Peter Capaldi almost cried the first time he saw the Tardis on the set of 'Doctor Who'.

The 56-year-old actor is set to star as the titular Time Lord for the first time in the highly anticipated next series of the BBC One sci-fi series and he's confessed he's such a big fan of the programme that he was overcome with emotion when he first came face-to-face with the famous spinning blue box.

Credit: BBC

Speaking at a press conference in New York, he said: "I turned up on set and saw the Tardis. I remember touching it ... the police box ... and I got a little bit teary. I was just so thrilled to be there."

Capaldi also revealed that while many aspiring actors may have looked to Hollywood stars for inspiration during his childhood, he was watching 'Doctor Who' and dreamed of following in the footsteps of actors who took on the lead role.

According to the Guardian newspaper, he explained: "I've been watching the show since I was five years old ... Actors who played Doctor Who - Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker - those were the people I was watching. More than Laurence Olivier."

Meanwhile, Jenna Louise Coleman - who reprises her role as the doctor's companion Clara Oswald in the latest series - praised her new co-star and revealed he often did his own thing during filming.

She said: "He was really bold and brave [on set]."

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