Isn't it great when you find out that your fictional heroes are good guys in real life?
Details are scarce, but here's what we know: A 9-year-old boy named Thomas who lives with autism sent a letter to "the Doctor" from Doctor Who, explaining that he was sad because his grandmother had just passed away. Peter Capaldi, the actor who currently stars as the (12th) Doctor, received the boy's note and must've been touched by it.
So he decided to reply with a video message, encouraging young Thomas to be brave and not let sadness overtake him when bad things happen. The best part? He sent the message to Thomas in character as the Doctor. (Can't you just see that kid's eyes light up when he realizes that the Doctor is talking to him?)
Thomas' dad later posted the video on YouTube, where he said that Capaldi's video message arrived right before the funeral, and "helped him to deal with his grief in a profound way."
Peter Capaldi has made no secret of the fact that he was a lifelong fan of Doctor Who before he was cast in the part. From the age of 14, Capaldi famously badgered the show's production staff with letters asking for photos, offering critiques, and demanding to be made president of the Doctor Who fan club.
Now 56, Capaldi has found himself on the other side of fandom. It's nice to see it still matters to him as much as it ever did.
Photo: Brian Ach/BBC America
