Character Sheet: Tim Lassiter (OMC, "The Doctor and the Teacher")
Full name: Timothy Carlton Lassiter
Nickname: Tim
Age: 28
Physical appearance
(played by Benedict Cumberbatch)
How old does he appear:
mid to late twenties
Weight:
80 kg (180 lb)
Height:
183 cm (6'0")
Body build:
lean
Shape of face:
long oval
Eye colour:
icy blue/grey/green, central hazel heterochromia
Glasses or contacts:
no
Skin tone:
pale, prone to freckling and sunburn
Distinguishing marks:
none
Prominent features:
sharp cheekbones, distinctive eyes, full lips with pronounced cupid's bow
Hair color:
dark brown
Hair texture:
wavy to curly
Hairstyle:
short back and sides, longer forelock/fringe (curly)
Voice:
Baritone, somewhat posh accent
Overall attractiveness:
debatable (high to some, very low to others, including himself)
Physical disabilities:
none (able-bodied and healthy)
Usual fashion of dress:
comfortable classic casual (shirt and slacks, Converse, sometimes tie, jumper (cardigan, pullover, or vest))
jeans and t-shirts when he's dressing down, though he thinks this makes him look unattractive
Personality
Positive personality traits:
creative, curious, people-pleaser, gregarious, highly intelligent, adventurous, charismatic, honest, energetic, compassionate, driven
Negative personality traits:
tendency towards low self-esteem, susceptible to guilt, tends to get lost in his own head or alienate people, doesn't know when to stop talking, sometimes slightly manic
Mood character is most often in:
before Doctor: trying hard to feel like his life is worthwhile, often feeling stuck and slightly depressed, especially upon the loss of his job
after Doctor: like a puppy
Sense of humour:
variable: dry, silly, nerdy, unusual
Character’s greatest joy in life:
learning
Character’s greatest fear:
being stuck in an unrewarding, monotonous life
Favorite way to relax:
cup of tea, chocolate biscuit (or three), and a sci-fi novel
Most ill at ease when:
put on the spot in a situation with which he has no experience
Priorities:
education (self and others)
Life philosophy:
"When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true."
If granted one wish, it would be:
To visit other worlds (lucky him!)
Character’s soft spot:
children in distress
Is this soft spot obvious to others?
sometimes
Greatest strength:
combining creativity and intelligence
Greatest vulnerability or weakness:
tends to underestimate himself (can be intimidated by projects that are actually within his capabilities)
Biggest regret:
not pursuing a career in science
Minor regret:
not making dating/friendship a priority (he's lonely, but he's come to accept it)
Past
Hometown:
suburban London
Type of childhood:
not broken, but not idyllic
Pets:
family cat
Childhood hero:
astronauts
Dream job:
astronomer or planetarium director
Education:
BA in early childhood education, minors in physics and English literature
Religion:
raised Anglican
Finances:
middle-class
Present
Current location:
at beginning of story, living alone in a small town outside Wells
Religion:
agnostic (lapsed Anglican)
Occupation:
primary school teacher, though more due to circumstance than ambition, and has just lost his job due to the school closing. Is considering moving to London and going back to school until he meets the Doctor.
Finances:
owns his small home (inheritance), but not wealthy
Family
Parents:
Carlton and Jaime Lassiter (deceased)
Relationship with them:
strained until their death in a car accident five years ago
Siblings:
Older sister, Cynthia Lassiter Morgenstern
Relationship with her:
cordial but distant
Other family members:
Cynthia's husband, Jonathan, and three-year-old son, Mark. Mark really likes his Uncle Tim though they don't see each other much.
Favourites
Music:
classic rock
Food:
pizza, chocolate biscuits
Literature:
science fiction (hard and soft)
Form of entertainment:
reading
Most prized possession:
collection of the complete works of Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Arthur C Clarke; 0.3-m reflector telescope (homemade)
Habits
Hobbies:
reading, following SETI, stargazing
Plays a musical instrument?
learned piano as a boy but hasn't played in years
Plays a sport?
was pretty good at football as a boy, enjoys jogging
How he/she would spend a rainy day:
in front of the fireplace with a book and a pot of tea
Spending habits:
thrifty, but has expensive taste, so he splurges on a few high-quality items
Smokes:
did in school/uni, gave it up
Drinks:
socially
Extremely skilled at:
understanding and explaining tricky/complicated concepts, making casual friends
Extremely unskilled at:
making close friends, maintaining other close relationships
Nervous tics:
hands in pockets, ruffling hair
Usual body posture:
upright, but highly variable (uses a lot of body language)
Mannerisms:
fiddles with objects (incl clothing), talks with hands
Peculiarities:
excellent speaker in "teacher voice", but tends to stammer slightly when unprepared or emotional.
Traits
Optimist or pessimist?
very optimistic externally, tends to be pessimistic about himself (see: low self-esteem issues)
Introvert or extrovert?
extrovert who has learned how to live a somewhat secluded/lonely life
Daredevil or cautious?
very much a daredevil
Logical or emotional?
Lots of both, but life decisions tend to be more emotionally based
Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat?
messy/chaotic in most things
Prefers working or relaxing?
generally working
Confident or unsure of himself/herself?
depends greatly on the situation
Animal lover?
not particularly
Relationships with others
Opinion of other people in general:
very good; he loves people
Does the character hide his/her true opinions and emotions from others?
even when he tries, he has difficulty. He's an open book emotionally.
Person character most hates:
his father, though he feels guilty for it
Best friend(s):
none
Love interest(s):
none, though he still occasionally pines after a girl he dated for six months at university until she graduated (a year ahead of him), even though he doesn't know where she is now.
Person character goes to for advice:
his sister Cynthia, when he can bear to, and the headmaster at school (when there was one)
Person character feels responsible for or takes care of:
his students (when he had them)
Person character feels shy or awkward around:
very few people, but mostly people who are extremely outgoing and opinionated, or people in tight cliques
Person character openly admires:
Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson
Person character secretly admires:
the Doctor (though it's hardly secret)
Most important person in character’s life before story starts:
himself, or his nephew Mark
After story starts:
the Doctor