Maybe Eccleston didn’t believe the reboot of Doctor Who was actually going to work. Think about how little Patrick Stewart was prepared for Star Trek: The Next Generation for the first couple years. It’s just a TV show to some, most eventually grow to love the role, but some just don’t.
oh come on, Patrick Stewart knew he wasn’t joining an ordinary tv show. Star Trek had done 4 films by then and who know how many books. Trekkie was a word that existed at that. He knew what he was getting into and so did Eccleston. Yes, maybe there was a small chance it wasn’t going to work, but still it was DOCTOR WHO . He had to know he would forever be linked to Doctor Who and would forever be the 9th Doctor.