

No, not at this point, because it's correct, we've got to acknowledge it. But if we're still talking about it in 50 years' time then there's a problem; then we're not advancing because soon it's got to just be "actor". Martha's outspoken, she's educated, she's academic, she's independent. She's older than Rose, she's more challenging of the Doctor as well, and family is very much more a factor.

What was your biggest role previously?

Crossroads. That was my first telly job and I learnt masses.

You are 28 and have been a jobbing actor since 2001. Do you get annoyed when people refer to you as a newcomer?

I either get referred to as a newcomer who's done nothing or someone who's been slogging for a decade.

Which is worse?

Probably slogging, because it makes it all sound so difficult and negative. I've had a pleasurable experience in this business.

Soon you'll have 10 million people watching you on a Saturday. Are you worried about the press trying to dig up your past or ex-boyfriends?

Not really, because to be honest I haven't done anything that I'm massively ashamed of.

You're of mixed heritage - your mother is Iranian and your father Ghanaian. Have you been to Iran?

I've not been to Iran or Ghana. It's a massive dream of mine to go and experience both of those rich cultures in their entirety.

What do you think about the multi-cultural debate?

I'm OK with where we're at. We've come so far, but we are still not seeing so many black faces in parliament, we are not seeing so many black people in very high-powered positions. There is still a way to go, but we'll get there.

There are rumours of a relationship between Martha and the Doctor.

There's a kiss in the first series but it's not what it seems. The Doctor has a plan and she's a pawn in that. The Doctor's relationship with Martha is very different to the relationship he had with Rose. I think Rose was unique in the sense that she loved him and he loved her back and it was more than just a hint, it was deeply emotional. Martha meets him at a time when she realises he is a man with a broken heart and perhaps thinks she might go some way to mend that initially but their relationship develops in a different way and takes a very interesting route to get there.

You've been described as coming from a "deprived council estate".

I've had journalists beg me to please say something negative about my estate. Every area has good and bad parts. I lived on an estate in north London. We weren't eating gravy every night for dinner, but we might not have been going out for five-star meals. I'm not saying it was all perfect for everybody but in my personal experience is it was just fine.

When you do fantastically well, will you go off to America like all the other black actors do?

Not if there continue to be roles like Martha Jones. I want to act, so that's what will guide me.

· Doctor Who is on BBC1 on Saturday at 7pm.