Only a few weeks remain until the first episode of Doctor Who series 14 airs, and Ncuti Gatwa is keen to showcase his portrayal of the iconic sci-fi character, The Doctor.
Since his debut during “The Giggle” and “The Church on Ruby Road,” the Sex Education actor is aware that his Doctor is different from previous iterations as he’s the first openly queer Black actor to take on the role.
Do you know what? It makes perfect sense to me, said Gatwa. I feel like anyone that has a problem with someone who’s not a straight white man playing this character you’re not really, truly a fan of the show.
The actor also reflected when he was shooting his scene with David Tennant for the 2023 Christmas special. He claimed that the Doctor Who alumnus was the reason why he wanted to be an actor and that working with him felt like a full-circle moment.
Before Doctor Who, Gatwa was mostly known for his role in Sex Education as Eric Effiong and Barbie as one of the Kens. The actor has also appeared in other titles, such as Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and most recently, Masters of the Air. His casting was announced back in 2022 by the BBC, as well as on social media.
What Do We Know About the New Season?
Gatwa will be playing the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who, following in the footsteps of the Thirteenth Doctor, Jodie Whittaker and Tennant’s brief appearance as the Fourteenth Doctor. Joining him in the TARDIS is Millie Gibson, who will be playing his companion, Ruby Sunday.
The show has also confirmed some of the guest stars that will appear in the series, including Emily In Paris’ Paul Forman as Lord Barton, Golda Rosheuvel, Jinkx Monsoon, Jonathan Groff, and Indira Varma.
In an interview with Variety, Gatwa talked about his upcoming role and the criticism he received when his Doctor Who casting was announced. According to him, he believes that his portrayal makes perfect sense as the Doctor is an alien, and claims that people aren’t fans of the show if they have an issue with it.
