He is a big fan of Jodie Whittaker and - as a big fan of Doctor Who (2005) (he has even appeared in the series) - he tweeted to express his delight at her casting as the first woman Doctor. He also said anyone who questioned it was talking "claptrap".
A 2013 article in The Guardian described him as "the unsung hero of British character acting" and "a British acting great" because "he can play men so gentle you'd like to keep them as pets... Or he might bite your hand off".