Ncuti Gatwa is set to become 14th Doctor
NCUTI Gatwa will take over from Jodie Whittaker as the Time Lord in Doctor Who, the BBC has announced.
The 29-year-old will become the 14th Doctor on the popular BBC show, after Whittaker announced last July she will be leaving the role.
Scottish actor Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, has starred as Eric Effiong in Netflix’s hugely popular Sex Education about socially awkward high-school student Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his sex therapist mother Jean (Gillian Anderson).
He said: “There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. 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 upmost to do the same. Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and fizzing with danger.
“And so as much as it’s daunting, I’m aware I’m joining a really supportive family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show.”
Incoming Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, from Swansea, said he cast Gatwa as the Doctor because he could see him developing the role in new ways for many years.
He said: “When you see him you don’t know what you are going to get. And I fell in love, frankly. He is stunning. He did an audition and when you meet him... I think when you cast the Doctor you cast for potential. I can see him for years exploring the part and taking it somewhere new. That’s what I felt. I felt in my heart that we can go anywhere with this.”
He said he had been “crossing his fingers” that Gatwa would say yes to the role and “hit the roof” when he did.