Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa to be the new Doctor Who
Ncuti Gatwa will be the first black actor to play the lead role in British sci-fi series Doctor Who, taking over from Jodie Whittaker as the 14th incarnation of the Time Lord next year, the BBC said.
Key points:
- Ncuti Gatwa, who plays Eric in Netflix hit Sex Education will be the new lead in Doctor Who
- He will take over from the show's first woman to play the Doctor
- Gatwa told the BBC there weren't quite the words to describe how he was feeling
The 29-year-old Scot, a star of Netflix hit Sex Education, posted two hearts plus a blue square, representing the Doctor's Tardis, a time-travelling police telephone box, on his Instagram account.
And that was before the news was confirmed by the broadcaster.
Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, said there weren't quite the words to describe how he was feeling.
"A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared," he said in the BBC's statement.
"This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care.
"I will endeavour my utmost to do the same."
The 11th incarnation of The Doctor, Matt Smith, said he was excited by the casting.
"There's a warmth and wit and a real depth to his talent. Honestly, I think it's an inspired bit of casting," he said.
"I'm really excited for the show and I think he's going to be a cracking Doctor."
Gatwa's castmate on Sex Education, Gillian Anderson, tweeted her congratulations, referring to him as a "ray of sunshine".
The announcement came just prior to the BAFTAs red carpet event, where Gatwa and many of his colleagues were present.
"Obviously it's just the best news in the world ever and he deserves it more than anyone," Sex Education co-star Aimee Lou Wood said.
Returning to Doctor Who after more than a decade, showrunner Russell Davies posted a selfie with Gatwa from the red carpet, captioned only with the cross and blue square icons — a well-known symbol for Doctor Who on social media
The Doctor is able to regenerate, allowing different actors to play the role, and this has been the case since the series was first broadcast in 1963.
Whittaker — who announced she was leaving the show last year — was the first woman to play the Doctor.
She will appear in a final special episode to mark the BBC's centenary later this year.
Reuters